Editing South America (section)

===Transport===
Transport infrastructure in South America includes roads, railways, [[seaport]]s and airports. The railway and [[fluvial]] sector, although having more robust contemporary potential, are still somewhat treated in a secondary way.

====Roads====
[[File:Ruta Nacional 9 en Zárate hacia el noroeste.jpg|thumb|Ruta 9 / 14, in [[Zárate, Buenos Aires|Zarate]], Argentina]]

Due to the [[Andes Mountains]], [[Amazon River]] and [[Amazon Forest]], there have always been difficulties in implementing larger scale transcontinental or bi-oceanic highways. Practically the only route that existed was the one that connected Brazil to Buenos Aires, (in Argentina) and later to Santiago, (in Chile). However, in recent years, with the combined effort of countries, new routes have started to emerge, such as Brazil-Peru ([[Interoceanic Highway]]), and a new highway between Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina and northern Chile ([[Central Bi-Oceanic railway|Bioceanic Corridor]]).

Some of the most modern roads extend through northern and south-east Argentina; and south of Brazil, a vast road complex aims to link [[Brasília]], the federal capital, to the South, Southeast, Northeast and Northern regions of Brazil.

Brazil has more than {{convert|1.7|e6km|e6mi|abbr=off}} of roads, of which {{convert|215,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} are paved, and about {{convert|14,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} are [[divided highways]]. The two most important highways in the country are [[BR-101]] and [[BR-116]].<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://anuariodotransporte.cnt.org.br/2018/#|title=Anuário CNT do Transporte|website=anuariodotransporte.cnt.org.br|access-date=4 December 2020|archive-date=11 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111012349/http://anuariodotransporte.cnt.org.br/2018/|url-status=live}}</ref> Argentina has more than {{convert|600,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} of roads, of which about {{convert|70,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} are paved, and about {{convert|2,500|km|mi|abbr=on}} are divided highways. The three most important highways in the country are [[National Route 9 (Argentina)|Route 9]], [[National Route 7 (Argentina)|Route 7]] and [[National Route 14 (Argentina)|Route 14]].<ref name="auto1"/> Colombia has about {{convert|210,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} of roads, and about {{convert|2,300|km|mi|abbr=on}} are divided highways.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mintransporte.gov.co/descargar.php?idFile=14090|title=Transporte en Cifras Estadísticas 2015|access-date=4 December 2020|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127090803/https://www.mintransporte.gov.co/descargar.php?idFile=14090|url-status=live}}</ref> Chile has about {{convert|82,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} of roads, {{convert|20,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} of which are paved, and about {{convert|2,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} are divided highways. The most important highway in the country is the [[Chile Route 5|Route 5]] ([[Pan-American Highway]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mapas.mop.cl/cc2017/Cuadernillo/Cuadernillo_2017.pdf|title=Carta Caminera 2017|access-date=4 December 2020|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414172426/http://www.mapas.mop.cl/cc2017/Cuadernillo/Cuadernillo_2017.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> These 4 countries are the ones with the best road infrastructure and with the largest number of double-lane highways.

In addition, there is a reputed [[Pan-American Highway]], which crosses Argentina and the Andean countries from north to south, although various stretches are unfinished.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=88271|title=A Gap in the Andes: Image of the Day|date=2 April 2015|website=Earthobservatory.nasa.gov|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202012127/http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=88271|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Aviation====
[[File:Riodejaneiro aerea aeroportogaleao-131756(cut).jpg|thumb|[[Rio de Janeiro International Airport]]]]

