Brazil is the largest of South America’s 12 sovereign states.
Brazil’s area is about 8.52 million square kilometres, far exceeding Argentina, the continent’s second-largest sovereign country. Brazil occupies a broad central and eastern portion of South America and has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean.
The distinction between a continent’s sovereign states and its territories matters in geography questions. South America has 12 independent countries, while nearby or associated territories may be counted separately in some regional lists. Brazil remains the clear area leader under either ordinary sovereign-country comparisons.
Portuguese is Brazil’s official language, distinguishing it from the Spanish-speaking majority of South America. The country’s colonial history explains this difference: Brazil was colonized by Portugal, while most of its neighbours were colonized by Spain.