A Caribbean island nation under communist rule, Cuba has sugar-white beaches and is dotted with tobacco fields, which play a part in the production of the country's legendary cigars.

A western South American country, Peru is home to a section of Amazon rainforest and Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan city high in the Andes mountains. The region is rich in archaeological sites, that include the Sacred Valley, Inca Trail and colonial city of Cusco.

A massive nation with terrain encompassing Andes mountains, glacial lakes and Pampas grassland, Argentina is famous for tango dance and music.

Spanning Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert and Amazon Basin rainforest at more than 3,500m, Bolivia's capital La Paz sits on the Andes’ Altiplano plateau with snow-capped Mt. Illimani in the background.

A vast South American country, Brazil stretches from the Amazon Basin in the north to vineyards and massive falls in the south. Capital Rio de Janeiro, is famed for its raucous festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes, samba music and dance.

A long, narrow country stretching along South America's western edge, Chile has more than 6,000km of Pacific Ocean coastline. Santiago, its capital, sits in a valley surrounded by the Andes and Chilean Coast Range mountains.

Situated on the northern coast of South America with diverse natural attractions, Venezuela has tropical resort islands, the Andes Mountains, colonial towns and the Sierra Nevada National Park.

Marked by rainforests, Andes mountains and numerous coffee plantations, Columbia's high-altitude capital, Bogotá is known for its restaurants and shops. The Caribbean coast, has a walled colonial Old Town, a 16th-century castle and coral reefs.

Known for its verdant interior and beach-lined coast, Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, revolves around an old Spanish citadel. With art deco buildings, colonial homes and an old port market with many steakhouses, the main cities boast waterfront promenades, piers and parks.

A landlocked country, Paraguay is, home to large swaths of swampland, subtropical forest and wildernesses comprising savanna and scrubland. The capital, Asunción, on the banks of the Paraguay River displays pre-Columbian ceramics and handcrafts.