How many countries are on the continent of South America? My answer is 12 BUT my classmate said it is thirteen. I am pretty sure I am the one that is right. Can you help?
12, I think.
South America has 13 political units.
http://geography.about.com/library/maps/blrsouthamerica.htm
However, French Guiana is not an independent country, but an overseas part of France. Is it a country?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Guiana
Of course, I'd be happy to help you. The continent of South America is made up of several countries. To determine the correct number, let's go through the process together.
1. Start by listing the countries in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
2. Count the countries on your list. In this case, we have 12 different countries.
3. However, you mentioned that your classmate said it is thirteen. This makes me think that there might be some additional information or discrepancy that needs to be considered.
To be thorough, let's look into this further to make sure we are not missing anything. While South America is commonly considered to have 12 countries, it's worth noting that there is one more territory that is often recognized as a separate entity:
French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France, is situated on the northeastern coast of South America.
If your classmate is including French Guiana as a separate country, then the total count would be 13.
Now that you have the information, you can have a discussion with your classmate and clarify the perspective they are coming from. Remember, it's always good to have an open dialogue and be willing to consider different viewpoints.