World Currencies - a complete guide to currency and travel

Currency and travel information related to popular currencies around the world with unique travel tips, safety information and an overview of the country.

Currency

  

Extract
 
Algerian Dinar The dinar is the official currency used in Algeria. Each dinar is worth 100 santeem, which is sometimes written as centimes
   
American Dollar The American dollar is possibly the most famous currency in the entire world. Desired and coveted by many, it is a currency that has shaped international trade markets and has led to the dominance of the United States in the world of finance.
   
Argentinean Peso The peso is the official currency used in Argentine. It is a decimal system and each dollar can be subdivided into 100 centavos. The peso is denoted by the symbol $, but to differentiate it from the US dollar, the Argentinean people tend to use US$ to symbolise that the currency is US dollars, not the Argentinean peso. 
   
Australian Dollar The dollar is the official currency of Australia including Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands. It is also used in Pacific island states that have independence status, namely Nauru, Tuvalu and Kiribati.
   
Bahamas Dollars The official currency used in the Bahamas’ is the Bahamian Dollar. This dollar is based on the US dollar and one Bahamian dollar has 100 cents to it.
   
Bahrain Dinar The dinar is the official currency used in Bahrain. The standard code for this currency is BHD. The dinar is sub-divided into 100 fils, which makes it a decimal system.
   
British Pound Sterling The British pound is the official currency used in the United Kingdom and it is a decimal system, with each pound being divided into 100 pence (often referred to as pennies, the singular being one penny).
   
Canadian Dollar Canada uses the Canadian dollar as its official currency. Similar to all of the currencies that use the dollar, the Canadian dollar is divided into 100 cents.
   
Chile Peso The currency used in Chile is the peso. Locally this symbol used to denote the peso is the dollar sign $. Each peso can be subdivided to room into 100 centavos and yet centavos have long ceased to be in circulation.
   
Chinese Yuan Renminbi The Chinese Yuan Renminbi is a standard of currency used in China. It stems from the famous Chinese ‘Yuan’ currency and means the ‘People’s Currency’ or the ‘Currency of the People’ and is the standard unit of currency in China today. The Yuan literally means round, which is derived from the round shape of early coins. 
   
Croatian Kuna The unit of currency used in Croatia is the kuna. In the Croatian language kuna actually means marten, which it is a very small furry animal quite closely related to both weasels and mink. Because the pelts of the marten were very highly prized in medieval times, they were used as an informal standard of currency. This has resulted in the currency commonly known by the word for the pelt of a marten.
   
Czech Koruna The koruna is the currency used within the Czech Republic. The word koruna literally translates as crown.
   
Danish Krone The krone is the currency used in Denmark. Although it is usual to talk about the Danish Kroner, it is actually more correct to talk about the krone, since the plural form is kroner, but it is like the difference between talking about English pounds and the English pound. 
   
Euro The euro is the official currency used throughout the European Union. It is used within 15 member states. These are known as being the states that form the Eurozone.
   
Falklands Pound The Pound is the official currency of the Falkland Islands. It is different from British sterling, but it is set at the same rate and one Falkland pound can be used for a British pound and so the two are interchangeable.
   
Hong Kong Dollar The dollar is the currency used in Hong Kong, even though it now comes under Chinese rule. In English, the Hong Kong dollar is denoted by the $ symbol, or by the use of HK $ to denote it as the currency for Hong Kong as opposed to any other dollar system.
   
Hungary Forint The Hungarian Forint is the official currency in Hungary. Officially it is then divided into 100 fillér, although since these are no longer in circulation; in effect they are redundant, having been a casualty of Hungary’s constant battle with inflation.
   
Icelandic Krona The Krona which literally translates as ‘crown’ is the standard unit of currency in Iceland. It is very similar to other currencies used within Scandinavia, such as the Norwegian Krone or the Swedish krona.
   
Indian Rupee The Indian rupee is the standard of currency used in India. Each rupee is then divided into 100 paise. The singular for paise is paisa.
   
