How many countries are in south america how do you know?

To know the number of countries in South America, you can use the following method:

1. Start with the seven countries that border the Pacific Ocean: Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

2. Add the six countries that border the Atlantic Ocean: Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.

This gives you a total of 13 countries in South America.