South American mini-gazetteer

Area in square km:2,766,900
Population (2000):36,123,000
Capital:Buenos Aires
Currency:Peso
Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, only just smaller than India. It occupies most of the southern part of South America, yet almost all the population live in the central area around the Paraná river. Agricultural exports still dominate the economy, which has lurched into a disastrous crisis in 2001-2. The highest mountain in South America, Aconcagua, lies within Argentina - this is also the world's highest volcano.
Strange fact: Argentina has a tiny Welsh-speaking minority, the descendants of 19th century emigrants. They live around the town of Trelew in Patagonia.

Area in square km: 1,098,580
Population (2000): 7,957,000
Capital: La Paz
Currency: Sucre
Bolivia is one of South America's two landlocked states (along with Paraguay). It is also the poorest country on the continent, despite its impressive mineral resources (zinc, tin and silver). It has been reckoned that coca exports are actually worth more than seven times the value of "legal" exports to the Bolivian economy. Though it lays claim to a substantial tract of low-lying Amazonian rainforest, almost all the population live high in the Andes - very high in fact (La Paz is the world's most elevated capital city at some 14,000 feet up).
Strange fact: Bolivia really does have a navy; two ships which patrol Lake Titicaca (shared with Peru). It is the smallest navy in the world.

Area in square km: 8,547,379
Population (2000): 165,851,000
Capital: Brasilia
Currency: Real
Only Russia, Canada, China and the US are larger in area than Brazil. Its economy is larger than the rest of South America combined; its population nearly is. It is the world's largest producer of coffee, and has well-developed industrial and service sectors. Unfortunately it also has a crippling external debt and is the world's most unequal state: the richest 20% of Brazilians have a combined income that is 33 times as large as that of the poorest 20%.
Strange fact: Though Brazil was once a colony of Portugal it now has a population 16 times as large as that of the "mother" country, and much of the Portuguese-language books, TV shows and films consumed in Portugal are in fact of Brazilian origin.

Area in square km: 1,141,748
Population (2000): 40,803,000
Capital: Bogotá
Currency: Peso
Colombia is the second most populous state on the continent. It is the only country in South America to have both a Pacific and an Atlantic coastline. Though the country is very mountainous, there are great natural resources - oil, coal, gold, silver and emeralds are all produced, and it is the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil. Unfortunately it is better-known for its production of cocaine, and the recent war between the US-backed government and the leftist guerilla group, FARC.
Strange fact: Colombia is one of only two countries in the world named after a person - in this case, Christopher Columbus. (The other is Bolivia, named after Simon Bólivar.)

Area in square km: 272,045
Population (2000): 12,175,000
Capital: Quito
Currency: Sucre
Ecuador lies on - and is named after - the Equator. It is one of South America's smallest countries, though is relatively densely populated compared to its neighbours. It has substantial oil reserves, though these have been the subject of some dispute with Peru. However, its greatest natural resource lies well offshore - Ecuador is the country with sovereignty over the Galapagos islands, inspiration to Charles Darwin.
Strange fact: Ecuador is one of only two countries in South America without a border with Brazil. Chile is the other. It is also the only country in the world named after a line of latitude or longitude (though there is a province in the Congo called Equateur).