Brazil is the largest Latin American country, occupying an area of 3,286,470 sq. miles (8,511,965 sq. km) and covering nearly half of the South American landmass. It is the fifth largest country in the world after the Russian Federation, Canada, China and the United States.
The equator passes through the north of the country near Macapá; the Tropic of Capricorn passes through the south near São Paulo. Brazil's maximum width, 2,684 miles (4,319 km), is almost the same as its maximum distance from north to south, 2,731 miles (4,394 km).
Brazil has ten neighbours: the Department of French Guiana and the countries of Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela and Colombia to the north; Uruguay and Argentina to the south; and Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru to the west. Ecuador and Chile are the only two countries in continental South America that do not border Brazil. The Atlantic Ocean extends along the entire eastern side of the country, which has 4,578 miles (7,367 km) of coastline.
