Brazil has a territory of 8.5 million square kilometers and 170 million inhabitants, as well as the largest economy within MERCOSUR; its GDP for 1998 was US $1.04 trillion, and its commercial trade balance for this same period was estimated at more than US $ 5.03 billion. Brazil's per capita income is about US $6,100.00.

Argentina, the second largest MERCOSUR nation, has 2.8 million square kilometers in area. The Argentine economy has been one of the fastest growing in the last few years, posting an average 8% growth yearly since 1991. Its 1998 GDP was US $348 billion, distributed among approximately 36 million inhabitants. This gives Argentina a per capita income of US $10,300.00, the highest among its common market partners.

Paraguay, with 406 thousand square kilometers and a population of 5.3 million, had a 1998 GDP of US $21.9 billion and has a growing economy. Paraguay's per capita income is US $3,700.00.

Uruguay, in turn, has the smallest population, calculated at some 3.3 million inhabitants, and the smallest territory in MERCOSUR - 177 thousand square kilometers; as an important international financial center, Uruguay has a highly dynamic economy, and generated a 1998 GDP of approximately US$ 29.1 billion. Uruguay's per capita income is about US $8,600.00.