Brazil is the largest country in South America by land area.
Brazil occupies about 8.5 million square kilometres, covering almost half of the continent. It borders every independent South American country except Chile and Ecuador, giving it the continent’s most extensive international boundary network.
Its size spans several major environments, including the Amazon Basin, the Brazilian Highlands, the Pantanal wetlands, Atlantic forests, and semi-arid northeastern regions. The country’s territory also includes a long Atlantic coastline.
Brazil is sometimes confused with Argentina because Argentina is South America’s second-largest country. Brazil is considerably larger, and it is also the fifth-largest country in the world by total area. Brasília has been Brazil’s capital since 1960, replacing Rio de Janeiro.