Latin America
Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. It has been relatively free of the coups and arbitrary governments that have blighted the continent.
Argentina stretches 4,000 km from its sub-tropical north to the sub-Antarctic south.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Colombian government and the Farc rebels to redouble their efforts to reach a peace accord.
President Obama will make history on Sunday when he flies to Cuba to visit the island and hold talks with its Communist leader.
Sandwiched between Venezuela and Suriname, the former British colony of Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America.
Authorities in Chile say they have rescued 14 people from two rafts, ending an attempt to emulate the famous Kon-Tiki voyage of 1947.
A country of extremes, landlocked Bolivia is the highest and most isolated country in South America.
A Brazilian senator charged with trying to obstruct a major corruption investigation has accused Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante of offering him money in exchange for his silence.