Iran Rials Iran uses the rial as its official currency. Each rial is worth 100 dinar, yet because the dinar is so worthless, it is not used as a standard within accounting practices.
   
Israeli New Shekel The New Shekel is the currency used in Israel. It came into being in 1985 and at this point, it was worth 1,000 old sheqalim. The new shekel is worth 100 agorot.
   
Japanese Yen Notes are issued in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen. In fact the 2,000 notes are not in wide circulation, so it is mainly the 1,5 and 10,000 yen notes that you will see.
   
Kenya Shilling The shilling is the official currency of Kenya. It was introduced in 1966 replacing the East African shilling.
   
Kuwait Dollars The Kuwaiti Dinar is the official currency of Kuwait. Each dinar is divided into 1000 fils. The Kuwaiti dinar is actually the most highly valued currency in the world, which makes it an amazingly strong currency.
   
Malaysia Ringgit The ringgit is the official currency in Malaysia. It is often known as the Malaysian dollar. The word ringgit is derived from the Malaysian word for a jagged edge. Since there used to be a huge number of Spanish dollars in circulation in this area and as they all had a jagged edge, the name stuck.
   
Mexico Pesos The Peso is the official currency that is used in Mexico. The peso is written using the standard dollar sign ($) and it is divided into 100 centavos (cents). These are denoted by the symbol ¢. The name peso is derived from the Spanish word meaning weight. 
   
Morocco Dirhams The dirham is the standard of currency used in Morocco. Each dirham is worth 100 santimat. This is known as a santim in the singular. The dirham is also the standard of currency used within the Western Sahara.
   
Norway Krone The krone is the official currency of Norway. The plural of krone is kroner. Each krone is worth 100 Øre. There is no plural for this; the plural and singular are exactly the same. The international code for the krone is NOK but it is commonly abbreviated to kr. In English, krone means crown.
   
Oman Rials Oman uses the rial as the standard base of currency. Each rial is divided into 100 baisa. Baisa are sometimes written as baiza as per Arabic.
   
Poland Zloty The Zloty is the currency used in Poland. However, it will not be used for very much longer. Poland joined the European Union in 2004 and a condition of its joining, was that it would eventually adopt the euro as its official currency.
   
Romanian New Leu The official currency used in Romania is the Romanian New Leu. This is symbolised by the three letters, RON, which denotes Romanian New Leu.
   
Russian Rouble Russia uses the rouble as its official currency. It is used throughout the Russian Federation and in addition it is used in the two republics namely Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
   
Singapore Dollar The Singapore dollar has only been in existence since 1967, so it is a relative newcomer to the global currency market.
   
South African Rand The official currency of South Africa is the rand. The name itself is derived from the ridge upon which Johannesburg was founded, the Witwatersrand, which translates into English as the white waters ridge.
   
Thailand Baht Thailand is a mystical country located in the Far East. The official currency of Thailand is the baht. Each baht is sub-divided into 100 satang. The responsibility for issuing the currency rests with the Bank of Thailand.
   
Swiss Franc The franc, known as the Swiss franc is the official currency used not just within Switzerland, but also in Liechtenstein, Campione d’Italia (an Italian exclave, i.e. an area of Italy that is actually in Switzerland). It is also used in Busingen, which is an area of Germany contained in Switzerland.
   
Trinidad and Tobago Dollar Originally, the dollar was introduced in the year 1898, when it was used as well as the British Pound sterling. It was then placed on a par with the dollar known as the British West Indies dollar.
   
Tunisian Dinar The dinar is the official currency of Tunisia, nestled in the heart of the north of Africa. 
   
Turkish Lira The lira is the official standard of currency used in Turkey. Each lira is subdivided into 100 new lira. The korus is indicated by the use of the letters kr or ykr. The lira is identified formally as the YTL, which stands for the Yeni Turkish Lira: the New Turkish Lira.
   
Vietnamese Dong The currency used in Vietnam is the Dong. It has been in use since 1978 and it is issued by the State Bank of Vietnam. It used to be sub divided into 10 hao, but the hao is no longer in circulation, due to inflation.

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