South America is the fourth largest continent in the world. There are 12 countries in South America. These nations have many similarities and have closely shared histories. Looking from the outside, there seems to be little that divides the countries of South America. So, could we ever see the continent unite? Could every country in South America join together one day?
South America could not become one country. There are significant differences between South American countries that prevent unification. There is also no public support or widespread political movement on the continent advocating for creating a single country.
…but that’s just an overview. Let’s look at this in a bit more detail.
Why Isn’t South America One Country?
If we want to fully understand if South America could unite into one country, we first need to look at why South America is divided today. There are many complex reasons why South America isn’t a single country, but they can roughly be broken down into three areas:
- Colonial legacy
- Ethnicity and culture
- Geography
Let’s take a quick look at each of these…
Colonial Legacy
A first reason why South America is split into many different countries is the legacy of colonialism. The Spanish and Portuguese were the main colonial powers in South America. However, the British, Dutch, and French also had territories on the continent.
Colonial powers in South America divided the continent arbitrary between them. When South American countries gained independence, they retained their borders. Unique national identities had been created during the hundreds of years of colonial rule.
Ethnicity and Culture
A second reason why South America is not one country is because of the different ethnic and cultural groups that inhabit the continent. South America has a range of different indigenous groups from before colonialism. Even after colonialism by Europeans, the differences in these groups meant that South America developed different nation states.
Geography
A third reason why South America divided into different countries is the continents geography. South America is divided by mountains, rivers, jungles, and open plains. As with most continents, these natural barriers led to the formation of different societies, and this resulted in the creation of different nations.
Would A United Latin America Be A Superpower?
Latin America is the name given to both central and South America. Essentially every country from Mexico southwards. We’ve discussed why South America isn’t a single country, now let’s look at what would happen if all of South and Central America united. Would a single Latin American country be a global superpower?
If Latin America united into a one country, it would be a global superpower. Its geographic size, huge population, economic might, and military power would make it one of the strongest countries in the world.
A single Latin America country would be the largest on earth. It would be 19.2 million square kilometres in size. As an enormous country, the size of a united Latin America would make it a global superpower.
If all the countries in Latin America joined together it would make one of the most populous countries in the world. A single Latin American nation would have a population of around 664 million people. The size of the country’s population would make it globally dominant.
A united Latin America country would have an enormous economy. It would have a GDP of around 4.33 trillion dollars. This would make it the fourth largest economy in the world. The size of a single Latin American nations economy would dominate global trade and commerce. This would make the country a global superpower.
If every country in Latin America joined together, and was able to combine their armed forces, it would be a major military power. Its army would be one of the largest in the world. This would give the country immense strength.
How Powerful Would South America Be If It Was One Country?
Ok, so we know that a single Latin American country would likely be a global superpower. But how powerful would a South American country be if central America didn’t join? How powerful would South America be if it united?
If all countries in South America joined together into one country, it would be incredibly powerful. It would dominate global economics and trade and play a major role in international affairs. It would also be a major population centre and military power.
If South America joined together to be one country, it would be the largest country in the world. It would cover a geographical area of 17.84 million square kilometres. This size of the country would make it immensely powerful.
A country made up of every nation in South America combined would have a population of around 437 million people. This would make it the third most populous country in the world. A single South American state would be a powerful country due to the size of its population.
The economic power of a united South America would be huge. The country would have a GDP of around 3.9 trillion dollars. This would make it the fifth richest country in the world.
A united South American state would be a major military power. Its combined armed forces would be one of the biggest in the world.
What Would Happen If All Latin American Countries United?
So, we know that Latin America would be immensely powerful as a country if it united. However, what would actually happen if it did unite? What would the global reaction be to the creation of a single Latin American nation?
Latin America uniting into a single country would be a major change in the international order. It would equalise the balance of power in the Western hemisphere and create a major economic rival to the United States.
The creation of a Latin American state would be a major change in the geo-political order. It would likely be opposed by the United States, as it would see it as a rival to its power in the western hemisphere.
Other countries allied to the United States would likely also oppose all the countries in Latin America joining together. US dominance in the region is seen as accepted by many of America’s allies and the strong stance the US would likely take against it would mean its allies would probably support it.
Countries that are adversarial to the United States could support the creation of a single Latin American country as they might see it as weakening America’s global position.
If the creation of a single Latin American country was achieved peacefully, it would likely not be stopped by force, even if many other countries opposed it. If one country tried to unite the continent by conquest, countries – especially the United States, would quickly step in.
Will South America Become One Country?
Finally, let’s look ahead. If South America united to become a single country, it would be a major world power. So, is there a chance that in the future we could see all the countries in South America joining together?
South America will not become one nation. The economic, social, political, and cultural differences between the countries of South America are too great for a movement for unity to get support. There is no significant political will or widespread public support for the creation of a united South American state.
The countries of South America have strong national identities. This is key to why the continent will not join together into a single country. Although many people across the continent feel a connection between the countries of South America. The idea of pan-Americanism is not strong enough for there to be widespread political or public support for uniting the countries on the continent.
South America is a highly divided continent. There are linguistic and cultural differences between the countries. The nations on the continent also have different economies, industrial bases and levels of income and wealth. These divides are simply too great for there to be a widely supported movement to bring them together to form a single nation state.