Deaf history commonly includes the history of Deaf education, Deaf organizations, famous Deaf individuals, laws that affect Deaf people, and the history of sign language. The colonial history of South America influenced Deaf history as the European colonizing countries often exported their practices for educating Deaf children to their colonies. South America includes 12 sovereign countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Nine of these countries were colonies of Spain. Brazil was a Portuguese colony. Guyana was first a Dutch colony, then British. Suriname was a Dutch colony until 1975. Deaf history in South America is a work in progress with rich history still to be explored and written.