2. Story behind the name: German cartographer
Martin Waldseemüller named the new continent
after the Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci’s first
name.
New World is one of the names used specifically
for America and the region south of America was
then called South America. The term originated
in the late 15th century, when America had been
recently discovered by European explorers.
3. Area: 6,890,000 square
miles or 17,840,000
square kilometers
Population: Approximatel
y 385,742,554
Location and
Geography: South
America occupies the
southern portion of the
landmass referred to as
the New World.
Economy and
Currencies: South
America is experiencing
great economic
development, with
Venezuela, Colombia,
Argentina, Uruguay and
Peru growing their
economies by over 8%
per annum, but at the
same time, they are
experiencing very high
inflation rates, like
around 22% in Venezuela
4. South American countries and their
currency:
Argentina – Argentine peso (ARS)
Bolivia – Bolivian boliviano (BOB)
Brazil – Brazilian real (BRL)
Chile – Chilean peso (CLP)
Colombia – Colombian peso (COP)
Ecuador – U.S. dollar (USD)
French Guiana – Euro (EUR)
Guyana – Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Paraguay – Paraguayan guaraní (PYG)
Peru – Peruvian nuevo sol (PEN)
Suriname – Surinamese dollar (SRD)
Uruguay – Uruguayan peso (UYU)
Venezuela – Venezuelan bolívar fuerte (VEF)
5. Countries with their Capitals
Argentina -Buenos Aires
Bolivia – La Paz – seat of government; Sucre – legal capital and
seat of judiciary
Brazil – Brasilia
Chile – Santiago
Colombia – Bogotá
Ecuador – Quito
Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas -Stanley
French Guiana – Cayenne
Guyana – Georgetown
Paraguay – Asunción
Peru – Lima
Suriname – Paramaribo
Uruguay – Montevideo
Venezuela – Caracas
6. Major religions: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism
ACOD~20120924
Last Update: October 28, 2014
7. South America has a rapidly developing economy.
With many industries and a
flourishing trade and import-export market, it is
fast becoming a economy with considerable size.
South American countries had a slow pace of
economic development in the past. In recent
times, however, South America has as a whole
undergone rapid economic development.
8. Aided by greater economic independence since the
times of the second World War, South America has
been largely successful in developing
its economy rapidly.
The biggest individual economies in South America
are those of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile.
Currently undergoing massive growth are the economies of
Argentina, Venezuela and Peru. Major industries in South
America are agriculture, which encompasses a vital part of
the economy, and other important industries like fishing,
natural resources, handicrafts etc.
9. South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est.
pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq
km), the southern of the two continents of the
Western Hemisphere. It is divided politically into 12
independent countries—
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay,
and Venezuela—and the overseas department
of French Guiana.
10.
11.
12. Government Type:
federal republic
Population:
total: 8,514,877 sq km
Natural resources:
bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates,
platinum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum,
hydropower, timber
Land use:
arable land: 8.45%
permanent crops: 0.83%
other: 90.72% (2011)
Irrigated land:
54,000 sq km (2011)
13. Ethnic Groups:
white 47.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 43.1%, black
7.6%, Asian 1.1%, indigenous 0.4% (2010 est.)
Languages:
Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2%
(includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian
Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%,
other Protestant 11.5%), other Christian 0.7%, Spiritist 2.2%,
other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)
Population:
202,656,788 (July 2014 est.)
14. Characterized by large and well-developed
agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and
service sectors, and a rapidly expanding
middle class, Brazil's economy outweighs
that of all other South American countries,
and Brazil is expanding its presence in world
markets.
15. Population growth rate:
0.8% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.4%
male: 90.1%
female: 90.7% (2010 est.)
14.72 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Death rate:
6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
16.
17.
18. GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.416 trillion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
$2.362 trillion (2012 est.)
$2.342 trillion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.19 trillion (2013 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1370.9% (2012 est.)
2.7% (2011 est.)
19. GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,100 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
$11,900 (2012 est.)
