Argentina

Argentina forms the eastern half of South America's long, tapering tail. It's a big country - the eighth-largest in the world (with 0,6% of the world's population).The population is estimated at approximately 37.000.000 people. Argentina is the second largest country in South America in terms of land area (approx.1,000,000 sq. miles). The country is bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Chile to the west, and Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It also shares the offshore island territory of Tierra del Fuego with Chile, and continues to dispute the ownership of the Islas Malvinas (the Falklands to the Brits), which Great Britain invaded in the last century.

There are 5 distinct sections to Argentina, the coast and beaches in the east, the snow-capped Andes mountains to the west, humid jungles up north, Patagonia down south, and the Pampas (fertile plains), in the center of the country. Argentina's 33 million inhabitants are of Spanish, German, Italian, and English decent.

Colombia

Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to overthrow the government. While Bogota continues to try to negotiate a settlement, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders. Colombia is located in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama.

Ecuador

The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in1999. Ecuador lies nestled in the Andes Mountains with Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. It is on the Equator from which it derives its name. The jungles of the Amazon basin lie inland to the east whilst the western coastline is on the Pacific Ocean. The Galapagos Islands also belong to Ecuador. The country is split into three main geographical regions - the eastern jungle, the central Andean mountains and the western coastal zone

Paraguay

In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER was overthrown in 1989, and relatively free and regular presidential elections have been held since then.

The Republic of Paraguay is a country of some 5,000,000 inhabitants and occupies an area of 406.752 square kilometers.The capital is the city of Asuncion.

Chile

Chile is a long and narrow stretch of land at the southwestern end of América, between Los andes mountain range and the Pacific Ocean. The country is divided into 12 regions plus Greater Santiago, 51 provinces and 335 municipalities. The capital Santiago (of the New Extremadura) was founded on 12 February 1541 by the Spanish Conqueror Pedro de Valdivia. The official language of Chile is Spanish spoken without regional variations. Other languages spoken in very restricted areas are: "Mapudungu" (mapuche language), "Rapa Nui" (spoken in Easter Island) and "Aymara" (spoken in some areas of the mountains in the North).

Peru

Peru, the largest in area in the Andean countries, was the cradle of the most advanced indigenous civilizations and most powerful empire in pre-Columbian South America - that of the Incas. Peru was also the focus of Spanish colonial domination for its first two hundred years of rule. What remained of pre-Columbian America with regard to people, culture, and settlements is perhaps better represented in Peru than in any other country. The Andes are the site of the most fascinating pre-Columbian cities of South America-like the great city of the clouds, Machu Picchu.The country has a 2,400 kilometer (1,500 miles) long coast on the Pacific Ocean and borders Colombia and Ecuador in the north, Brazil and Bolivia on the east, and Chile on the south. It is the only country that borders all the other Andean states.
The Andes are by no means the only region to visit in Peru. Also of great interest is Peru's narrow, lowland coastal region, a northern extension of the Atacama Desert. Although the Atacama is generally known as the most arid region on the planet, the climate along Peru's shores is made cooler and less dry by La Garuùa, a dense fog created by the collision of the frigid waters of the Humboldt Current with the heated sands of the Atacama. Lima, Trujillo, and Chiclayo, three of Peru's major population centres, are located along this coastal desert.

Suriname

Suriname (formerly Dutch Guyana) is a small Republic on the Northeast coast of South America. It borders French Guiana in the east, Brasil in the south, Guyana in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the north, and has an area of 163,265 square kilometres (63,064 square miles). The country contains many rivers and some mountains (highest point 1280 metres). The larger part of the country consists of uncultivated rain forest.The people are a multi-cultural blend and the land has many beautiful natural resources that make it unique. It is not unusual to see monkeys traversing the trees and boa constrictors crossing the various roads that are traveled daily. The Amazonian interior is unspoiled and sparsely inhabited. The official language of Suriname is Dutch. A reasonable number of people also speak English. Surinamese children are taught English in primary school starting in the seventh grade. The lingua franca in Suriname is Sranan Tongo. This is a creole language spoken by almost everyone. Suriname's national anthem is written in Sranan Tongo.
Nearly all 386,372 inhabitants of Suriname (1990 count) live within a 30 km wide coastal region. The capital Paramaribo lies about 20km south of the coast at the west bank of the Suriname river. It has 150,000 inhabitants.

Uruguay

The República Oriental del Uruguay is situated on South America's Southern Cone, its eastern shore lies next to the Atlantic Ocean between the 30th and 35th southern latitude parallels and between the 53rd and 58th western longitude meridians. It is the warmest zone within the southern region. Uruguay borders Brazil on the north and northeast; Argentina on the west and south, the River Plate to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The climate is mild and mostly uniform in the whole country with distinct seasons. The absence of mountains exposes the region to a wide spectrum of cold and humid southeasterly winds. As its name indicates the wind comes from the southeast, and the southerner or "pamperos" which blows from the Patagonia Andes.

Venezuela

Venezuela was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Current concerns include: drug-related conflicts along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations which are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples. When the first explorers arrived, they saw houses over the Sinamaica lagoon (Zulia State), close to Maracaibo; those houses reminded them of the city of Venice. They called the region "Little Venice", which in Spanish would be Venezuela.