Here are the capitals of the twelve countries of South America. Several of them sit high in the Andes, and two famous ones are not the countries' largest cities.
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Colombia | Bogotá |
| Venezuela | Caracas |
| Guyana | Georgetown |
| Suriname | Paramaribo |
| Ecuador | Quito |
| Peru | Lima |
| Brazil | Brasília |
| Bolivia | Sucre (see the note) |
| Paraguay | Asunción |
| Chile | Santiago |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires |
| Uruguay | Montevideo |
Key idea
The capital of Brazil is Brasília, not Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo. Bolivia has two capitals: Sucre, the constitutional capital, and La Paz, the seat of government; both count.
Why it works
Brasília is a planned city. Brazil's capital used to be Rio de Janeiro on the coast. In the 1950s the government built a new capital from scratch on the high plains of the interior, to draw people and roads inland, and moved there in 1960. Planned capitals appear elsewhere too: Canberra in Australia and Abuja in Nigeria, which you will meet later.
Worked example: Capitals in the mountains
Which South American capitals are high in the Andes?
- Look along the Andes: Bogotá (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador) and La Paz (Bolivia) are all high up.
- Lima (Peru) and Santiago (Chile) are lower, near the Pacific side of the mountains.
Answer: Bogotá, Quito and La Paz.
Worked example: Biggest city or capital?
Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. Is it the capital?
- Guayaquil is a big port on the Pacific.
- The capital is Quito, high in the Andes.
Answer: No; Quito is the capital.
Common mistake
People often answer Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo for Brazil. Rio was the capital until 1960, and São Paulo is the largest city, but the capital is Brasília. For Bolivia, either Sucre or La Paz is right.