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| South Atlantic states | |
|---|---|
| Name | South Atlantic states |
| Capital | Varies by sovereign state |
| Largest city | Varies by sovereign state |
| Area km2 | Varies |
| Population | Varies |
| Languages | Varies |
South Atlantic states are a grouping of coastal sovereign states and dependent territorys bordering the south Atlantic Ocean, encompassing parts of Africa, South America, Antarctic Treaty, and various island jurisdictions. The term is used in analyses by organizations such as the United Nations, African Union, Mercosur, European Union, and academic works by scholars at institutions like Cambridge University, Harvard University, and University of Cape Town. The grouping is relevant to discussions involving regional instruments like the Treaty of Tordesillas (historical), contemporary arrangements such as the Southern African Development Community, and strategic frameworks including the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (comparative studies).
The designation covers littoral actors on the southern sector of the Atlantic Ocean usually between the Equator and the Antarctic Circle and often includes adjacent island groups in the South Atlantic Ocean basin. Analysts from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and think tanks like Chatham House, Brookings Institution, and Council on Foreign Relations map the region to include continental coasts and offshore features such as the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) maritime zone, the Scotia Sea frontage, and Exclusive Economic Zones subject to adjudication by tribunals like the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and cases before the International Court of Justice. The working definition intersects with historic routes of the Age of Discovery involving Christopher Columbus (indirectly via Atlantic navigation), Vasco da Gama, and later colonial powers such as Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and France.
Commonly referenced states include Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay (riverine access via Paraná River system), Chile (southern Atlantic-facing provinces), South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Gabon (southern reaches), and Equatorial Guinea (islands). Overseas and dependent territories often cited are the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, French Guiana (outcome of Treaty of Utrecht era colonial maps), and Bermuda in comparative studies. Multilateral organizations engaging members include Mercosur, Southern African Development Community, Economic Community of West African States (contextual overlap), and Union for the Mediterranean in policy comparisons.
The region encompasses coastal plains, continental shelves such as the Brazilian continental shelf and Namibian shelf, major estuaries like the Rio de la Plata, and uplands including the Pampas, Patagonia, Drakensberg outer systems, and the Angolan Highlands. Oceanographic features include the Benguela Current, Brazil Current, and the South Atlantic Gyre, with climatological influences from the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (teleconnections studied at Scripps Institution of Oceanography) and polar interactions near the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Bioregions span Amazon Rainforest proximities on the coast, Atlantic Forest, Fynbos ecoregions studied by Conservation International, and marine biodiversity hotspots referenced in reports by the World Wildlife Fund.
Coloniality shaped borders via treaties involving Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom, France, and Netherlands, followed by independence movements led by figures like Simón Bolívar (linked to northern South America contexts), José de San Martín, and liberation processes in Angola and Mozambique during the Portuguese Colonial War era. Postcolonial state formation invoked institutions such as constitutional assemblies, national legislatures, and supranational bodies: the Organization of American States, the African Union, and regional courts like the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. Disputes over maritime sovereignty have reached the International Court of Justice (case law) and bilateral negotiations exemplified by the Beagle Channel Arbitration precedent.
Economic profiles range from commodity-exporting economies dependent on crude oil (e.g., Angola), soybean and iron ore exporters like Brazil and Argentina, to service-oriented hubs in Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro. Trade corridors link ports such as Santos, Buenos Aires, Walvis Bay, and Cape Town to global markets; logistics analyses cite chokepoints, shipping lanes, and insurers like Lloyd's of London. Regional trade agreements include Mercosur and bilateral investment treaties adjudicated by forums like the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. Fisheries management involves states and agencies including the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission (national agencies), and energy portfolios feature offshore developments analogous to Pre-salt discoveries studied by Petrobras and international oil companies like Shell and TotalEnergies.
Population centers display diverse heritages from indigenous groups such as the Guaraní and Khoisan, to diasporas forged by the Atlantic slave trade involving ports of Luanda, Salvador, Bahia, and Cape Town. Cultural expressions include music traditions tied to samba, tango, kwela, and literary canons featuring authors like Jorge Luis Borges, Chinua Achebe (comparative African literature studies), and J. M. Coetzee. Languages include Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, and numerous indigenous tongues recognized by national constitutions and international instruments like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Urbanization trends are tracked in reports by the World Bank and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
Strategic importance arises from mineral resources, offshore hydrocarbons, and control of sea lanes linking the Southern Ocean and equatorial Atlantic routes; actors include naval forces of Brazil, South Africa, United Kingdom (overseas territories), and multinational exercises with participants from United States and France. Maritime security challenges involve illegal fishing, piracy incidents addressed by task forces like those coordinated by the International Maritime Organization, and sovereignty disputes exemplified by tensions over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Strategic studies by institutions such as the Royal United Services Institute and Center for Strategic and International Studies examine deterrence, basing, and resource competition in the basin.
Category:Regions of the Atlantic Ocean