South America has an area of 17,840,000 km² (6,890,000 sq mi), or almost 3.5% of the Earth's surface. South America ranks fourth in area (after Asia, Africa, and North America) and fifth in population (after Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America)
The highest mountain in the world is not Mt. Everest. The Earth is not perfectly round, it is like when you roll a piece of silly putty in a ball and squish the top a little bit. Therefore, the equator is popped out. Seeing as how the Himalayas are some ways away from the equator, although Mt. Everest is highest above sea level, the highest point on Earth is somewhere in the Andes in South America