$11,900 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
Gross national saving:
14.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
15.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
17.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 62.5%
government consumption: 21.7%
investment in fixed capital: 18.3%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 12.4%
imports of goods and services: -14.9%(2013 est.)
20. GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 26.4%
services: 68.1%
(2013 est.)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
Industries:
textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft,
motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
21. Labor force:
107.3 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 15.7%
industry: 13.3%
services: 71%
(2011 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.7% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
5.5% (2012 est.)
Population below poverty line:
21.4%
note: official Brazilian data show 4.2% of the population being
below the "extreme" poverty line in 2011 (2009 est.)
22. Budget:
revenues: $851.1 billion
expenditures: $815.6 billion (2013 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
38.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
1.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Public debt:
59.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
58.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
23. Exports:
$244.8 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
$242.6 billion (2012 est.)
Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Exports - partners:
China 17%, US 11.1%, Argentina 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2% (2012)
24. Imports:
$241.4 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
$223.2 billion (2012 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical
products, oil, automotive parts, electronics
Imports - partners:
China 15.3%, US 14.6%, Argentina 7.4%, Germany 6.4%,
South Korea 4.1% (2012)
25. Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$378.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
$373.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Debt - external:
$475.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
$438.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at
home:
$663.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
$604.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment -
abroad:
$179.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
$177.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
28. Bolivia is a resource rich country with
strong growth attributed to captive
markets for natural gas exports. However,
the country remains one of the least
developed countries in Latin America
because of state-oriented policies that
deter investment and growth. Following a
disastrous economic crisis during the early
1980s, reforms spurred private
investment, stimulated economic growth,
and cut poverty rates in the 1990s.
29. The period 2003-05 was characterized by
political instability, racial tensions, and violent
protests against plans - subsequently
abandoned - to export Bolivia's newly
discovered natural gas reserves to large
Northern Hemisphere markets. In 2005, the
government passed a controversial
hydrocarbons law that imposed significantly
higher royalties and required foreign firms
then operating under risk-sharing contracts to
surrender all production to the state energy
company in exchange for a predetermined
service fee.
30. The global recession slowed growth,
but Bolivia recorded the highest
growth rate in South America during
2009. High commodity prices since
2010 sustained rapid growth and
large trade surpluses. However, a
lack of foreign investment in the key
sectors of mining and hydrocarbons,
along with conflict among social
groups pose challenges for the
Bolivian economy.
31. GDP (purchasing power parity):
$59.11 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
$55.35 billion (2012 est.)
$52.63 billion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$30.79 billion (2013 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
GDP - real growth rate:
6.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
5.2% (2012 est.)5.2% (2011 est.)
32. GDP - per capita:
$5,500 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
$5,200 (2012 est.)$4,900 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
Gross national saving:
25.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
26% of GDP (2012 est.)24.9% of GDP (2011
est.)
33. GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 9.2%
industry: 38.5%
services: 52.3% (2013 est.)
Agriculture - products:
quinoa, soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn,
sugarcane, rice, potatoes; Brazil nuts; timber
Industries:
mining, smelting, petroleum, food and
beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing,
jewelry
Industrial production growth rate:
5.6% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
[see also: Industrial production growth rate
country ranks ]
34. Labor force:
4.922 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 32%
industry: 27.4%
services: 40.6% (2009 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.4% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
7.5% (2012 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread
underemployment
[see also: Unemployment rate country
ranks ]Population below poverty line:
35. Exports:
$12.16 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
$11.77 billion (2012 est.)
[see also: Exports country ranks ]Exports - commodities:
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin
Exports - partners:
Brazil 41.8%, US 18.4%, Argentina 7.3%, Peru 4.9% (2012)
Imports:
$9.282 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
$8.18 billion (2012 est.)
[see also: Imports country ranks ]Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods,
automobiles, insecticides
Imports - partners:
Chile 21.3%, Brazil 20.3%, Argentina 10.9%, US 10.1%, Peru 6.5%, Venezuela 6.2%, China
4.9% (2012)
