Final answer:
Most of South America was colonized by Spain, with the exception of Brazil, which was colonized by Portugal, and the Guianas, which were colonized by various other European powers. The colonization patterns were heavily influenced by the Treaty of Tordesillas that divided the continent between the Spanish and Portuguese empires.
Step-by-step explanation:
Except for Brazil and the small countries in the northeast, most of South America was colonized by Spain. While Brazil was colonized by Portugal, the rest of the continent saw a significant Spanish presence. This colonization effort was guided by an agreement known as the Treaty of Tordesillas, which was ratified in 1494 by the Roman Catholic Church to divide South America into the Spanish west and the Portuguese east.
The Spanish conquistadors established themselves heavily in areas such as Mexico and Peru, which for centuries were the wealthiest and most populous in the New World. Meanwhile, the Guianas in the northeast, consisting of modern-day Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, were not under Spanish or Portuguese control but were instead colonized by Great Britain, the Netherlands, and France.
In the large territory of Brazil, Portugal initiated the sugar plantation economy and relied on a smaller population compared to the Spanish colonies but still had a substantial influence. The Portuguese and Spanish colonization efforts led to a blended culture, deeply influenced by European languages, religion, and economics.