Largest Cities in South America

The South American continent is dominated by the Andes, the longest mountain range in the world. They run through seven countries. Brazil, the largest country, covers almost half of the continent.

• French Guiana
• Falkland Islands

Area	17,803,212 km2
Population	316,253,000
Population density	17 per km2
Countries	12
Largest country	Brazil, 8 511 996 km2
Smallest Country	Suriname, 163 263 km2
Languages	Spanish, Portuguese, Quechua, Guarani, Aymara
Highest mountain	Aconcagua at 6,959 meters
Longest river	Peninsula Valdes, 40 meters below sea level
Highest temperature	49 0 C in Rivadavia, Argentina
Lowest temperature	-33 0 C in Sarmiento, Argentina

Biggest Cities in South America by Population

Rio de Janeiro is the largest city in South America, with a population of around 6.7 million people. Located in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is known for its vibrant culture, beaches and stunning views. The city has many attractions including the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Mountain and the colorful Selaron Steps in Santa Teresa neighborhood. Additionally, visitors can explore Rio’s markets selling local goods such as jewelry, textiles, spices and handicrafts made by locals from around Rio de Janeiro.

Santiago is the second largest city in South America with a population of around 5.5 million people. It is located in Chile and is known for its modern feel and beautiful landscape surrounded by mountains on three sides. Santiago offers visitors plenty to do including exploring its bustling markets selling local goods such as jewelry, textiles, spices and handicrafts made by locals from around Santiago. Additionally, there are some great restaurants serving traditional Chilean cuisine such as pastel de choclo (corn pie) and cazuela (meat stew).

Bogotá is third largest city in South America with a population of around 7 million people. It is located in Colombia and is known for its rich history as well as its vibrant culture with influences from both Europe and Latin America. There are many great things to do in Bogotá including exploring its markets selling local goods such as jewelry, textiles, spices and handicrafts made by locals from around Bogotá as well as visiting historical sites like La Candelaria which houses some of the oldest buildings in Colombia.

Ranking	City	Country	Continent	Population
1	Sao Paulo	Brazil	South America	22,043,139
2	Buenos Aires	Argentina	South America	15,153,840
3	Rio De Janeiro	Brazil	South America	13,458,186
4	Bogota	Colombia	South America	10,978,471
5	Lima	Peru	South America	10,719,299
6	Santiago	Chile	South America	6,767,334
7	Belo Horizonte	Brazil	South America	6,084,541
8	Brasilia	Brazil	South America	4,645,954
9	Porto Alegre	Brazil	South America	4,137,528
10	Recife	Brazil	South America	4,127,202
11	Fortaleza	Brazil	South America	4,073,576
12	Medellin	Colombia	South America	4,000,374
13	Salvador	Brazil	South America	3,839,187
14	Curitiba	Brazil	South America	3,678,843
15	Asuncion	Paraguay	South America	3,336,673
16	Campinas	Brazil	South America	3,300,905
17	Guayaquil	Ecuador	South America	2,994,329
18	Caracas	Venezuela	South America	2,939,103
19	Cali	Colombia	South America	2,782,091
20	Goiania	Brazil	South America	2,690,122
21	Belem	Brazil	South America	2,334,573
22	Barranquilla	Colombia	South America	2,273,025
23	Manaus	Brazil	South America	2,260,899
24	Maracaibo	Venezuela	South America	2,258,110
25	Grande Vitoria	Brazil	South America	2,075,968
26	Valencia	Venezuela	South America	1,910,299
27	Baixada Santista	Brazil	South America	1,892,425
28	Quito	Ecuador	South America	1,873,874
29	La Paz	Bolivia	South America	1,857,908
30	Montevideo	Uruguay	South America	1,752,499
31	Santa Cruz	Bolivia	South America	1,712,799
32	Cordoba	Argentina	South America	1,572,055
33	Rosario	Argentina	South America	1,532,239
34	Grande Sao Luis	Brazil	South America	1,485,874
35	Natal	Brazil	South America	1,456,955
36	San Jose	Costa Rica	South America	1,399,740
37	Joao Pessoa	Brazil	South America	1,378,360
38	Bucaramanga	Colombia	South America	1,331,564
39	Maceio	Brazil	South America	1,323,150
40	Cochabamba	Bolivia	South America	1,304,018
41	Joinville	Brazil	South America	1,303,252
42	Florianopolis	Brazil	South America	1,239,442
43	Barquisimeto	Venezuela	South America	1,214,473
44	Maracay	Venezuela	South America	1,203,338
45	Mendoza	Argentina	South America	1,172,730
46	Cartagena	Colombia	South America	1,062,733
47	Teresina	Brazil	South America	1,021,340
48	Aracaju	Brazil	South America	1,009,491
49	San Miguel De Tucuman	Argentina	South America	985,767
50	Valparaiso	Chile	South America	983,862
51	Cucuta	Colombia	South America	933,491
52	Arequipa	Peru	South America	923,110
53	Ciudad Guayana	Venezuela	South America	917,811
54	Campo Grande	Brazil	South America	896,975
55	Londrina	Brazil	South America	885,627
56	La Plata	Argentina	South America	884,165
57	Concepcion	Chile	South America	880,833
58	Trujillo	Peru	South America	864,744
59	Barcelona Puerto La Cruz	Venezuela	South America	793,752
60	Sorocaba	Brazil	South America	786,108
61	Sao Jose Dos Campos	Brazil	South America	721,906
62	Ribeirao Preto	Brazil	South America	714,222
63	Maturin	Venezuela	South America	694,827
64	Uberlandia	Brazil	South America	687,007
65	Salta	Argentina	South America	684,862
66	Jundiai	Brazil	South America	678,632
67	Mar Del Plata	Argentina	South America	665,818
68	Chiclayo	Peru	South America	637,366
69	Feira De Santana	Brazil	South America	602,239
70	Cuiaba	Brazil	South America	588,677
71	Ibague	Colombia	South America	586,298
72	Pereira	Colombia	South America	579,731
73	Cabimas	Venezuela	South America	578,333
74	Juiz De Fora	Brazil	South America	575,592
75	Santa Fe	Argentina	South America	563,028
76	Villavicencio	Colombia	South America	544,226
77	San Juan	Argentina	South America	537,024
78	Valledupar	Colombia	South America	533,564
79	Santa Marta	Colombia	South America	527,437
80	Vale Do Aco	Brazil	South America	521,855
81	Porto Velho	Brazil	South America	510,530

South America Climate

South America is characterized by its great variety of climates: the warm, humid climate of Amazonia or the Caribbean, the dry, cold air of Patagonia, the dryness of the Atacama, the icy winds of Tierra del Fuego and so on and so forth. The explanation lies in the high number of latitudes that traverse the continent, in the temperature differences between the surrounding oceans and the enormous presence of the Andes.

At 3,810 meters above sea level, Lake Titicaca is one of the highest lakes in the world where shipping is possible. The border between Peru and Bolivia runs right through the lake.

Extreme weather contrasts prevail on the South American continent. In parts of Colombia, more than 11,700 millimeters of precipitation fall annually, while the Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest place on earth.

The Quecha Indians in Ecuador and Peru live in settlements that are among the highest in the world. These Andean inhabitants have also adapted physically to the low oxygen content of the mountain air.

Both tomatoes and potatoes are originally from South America. The Andean Indians still grow potatoes at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters.