O Mercosur, as we know, was founded after the Treaty of Asunción, in 1991, by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. In 2006, Venezuela* applied to join the bloc as an effective member, what happened in 2012. Bolivia, in turn, also requested, in 2012, the entry as a permanent member of the bloc, which should still be appreciated and implemented over the next few years. There are indications that Ecuador may also become an effective member, which is neither confirmed nor ruled out by the country's government.
Thus, Mercosur is currently structured as follows:
Mercosur member countries: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.*
Associated countries: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana and Suriname.
Observer countries: Mexico and New Zealand (this last country is not present in the map below).
Mercosur countries location map*
The difference between the effective members and those associated with Mercosur lies in the adhesion to the Common External Tariff (TEC), which consists of the same tariff on products exported to countries outside the bloc, avoiding competition and favoring existing trade partners within the bloc itself. wake up. The TEC is adopted only by the effective members, who are also those responsible for the main decisions, including the approval of the entry of new member countries.
Thus, we can note that Mercosur already covers all of South America and Mexico, which is only an observer state, since its Trade dynamics center on the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and APEC (Asia and Economic Cooperation) agreements. Pacific).
Check out below some data about Mercosur, involving only its effective members:
Territorial area: 11,877,508 km²
Population: 244 million inhabitants
Demographic density: 18.2 inhab/km²
Thirst: Montevideo (Uruguay)
GDP (Gross Domestic Product): $2.68 trillion
GDP per capita: US$ 10,342
Languages: Portuguese and Spanish
coins in circulation: Real, Argentine Peso, Uruguayan Peso and Guarani
Population residing in urban areas: 84,31%
Population residing in rural area: 11,6%
Biggest city: São Paulo (BRA)
HDI of member countries: Brazil: 0.730; Uruguay: 0.792; Argentina: 0.811; Paraguay: 0.669;
Population with access to drinking water: 93%
Population with access to the health network: 80,6%
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* Venezuela was suspended from Mercosur in December 2016.
Data sources: IBGE Countries / Mercosur Brazilian Page
By Rodolfo Alves Pena
Graduated in Geography
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/mercosul-paises-integrantes.htm