In South America, [[commercial aviation]] has a magnificent expansion field, which has one of the largest traffic density lines in the world, Rio de Janeiro–São Paulo, and large airports, such as [[São Paulo–Congonhas Airport|Congonhas]], [[São Paulo–Guarulhos International]] and [[Viracopos]] (São Paulo), [[Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport|Rio de Janeiro International]] and [[Santos Dumont Airport|Santos Dumont]] (Rio de Janeiro), [[El Dorado International Airport|El Dorado]] (Bogotá), [[Ministro Pistarini International Airport|Ezeiza]] (Buenos Aires), [[Tancredo Neves International Airport]] (Belo Horizonte), [[Afonso Pena International Airport|Curitiba International Airport]] (Curitiba), Brasília, Caracas, Montevideo, Lima, [[Viru Viru International Airport]] (Santa Cruz de la Sierra), Recife, Salvador, Salgado Filho International Airport (Porto Alegre), Fortaleza, Manaus and Belém.

There are more than 2,000 airports in Brazil. The country has the second largest number of airports in the world, behind only the United States. [[São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport|São Paulo International Airport]], located in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, is the largest and busiest in the country – the airport connects São Paulo to practically all major cities around the world. 

Brazil has 44 international airports, such as those in [[Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport|Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brasília International Airport|Brasília]], [[Belo Horizonte International Airport|Belo Horizonte]], [[Salgado Filho International Airport|Porto Alegre]], [[Hercílio Luz International Airport|Florianópolis]], [[Marechal Rondon International Airport|Cuiabá]], [[Salvador International Airport|Salvador]], [[Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport|Recife]], [[Fortaleza Airport|Fortaleza]], [[Belém/Val-de-Cans International Airport|Belém]] and [[Eduardo Gomes International Airport|Manaus]], among others. 

Argentina has important international airports such as [[Ministro Pistarini International Airport|Buenos Aires]], [[Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport|Cordoba]], [[San Carlos de Bariloche Airport|Bariloche]], [[Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport|Mendoza]], [[Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport|Salta]], [[Cataratas del Iguazú International Airport|Puerto Iguazú]], [[Presidente Perón International Airport|Neuquén]] and [[Ushuaia – Malvinas Argentinas International Airport|Usuhaia]], among others. 

Chile has important international airports such as [[Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport|Santiago]], [[Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport|Antofagasta]], [[El Tepual Airport|Puerto Montt]], [[Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport|Punta Arenas]] and [[Diego Aracena International Airport|Iquique]], among others. 

Colombia has important international airports such as [[El Dorado International Airport|Bogotá]], [[José María Córdova International Airport|Medellín]], [[Rafael Núñez International Airport|Cartagena]], [[Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport|Cali]] and [[Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport|Barranquilla]], among others. 

Other important airports are those in the capitals of Uruguay ([[Carrasco International Airport|Montevideo]]), Paraguay ([[Silvio Pettirossi International Airport|Asunción]]), Peru ([[Jorge Chávez International Airport|Lima]]), Bolivia ([[El Alto International Airport|La Paz]]) and Ecuador ([[Mariscal Sucre International Airport|Quito]]). The 10 busiest airports in South America in 2017 were: São Paulo-Guarulhos (Brazil), Bogotá (Colombia), São Paulo-Congonhas (Brazil), Santiago (Chile), Lima (Peru), Brasília (Brazil), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires-Aeroparque (Argentina), Buenos Aires-Ezeiza (Argentina), and Minas Gerais (Brazil).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.panrotas.com.br/aviacao/aeroportos/2018/10/brasil-tem-9-dos-maiores-aeroportos-da-america-latina_159919.html|title=Brasil tem 9 dos maiores aeroportos da América Latina|first=Artur Luiz|last=Andrade|date=29 October 2018|website=Portal Panrotas|access-date=4 December 2020|archive-date=11 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111125631/https://www.panrotas.com.br/aviacao/aeroportos/2018/10/brasil-tem-9-dos-maiores-aeroportos-da-america-latina_159919.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Seaports and harbors====
[[File:A Saúde dos Portos (7110638275).jpg|upright=.8|thumb|Port of Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil]]

The two main merchant fleets also belong to Brazil and Argentina. The following are those of Chile, Venezuela, Peru and Colombia. The largest ports in commercial movement are those of [[Buenos Aires]], [[Santos, São Paulo|Santos]], Rio de Janeiro, [[Bahía Blanca]], [[Rosario]], [[Valparaíso]], [[Recife]], [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]], Montevideo, [[Paranaguá]], [[Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul|Rio Grande]], [[Fortaleza]], [[Belém]] and [[Maracaibo]].

