Union of South American Nations União de Nações Sul-Americanas (Portuguese) Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (Spanish) Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties (Dutch)
Political centres		Quito[1] Cochabamba[1]
Largest city		São Paulo
Official languages		4 Dutch English Portuguese Spanish
Ethnic groups (2007)		7 White (46%) Mulatto (21%) Mestizo (21%) Amerindian (6%) Black (4%) Mixed (<1%) Other (2%)
Demonym		South American
Member states		12 Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela
Government		Continental union
-	President pro tempore	Michelle Bachelet
Formation
-	Cuzco Declaration	8 December 2004
-	Constitutive Treaty	23 May 2008
Area
-	Total	17,715,335 km²  6,839,929 sq mi
-	Water (%)	27
Population
-	2007 estimate	382,433,000
-	Density	21. Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the Capital of Ecuador in northwestern South America. Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a Valley bearing the same name in the Andes Mountain range. São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. Mulatto is a term used to describe a person with one white parent and one black parent or a person whose Ancestry is a mixture of black and white Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place __FORCETOC__The Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR, União de Nações Sul-Americanas - UNASUL, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties __FORCETOC__The Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR, União de Nações Sul-Americanas - UNASUL, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A continental union, often abbreviated to CU, is an inter-governmental or supra-national Political union of nations located in the same President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. Pro tempore or pro tem is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria beˈɾonika mɪˈʃɛl baʃˈle ˈxeɾja / --> (born September 29 1951) is a center-left politician and __FORCETOC__The Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR, União de Nações Sul-Americanas - UNASUL, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties The Cusco Declaration, formally titled Preamble to the Foundation Act of the South American Union, is a two-page declaration of intent signed by 12 South American Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Constitutive Treaty of the Union of South American Nations was signed on May 23, 2008 during the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 59/km² (195th2) 55. List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² 91/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$3. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 9 trillion (5th2)
-	Per capita	$10,378 (68th2)
GDP (nominal)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$2. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 3 trillion (7th2)
-	Per capita	$6,005 (68th2)
Currency		12 Argentine peso Bolivian boliviano Brazilian real Chilean peso Colombian peso Guyanese dollar Paraguayan guaraní Peruvian nuevo sol Surinamese dollar United States dollar Uruguayan peso Venezuelan bolívar
Time zone		(UTC-2 to -5)
Internet TLD		12 .ar .bo .br .cl .co .ec .gy .py .pe .sr .uy .ve

The Union of South American Nations (Dutch: Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties, Portuguese: União de Nações Sul-Americanas, Spanish: Unión de Naciones Suramericanas, and abbreviated as UNASUR and UNASUL) is a supranational and intergovernmental union that will unite two existing customs unions – Mercosur and the Andean Community – as part of a continuing process of South American integration. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Supranationalism is a method of decision-making in political communities wherein power is democratically entrusted to independent experienced appointed personalities or to representatives The term Intergovernmentalism can mean different things A decision-making method Usually intergovernmentalism refers to the decision-making methods in International A customs union is a Free trade area with a Common external tariff. Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North The Andean Community ( Spanish: Comunidad Andina, CAN) is a Trade bloc comprising the South American countries of South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a It is modelled on the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

The UNASUR Constitutive Treaty was signed on May 23, 2008, at the Third Summit of Heads of State, held in Brasília, Brazil. The Constitutive Treaty of the Union of South American Nations was signed on May 23, 2008 during the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld ^[2] According to the Constitutive Treaty, the Union's headquarters will be located in Quito, Ecuador. Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the Capital of Ecuador in northwestern South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. The South American Parliament will be located in Cochabamba, Bolivia, while its bank, the Bank of the South (Dutch: Bank van het Zuiden, Portuguese: Banco do Sul, Spanish: Banco del Sur), will be located in Bogota, Colombia. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a Valley bearing the same name in the Andes Mountain range. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. The Bank of the South ( Dutch: Bank van het Zuiden, Portuguese: Banco do Sul, Spanish: Banco del Sur) is a monetary fund Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Bogotá —officially named Bogotá DC (DC for " Distrito Capital " which means "Capital District" formerly called Santa Fe de Bogotá Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. ^[3] The Union's former designation, the South American Community of Nations (Dutch: Zuid-Amerikaanse Statengemeenschap, Portuguese: Comunidade Sul-Americana de Nações, and Spanish: Comunidad de Naciones Sudamericanas), abbreviated as CSN, was dropped at the First South American Energy Summit on April 16, 2007. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The South American Energy Summit is the name for one of a sequence of summits bringing together delegations from the countries of the Union of South American Nations to discuss Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[4]

