A continent that is home to nearly 400 million people, South America consists of 12 countries—Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname—plus an overseas department of France called French Guiana. Covering one-eighth of the world’s land, South America is roughly twice the size of the United States. Brazil alone is greater in size than 49 U.S. states combined (excluding Alaska), and Argentina’s land area is larger than Mexico plus Texas. Even smaller South American countries would loom large in Europe; for example, Guyana rivals the combined areas of Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland. The continent’s 6,875,395 square miles (17,809,780 square kilometers) extend over tropical rainforests, marshes, salt lakes, plains, deserts, and immense highlands.