Brazil has some of the busiest seaports in South America, such as [[Port of Santos]], [[Port of Rio de Janeiro]], [[Port of Paranaguá]], [[Port of Itajaí]], [[Port of Rio Grande]], [[Port of São Francisco do Sul]] and [[Suape Port]]. 

Argentina has ports such as [[Port of Buenos Aires]] and [[Port of Rosario]]. 

Chile has important ports in [[Valparaíso]], [[Caldera, Chile|Caldera]], [[Mejillones]], [[Antofagasta]], [[Iquique]], [[Arica]] and [[Puerto Montt]]. 

Colombia has important ports such as [[Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca|Buenaventura]], [[Cartagena Container Terminal]] and [[Puerto Bolivar, Colombia|Puerto Bolivar]]. 

Peru has important ports in [[Callao]], [[Port of Chancay|Chancay]], [[Ilo, Peru|Ilo]] and [[Matarani]]. 

The 15 busiest ports in South America are: Port of Santos (Brazil), Port of Bahia de Cartagena (Colombia), Callao (Peru), Guayaquil (Ecuador), Buenos Aires (Argentina), San Antonio (Chile), Buenaventura (Colombia), Itajaí (Brazil), Valparaíso (Chile), Montevideo (Uruguay), Paranaguá (Brazil), Rio Grande (Brazil), São Francisco do Sul (Brazil), Manaus (Brazil) and Coronel (Chile).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cepal.org/sites/default/files/news/files/actividad_portuaria_2018.pdf|title=Port Activity of Latin America and the Caribbean 2018|access-date=4 December 2020|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114132759/https://www.cepal.org/sites/default/files/news/files/actividad_portuaria_2018.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Rail====
Two primary railroads are continental: the Transandina, which connects [[Buenos Aires]], in Argentina to [[Valparaíso]], in Chile, and the Brazil–Bolivia Railroad, which makes it the connection between the port of [[Santos, São Paulo|Santos]] in Brazil and the city of [[Santa Cruz de la Sierra]], in Bolivia.

Two areas of greater density occur in the railway sector: the platinum network, which develops around the [[Platine region]], largely belonging to Argentina, with more than {{convert|45,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length; And the [[Southeast Brazil]] network, which mainly serves the [[state of São Paulo]], [[state of Rio de Janeiro]] and [[Minas Gerais]].

The Argentine rail network, with {{convert|47,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} of tracks, at one stage was one of the largest in the world and continues to be the most extensive in Latin America. It came to have about {{convert|100,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} of rails, but the lifting of tracks and the emphasis placed on motor transport gradually reduced it. It has four different trails and international connections with Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay. The Brazilian railway network has an extension of about {{convert|30,000|km|mi|abbr=off}}. It is basically used for transporting ores.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/brazil/|title=Brazil – The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|date=8 November 2021|access-date=24 January 2021|archive-date=12 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812124129/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/brazil/|url-status=live}}</ref> Chile has almost {{convert|7,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} of railways, with connections to Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Colombia has about {{convert|3,500|km|mi|abbr=on}} of railways.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://continuidad-mintrans.nexura.com/|title=Ministerio de transporte|website=continuidad-mintrans.nexura.com|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=14 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614013720/http://continuidad-mintrans.nexura.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Waterways====
[[File:Mouths of amazon geocover 1990.png|thumb|The mouth of the Amazon River]]

South America has one of the largest bays of navigable inland waterways in the world, represented mainly by the [[Amazon basin]], the [[Platine basin]], the São Francisco and the Orinoco basins, with Brazil having about {{convert|54,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} navigable, while Argentina has {{convert|6,500|km|mi|abbr=on}} and Venezuela has {{convert|1,200|km|mi|abbr=on}}.