Overview

South American leaders sign the "Cuzco Declaration". The Cusco Declaration, formally titled Preamble to the Foundation Act of the South American Union, is a two-page declaration of intent signed by 12 South American

At the Third South American Summit on 8 December 2004, presidents or representatives from twelve South American nations signed the Cuzco Declaration, a two-page statement of intent announcing the foundation of the South American Community. The 2004 South American Summit &ndash the third of its kind after earlier events in Brasília ( September 2000) and Guayaquil ( July 2002 Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Cusco Declaration, formally titled Preamble to the Foundation Act of the South American Union, is a two-page declaration of intent signed by 12 South American Panama and Mexico attended the signing ceremony as observers. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

The leaders announced their intention to model the new community after the European Union including a common currency, parliament, and passport. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in According to Allan Wagner Tizón, former Secretary General of the Andean Community, a complete union like that of the EU should be possible by 2019. Allan Wagner Tizón (b February 7, 1942 in Lima) is a Peruvian Diplomat.

The mechanics of the new entity came out of the First South American Community of Nations Heads of State Summit, which was held in Brasília on 29 September–30 September 2005. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An important operating condition of UNASUR is that no new institutions will be created in the first phase, so as not to increase bureaucracy, and the community will use the existing institutions belonging to the previous trade blocs. Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity usually in large organizations and government

Origins

Simón Bolívar, directly responsible for the independence of Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and parts of Peru and Bolivia in the early years of the 19th century, and honoured with statues in the capital cities of practically every Latin American country, had the goal of creating a federation of nations to ensure prosperity and security after independence. Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios y Blanco,Venezuelan or commonly known as Simón Bolívar ( July 24, 1783 &ndash For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" Bolívar never achieved this goal, and died an unpopular figure because of his heavy-handed attempts to establish strong central governments in the nations he led to independence. Throughout the years, many in South America have called for social, political, and economic union. UNASUR is intended to be a concrete step towards the achievement of such union.

Structure

Michelle Bachelet, President pro tempore. Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria beˈɾonika mɪˈʃɛl baʃˈle ˈxeɾja / --> (born September 29 1951) is a center-left politician and Pro tempore or pro tem is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English

Extraordinary Meeting of Heads of State and Government of the Union of South American Nations, held in Brasília. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau

At the moment, the provisional structure of the UNASUR is as follows:

• The presidents of each member nation will have an annual meeting, which will be the superior political mandate. The first meeting was in Brasília (Brazil) on September 29 and September 30, 2005. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The second meeting was in Cochabamba (Bolivia) on December 8 and December 9, 2006. Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a Valley bearing the same name in the Andes Mountain range. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The third meeting was held in Brasília on May 23, 2008. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common
• The ministers of foreign affairs of each country will meet once every six months. They will formulate concrete proposals of action and of executive decision. The President of the Mercosur's permanent representatives committee and the director of the Mercosur's department, the Andean Community's general secretary, ALADI's general secretary and the permanent secretaries of any institution for regional cooperation and integration, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization among others, will also be present at these meetings. The Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (the Latin American Integration Association; known as ALADI or occasionally by the English acronym LAIA The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO is an International organization aimed at the promotion of sustainable development of the Amazon Basin.
• A Secretary General would be elected, to establish a permanent secretariat in Quito, Ecuador.
• Sectorial Ministers' meeting will be called upon by the presidents. The meetings will be developed according to Mercosur's and CAN's mechanisms.
• The temporary Presidency will be held for a year and will rotate among the member countries between each UNASUR meeting. According to Decisions Reached in the Political Dialogue^[5] (Dutch: Besluiten Bereikt in de Politieke Dialoog, Portuguese: Decisões Tomadas no Diálogo Político, Spanish: Decisiones Alcanzadas en el Diálogo Político), which was signed during the I South American Energy Summit, a general permanent office will be created and this will be hosted in Quito, Ecuador. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the Capital of Ecuador in northwestern South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics.
• On December 9, 2005 a special commission was established in charge of advancing the process of South American Integration (Dutch: Commissie ter Stimulering van het Proces van de Zuid-Amerikaanse Integratie, Portuguese: Comissão Estratégica de Reflexão sobre o Processo de Integração Sul-americana, Spanish: La Comisión Estratégica de Reflexión a cargo de formular propuestas con miras a impulsar el proceso de integración sudamericano en todos sus aspectos). Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. It consists of 12 members, whose function is to elaborate proposals that will help the process of integration between the South American nations.
• Executive Commission, which was created by the II CSN meeting, was transformed in the Political Commission or Delegates Council, according to Decisions Reached in the Political Dialogue^[5] (Dutch: Besluiten Bereikt in de Politieke Dialoog, Portuguese: Decisões Tomadas no Diálogo Político, Spanish: Decisiones Alcanzadas en el Diálogo Político). Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal.

