Real south america

AR Camera Generation

Argentina has Gen 3 coverage using a black Google car.

AR License Plates

White plates with a blue bar at the top, or older black plates with a central black dot. Only Argentina has the black dot.

AR Red-on-White Chevrons

Argentina uniquely uses chevrons that are white signs with red arrows. No other country in the Americas does this.

AR Kilometre Markers

Typically white with a black strip showing the road number. RN = national highway, RP = provincial highway.

AR Road Lines

Argentina features dashed white, double yellow, or mixed middle road lines.

AR Common Pole Types

Round concrete poles with three electricity lines in alternating pattern are very common. Doubled concrete poles and wooden A-frame poles are also found.

AR Guardrail Reflectors

Yellow and red reflectors on guardrails, also seen in Uruguay but with different support structure.

AR Typical Landscape

Wide, flat, treeless and desolate spaces are common across Argentina, especially in the central regions.

AR Language

Spanish is spoken, not Portuguese.

AR Architecture

Northwestern Argentina (e.g., Jujuy, Salta) features red brick buildings similar to Bolivia.

AR Pampas Region

Large grassy plains with few trees, typical of Buenos Aires, La Pampa.

AR Misiones Province

Known for its distinct deep red soil.

AR Western Mountains

Far western Argentina has mountainous terrain. Look for Andes-style formations.

BR Camera Generation

Brazil has Gen 3 coverage with a white car that may have a stubby antenna with a diagonal coil, and Gen 4 coverage with blue, white, or white with blue stripe cars.

BR Language

Portuguese is the official language, making Brazil unique in South America where other countries use Spanish.

BR License Plates

White plates were used until 2018, after which a white plate with a blue stripe on top is standard. Red plates are used for commercial vehicles.

BR Chevrons

Brazil uses yellow-on-black chevrons, which are inverted compared to most of South America.

BR Road Lines

Double yellow middle lines with white outer lines are common. Dashed yellow lines are also seen.

BR Soil Color

Brazil often features distinct red soil, varying from light pink in Mato Grosso to deep maroon near the Paraná river. The soil is generally not red in the northeast or much of Rio Grande do Sul.

BR Common Poles

Brazil frequently uses ladder-style poles with rectangular shapes and small holes near the top. Round concrete poles are common in the south.

BR Water Tanks

Blue Fortlev water tanks are often visible on Brazilian rooftops, a helpful residential clue.

BR Roof Style

Orange tiled roofs are widespread in Brazil.

BR Satellite Dishes

Transparent satellite dishes are unique and frequently seen in Brazil.

BR Language Markers

Words ending in -ão, use of nh instead of ñ, and ch instead of ll all indicate Portuguese and thus Brazil.

BR Amazon Region

Dense rainforest, unpaved roads, and bright green lush vegetation. Found in states like Amazonas, Acre, Roraima.

BR Caatinga

Northeastern Brazil (e.g., Ceará) features dry, shrub-filled landscapes and succulents. Distinct in dry season and deceptively green in rainy seasons.

BR Southern Pines

Paraná pines with umbrella-shaped branches are found in Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul.

BR Red Soil in Piauí

Many roads in Piauí have red gravel shoulders, even in Gen 4 tarmac areas.

BR Highways

São Paulo has the highest density of divided highways in Brazil.

BR Cobblestone Roads

Common in northeast Brazil and Rio Grande do Sul.

BR Hexagonal Tiles

More frequent in Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais.

BR Area Codes

Two-digit codes on signs and shopfronts can help identify the state. Each state has a known DDD prefix.

BR Pole IDs

States like Bahia and Pernambuco use yellow pole paint with a black code. Paraná often has painted street names on poles.

BR Insulators

Varied by state. For example, 'lollipop' insulators in Rio Grande do Norte, 'mushroom' in Santa Catarina, 'spool' in Rio and Espírito Santo.

CL Camera Generation

Gen 3: white car (plain or with black section); Gen 4: blue car.

CL Road Lines

All white (most common) or all yellow (unique to Chile, found in national parks or snowy areas).

CL Signposts

Square concrete poles with indents and slots at the top of road signs.

CL License Plates

White for regular vehicles; orange for commercial vehicles.

CL Bollards

Spanish-style: white front reflector, yellow-orange rear reflector.

CL Bridges

Often painted red.

CL Northern Geography

Atacama Desert: no vegetation, barren terrain.

CL Central Geography

Santiago area: dry hills, scattered vegetation.

CL Southern Geography

Forested and rainy with pines and monkey puzzle trees.

CO License Plates

Yellow plates used for nearly all vehicles, very distinctive.

CO Camera Generation

Gen 3 black car with stubby antenna; Gen 4 white/silver cars.

CO Signposts

White metal posts with a distinct cross formation on the back.

CO Kilometre Markers

Green or stone markers; often labeled with 'Pr'.

CO Poles

Concrete with black/yellow or black/orange stripes; octagonal shapes appear.

CO Fences

Painted or sharpened wooden posts, unique to Colombia.

CO Sidewalks

Common reddish decorative tile patterns.

CO Landscapes

Llanos in the east (flat grassland); mountains in the west; La Guajira desert in the north.

EC License Plates

White, in both short and long formats. Taxis use orange bars.

EC Camera Generation

Gen 3 white car with stubby antenna; Gen 4 white pickup (no antenna).

EC Camera Quality

Known as 'Shitcam': brownish colors and circular blur.

EC Bollards

Round with red stripes, or flat with red reflectors.

EC Poles

Ladder poles with many indents - unique to Ecuador.

EC Guardrails

Frequently uses double guardrails.

EC Chevron Spam

Curves often have many chevrons.

EC Signbacks

Teal blue back of road signs (unique).

EC Landscape

Andes through center, flat Amazon east, dry west coast.

PE License Plates

White or yellow plates; taxis = yellow top + white bottom.

PE Camera Generation

Gen 3: black/white cars; Gen 4 also used.

PE Signposts

Black-and-white (zebra) striped posts - unique to Peru.

PE Bollards

Triangular concrete, often red/yellow painted.

PE Guardrails

Black outside with yellow inside stripes.

PE Poles

Concrete or wood with black/yellow painted bottoms.

PE Bridges

Commonly painted orange.

PE Geography

West = dry desert, Center = Andes, East = jungle.

UY Camera Generation

Gen 3 black car, no antenna.

UY License Plates

Plain white with black characters.

UY Road Lines

Triple yellow-white-yellow lines (unique).

UY Signposts

Thick wooden painted white with back notches.

UY Bollards

White with yellow side.

UY Poles

Trident poles with 3 insulators, also round/square poles.

UY Guardrails

Same reflector colors as Argentina, but different support shape.

UY Geography

Gently hilly grasslands, red soil, cattle-heavy rural scenes.

BO Camera Generation

Gen 3 only, white car with no antenna.

BO License Plates

White with blue text (often blurred).

BO Architecture

Red brick, unfinished buildings are common.

BO Signposts

Bulky white square posts.

BO Guardrails

Yellow stripe on outside (opposite of Peru).

BO Poles

Curvy wooden poles in east, concrete round poles elsewhere.

BO Traditional Dress

Polleras, bowler hats, colorful shawls.

BO Political Clues

MAS/Evo graffiti and blue-white-black painted objects.

BO Geography

Altiplano = flat highland plateau, Andes = tall mountains, East = tropical lowlands.