Among the main Brazilian [[waterway]]s, two stand out: the one is [[Hidrovia Tietê-Paraná]]—which has a length of {{convert|2,400|km|mi|abbr=off}}, of which {{convert|1,600|km|mi|abbr=off}} are on the Paraná River and {{convert|800|km|mi|abbr=off}} are on the Tietê River—draining agricultural production from the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and part of Rondônia, Tocantins and Minas Gerais; the second one is [[Hidrovia do Solimões-Amazonas]] with two sections: Solimões which extends from Tabatinga to Manaus with a length of approximately {{convert|1600|km|mi|abbr=off}}, and Amazonas which extends from Manaus to Belém with a length of approximately {{convert|1650|km|mi|abbr=off}}. Almost all passenger transport in the Amazon plain is done via this waterway, in addition to practically all cargo transportation that is directed to the major regional centers of Belém and Manaus.

In Brazil, water transport is still underutilised: the most important waterway stretches, from an economic point of view, are found in the Southeast and South of the country. Its full use still requires the construction of locks, major dredging works and the development of ports that allow intermodal integration. 

In [[Argentina]], the waterway network is made up of the La Plata, Paraná, Paraguay and Uruguay rivers. The main river ports are [[Zárate, Buenos Aires|Zárate]] and [[Campana Partido|Campana]]. The port of Buenos Aires is historically the first in individual importance, but the area known as Up-River, which stretches along {{convert|67|km|mi|abbr=off}} of the Santa Fé portion of the Paraná River, brings together 17 ports that concentrates around 50% of the total exports of the country.

====Public transport====
The primary public transport in major cities is the bus. Many cities have a diverse transport system of metro and subway trains, the first of which was the [[Buenos Aires Underground|Buenos Aires subte]], opened 1913.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|title=A short history of world metro systems – in pictures|last=Lin|first=Luna|location=London|date=10 September 2014|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2014/sep/10/-sp-history-metro-pictures-london-underground-new-york-beijing-seoul|access-date=18 September 2018|archive-date=18 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918193728/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2014/sep/10/-sp-history-metro-pictures-london-underground-new-york-beijing-seoul|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Santiago subway]]<ref name="Home">{{cite web|url=http://www.metrosantiago.cl/guia-viajero|title=Guía del Viajero|publisher=Metro de Santiago|language=es|access-date=3 July 2015|archive-date=28 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328043055/http://www.metrosantiago.cl/guia-viajero|url-status=dead}}</ref> is the longest subway network in South America spanning {{convert|103|km|mi|abbr=off}}, while the [[São Paulo subway]] is the most heavily utilised with more than 4.6 million passengers per day.<ref name="2014ridership">{{cite web|url=http://www.metro.sp.gov.br/metro/numeros-pesquisa/demanda.aspx|title=Metro – Passengers|publisher=Companhia Do Metropolitano De São Paulo|language=pt|year=2014|access-date=14 June 2014|archive-date=15 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215094712/http://www.metro.sp.gov.br/metro/numeros-pesquisa/demanda.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> 

[[Rio de Janeiro]] installed the continent's first railroad in 1854. Today the city has a diversified system of metropolitan trains, integrated with buses and subway. It has a Light Rail System called [[Rio de Janeiro Light Rail|VLT]], with small electrical trams at low speed, while [[São Paulo]] has inaugurated a [[Line 15 (São Paulo Metro)|monorail]]. In Brazil, an express bus system called Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which operates in several cities, has been developed. [[Mi Teleférico]], also known as Teleférico [[La Paz]]–[[El Alto]] (La Paz–El Alto Cable Car), is an aerial cable car urban transit system serving the La Paz–El Alto metropolitan area in Bolivia.