Current work in progress

Presidents and other members of UNASUR at the First Brasília Summit on September 29, 2005. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Presidents of UNASUR member states at the Second Brasília Summit on May 23, 2008. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

At the present time the union exists only on paper. The signing of the treaty was delayed from March until late May due to a Colombian raid on a FARC camp in Ecuador, and disputes regarding the conflict and broader trade issues continue to pose an obstacle. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of Michael Shifter of the Washington D. C. Inter-American Dialogue called UNASUR a "pipe dream", while saying that "economic conditions in the region have never been riper for this sort of integration". The Inter-American Dialogue (IAD and also known as "the Dialogue" is a non-profit membership organization located in Washington DC. ^[6]

Single market

• One of the initiatives of UNASUR is the creation of a single market, beginning with the elimination of tariffs for non-sensitive products by 2014 and sensitive products by 2019. For other uses of this word see Tariff (disambiguation. A tariff is a tax imposed on goods when they are moved across a political boundary

Infrastructure cooperation

• There is an Initiative for Infrastructure Integration of South America (IIRSA) underway, which has received the support of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Andean Development Corporation. The Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA is an unprecedented development plan to link South America 's economies through new The Inter-American Development Bank (preferred abbreviation IDB, although sometimes found as IADB) was established and headquartered in Washington D

• UNASUR started plans of integration through infrastructure cooperation with the construction of the Interoceanic Highway, a road that intends to more firmly link the Pacific Coast countries, especially Chile and Peru with Brazil and Argentina by extending highways through the continent, allowing better connections to ports to Bolivia and the inner parts of Argentina, Peru and Brazil. The Interoceanic Highway or Trans-oceanic highway is an international transcontinental highway in Peru and Brazil that is under construction Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The first corridor, between Peru and Brazil, began construction in September 2005, financed 60% by Brazil and 40% by Peru, is expected to be ready by the end of 2009.

• The South American Energy Ring (Dutch: Zuid-Amerikaanse energie-Ring, Portuguese: Anel Energético Sul-Americano, Spanish: Anillo Energético Sudamericano) is intended to interconnect Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay with natural gas from several sources, such as the Camisea Gas Project in Peru and Tarija Gas Deposits in Bolivia. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The Camisea Gas Project extracts Natural gas originating near the Urubamba River in central Peru. Though this proposal has been signed and ratified, economic and political difficulties in Argentina and Bolivia have delayed this initiative, and to date, this agreement remains more like a protocol than an actual project, since Chile and Brazil are already building LNG terminals to import gas from overseas suppliers.

Free movement of people

• Visits by South American citizens to any South American country (except French Guiana) of up to 90 days require only the presentation of an identity card issued by the respective authority of the travellers' country of origin. French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France An identity document, also called a piece of identification ( ID) is a document used to verify aspects of a person's Identity. On 24 November 2006, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela waived visa requirements for tourism travel between nationals of said countries. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[7]

Economic development

Presidents of the seven founding countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Venezuela and Uruguay) officially launched the South American Bank in Buenos Aires in December 2007. The heads of all the founding countries were at the ceremony, with the exception of President Tabaré Vazquez of Uruguay. The capital will be US$7b, with Venezuela responsible for US$3b and Brazil US$2b. The headquarters will be located in Caracas with offices in Buenos Aires and La Paz.

