evidence: Brazil occupies the eastern part of South America and, with an area of 3,286,470 square miles (8,511,965 square kilometers), is the fifth largest country in the world. It borders every South American country except Chile and Ecuador. To the north, it shares a boundary with Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and the French overseas department of French Guiana. To the northwest, it meets Peru and Bolivia, to the west Argentina and Paraguay, to the southwest Uruguay, and to the south it is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil's vast territory comprises several geographical regions with distinct characteristics. The Brazilian Highlands, or the Brazilian Plateau, occupies the eastern, central, and southern portions of the country. This region, characterized by plateaus and low mountain ranges, hosts Brazil's largest city, São Paulo, and the political capital, Brasília. In contrast to the rugged terrain of the highlands, the Pantanal, one of the world's largest freshwater wetland ecosystems, covers the western parts of Brazil and extends into Bolivia and Paraguay. [...] Regional Maps: Map of South America