Overview

Fast Facts

Main Languages: Spanish is the official language in most of the countries in South America. Portuguese is the official language of Brazil whilst Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana have different official languages, namely English, Dutch and French respectively. English is also spoken and understood in major cities of South America.

When to Go: Being a large continent, South America boasts of a distinct climate that varies from one country to another country. So, best time to visit depends on climate of a particular country or region of South America. For example, December to March is rainy season in the Altiplano region, on the other hand the rainy season in Rio de Janeiro begins by the end of February and remains till March. The climate remains hot and humid above the Tropic of Capricorn that runs on a line through Antofogasta to Rio de Janeiro. The coastal areas of the Amazon Jungle, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela remain extremely humid most of the year. Hence, before visiting any part of South America, must enquire about the weather unless you might face problem during your holiday.

Local Transport: Flights are the most convenient mode of transport in South America. All the big cities of the continent have airports that are served by a number of flights. Buses are extensively used by people of South America for land transportation. Apart from Argentina and Chile, South America doesn’t have cross-country train services. You can hire cars and taxis for local transport in major cities of South Africa. 

Voltage: The current in South America varies from country to country. While Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela use 110 V, many countries use 220 V.

Time Zone: South America follows 3 time zones - 3 hours, 4 hours and 5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Universal Coordinated Time (UTC). All countries in the southern hemisphere follow daylight savings including Brazil despite being north of the equator.