The Bank of the South will finance economic development projects to improve local competitiveness and to promote the scientific and technological development of the member states. The Bank of the South ( Dutch: Bank van het Zuiden, Portuguese: Banco do Sul, Spanish: Banco del Sur) is a monetary fund Chile and Colombia participated on initial meeting, but they decided not to join the project.

The founding chart affirms that the Bank will promote projects in "stable and equal" manner and priorities will be pointed to reinforce South American integration, to reduce asymmetries, and to promote egalitarian distribution of investments.

The Brazilian Minister, Guido Mantega, stated that the bank is not similar to the International Monetary Fund; it will be a credit institution similar to the World Bank or the BIRD. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD is one of five institutions that comprise the World Bank Group.

Defence policy

Venezuela and Brazil have put forward a plan for a South American Defence Council which would draft defence policy and serve as a mechanism for regional security. The proposal is currently under discussion by the member states. Colombia has not entered the defence agreement due to the ongoing 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis with Ecuador and Venezuela, over their alleged support for the armed group FARC. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Background Operation Emmanuel In 2007 Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba acted as authorized mediators in For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of However it has accepted reviewing the proposal, and will make a decision in 90 days ^[8][9]

Participating nation states

Main article: Enlargement of the Union of South American Nations

• Members of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN)¹:
  •  Bolivia
  •  Colombia
  •  Ecuador
  •  Peru

• Members of Mercosur²:
  •  Argentina
  •  Brazil
  •  Paraguay
  •  Uruguay
  •  Venezuela

• Other countries:
  •  Guyana³
  •  Suriname³
  •  Chile¹ ²

¹ This country is also considered to be an associate member of Mercosur
² These countries are also considered to be associate members of the Andean Community. The Andean Community ( Spanish: Comunidad Andina, CAN) is a Trade bloc comprising the South American countries of The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the
³ Guyana and Suriname are currently members of CARICOM and entered its single market in 2006. The Caribbean Community ( CARICOM) is an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies The CARICOM Single Market and Economy also known as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy or CSME is an integrated development strategy envisioned at the 10th Meeting It is unknown if simultaneous UNASUR and CARICOM membership would be possible to accomplish and most probably these states will remain UNASUR associate members only.

Non-participating territories

The following parts of South America are dependent territories and therefore do not participate:

• French Guiana, which is an overseas department of France and is therefore part of the European Union
• The Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are overseas territories of the United Kingdom, making them part of the European Union^[10], subject to claims of sovereignty by Argentina. French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ( SGSSI) is a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located (see Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. History of the claims See also History of the Falkland Islands See also Timeline of the history of the Falkland Islands See also Falkland )

Facts and figures

• Has a gross domestic product of about $2 trillion dollars. The dollar (often represented by the Dollar sign: "$" is the name of the official Currency in several countries dependencies and other ^[11]
• It has a population of 380 million, or 6% of the world's people. ^[12]
• Covers an area of over 17 million square kilometres (nearly 7 million sq mi)^[12], larger than the world's largest country, Russia. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
• The export earnings amount to 181,856,000 dollars. The dollar (often represented by the Dollar sign: "$" is the name of the official Currency in several countries dependencies and other
• Possesses 27% of the world's freshwater sources.
• Has eight million square kilometres of forested land and is surrounded by two oceans.
• Is the world's foremost food producer and exporter.
• Some 90 percent of its inhabitants share a single religion, Roman Catholicism. ^[13]
• The great majority of its inhabitants speak one of two related languages (Portuguese and Spanish). Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. ^[14]

Comparison with other regional blocs

Quotations

We are here to make Simón Bolívar's dream real. Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios y Blanco,Venezuelan or commonly known as Simón Bolívar ( July 24, 1783 &ndash [. . . ] Sooner, rather than later, we shall have a single currency, a single passport. . . Sooner, rather than later, we shall have a parliament with directly elected representatives for this new nation that we are creating today.

—Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, 8 December 2004. Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (born 28 March 1946 is a Peruvian Politician and Economist. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Step by step CAN and Mercosur will converge becoming the South American Community, but gradually disappearing at the same time. But in spite of the haste there’s no rush, because we could end with an empty declaration. [. . . ] My idea is that in a few months time CAN should be known as South American Community-CAN and Mercosur, South American Community MS, so we have time to get in touch with the new initials.

—Former Argentine president Eduardo Duhalde, president of the Mercosur Representatives Committee. Eduardo Alberto Duhalde (born 5 October 1941 is a former president of Argentina.

Proposed name change

On 28 December 2005, Chilean former foreign minister Ignacio Walker proposed that the name of the community be changed to South American Union (Dutch: Zuid-Amerikaanse Unie, Portuguese: União Sul-Americana, Spanish: Unión Sudamericana); nevertheless, many members stated to him that that proposal had already been rejected to prevent confusion related to its acronym (U. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. S. A. in comparison to the United States of America).

The name was finally changed on April 16, 2007 to "Union of South American Nations" (Dutch: Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties, Portuguese: União de Nações Sul-Americanas, Spanish: Unión de Naciones Suramericanas), abbreviated "UNASUR" in Spanish and "UNASUL" in Portuguese. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The new name was jointly agreed by all member states during the first day of meeting at the South American Energy Summit held at Isla Margarita, Venezuela. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the

See also

• Latin American Parliament
• Continental union
• Free Trade Area of the Americas
• List of Trade blocs
• Rio Group

References

External links

• Andean Community: South American Community of Nations
• Brazil Ministry of Foreign Relations: South American Community of Nations
• Tinku: UNASUR/Mercosur
• Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America
• Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean
• Latin-American Integration Association
• Do the Mercosur Countries Form an Optimum Currency Area?
• Bank Information Center: Bank of the South
• Southern Affairs: Academic Research on South American Regional Integration

Articles, editorials, and reports

• MercoPress (2004-11-10): S. American Community Comes to Light December 9
• Miami Herald (2004-11-25): South American Community May Not Be a Pipe Dream
• WikiNews (2004-12): South American Community of Nations announced at Third South American Summit
• Inter Press Service (2004-12-07): Chile Seeks Integration through Energy and Roads
• Inter Press Service (2004-12-07): One Giant Step - and 32 Small Ones
• BBC News (2004-12-09): A Dream With Many Hurdles
• International Herald Tribune (2004-12-27): U.S. Neighbor Relations: Latin America Is No Joke
• Guyana Journal (2005-10): South American Community of Nations To Map out Economic Strategies
• VenezuelAnalysis (2006-09-27): The Push for South American Integration
• BBC News (2006-11-25): S American 12 Cut Travel Red Tape
• Guyana Journal (2006-12): South American Summit in Bolivia Sets Integration Challenges
• Inter Press Service (2006-12-08): The Big Challenges of Regional Integration
• AP (2006-12-09): South American Leaders Dream of Integration, Continental Parliament
• BBC News (2006-12-09): S America Launches Trading Bloc
• BBC News (2006-12-10): Lat-Am Leaders End Second Summit
• Guyana Journal (2007-01): High-level Commission to Map Ideas for South American Union
• Inter Press Service (2007-01-03): South American Integration - or Disintegration?
• EUMA (2007-03): Origin and Evolution of the South American Community of Nations: From Trade to Security Concerns
• EUMA (2007-04): Governance in South American Integration: Insights and Encouragement from the European Union
• Granma International (2007-04-18): Union of South American Nations: Where Energy Resources Will Be the Basis of Development
• Guyana Journal (2007-05): South American Leaders put Energy Integration on Front Burner
• International Herald Tribune (2008-05-22): New South American Alliance to Boost Trade, Ease Political Tensions
• BBC News (2008-05-23): South America Nations Form Union
• International Herald Tribune (2008-05-24): South America Creates Regional Union, Parliament, Despite Divisions