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What are the Different Currencies of the World?

Adam Hill
Adam Hill

The currencies of the world are used as a medium of exchange in their respective countries. They can be exchanged for goods and services, as well as for other currencies. Coins and paper money are two forms of currency. There are numerous currencies in use around the world, but some of the more well known are the U.S. Dollar, the British Pound, and the European Euro.

In many cases, the currencies of the world consist of a larger monetary unit and a fractional unit. This fractional unit is usually valued at 1/100th of the larger unit, such as is the case with the U.S. Dollar and its fractional unit, the cent. Mauritania and Madagascar have fractional currencies worth 1/5th of their larger currency, and are the only two remaining countries in the world whose currency is not based on a decimal system. However, the phenomenon of price inflation, common to nearly all of the currencies of the world, has caused these particular fractional currencies to be of little practical use.

Most transactions in Europe are carried out using Euros.
Most transactions in Europe are carried out using Euros.

Throughout the history of money and currency, it has been common at times for more than one country to use the same currency. For example, most of the countries of continental Western Europe use the Euro as their currency. This particular case was a deliberate collaborative effort between European nations, but it can also come as a result of the insolvency of one currency, which is then dropped, and a foreign currency adopted in its place.

Various types of currency, including US dollars, pounds sterling, and euros.
Various types of currency, including US dollars, pounds sterling, and euros.

In other cases, the currencies of more than one country may share the same name, while not actually being the same currency. Many countries, including Australia, Canada, Singapore, Zimbabwe, and Jamaica use currencies called Dollars, just as the United States does, but they are altogether different currencies with different values.

Foreign exchange markets exist to facilitate the exchange between currencies of the world. One currency can be exchanged for another, based on prices that continually fluctuate. The price of one currency in terms of another can change based on economic data, trade policy, and other factors. A currency is said to be “strong” if it can be exchanged for a relatively large amount of another currency, and “weak” if it will buy only a little of it. For example, if one Euro can be exchanged for $1.45 U.S. Dollars (USD), the Euro might be said to be strong, compared to if it could buy only $1.10 USD.

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Discussion Comments

ShadowGenius

The major currencies of the world all date back to an original standardized mechanism of trade. In the levant, this used to be olives and olive oil. It was the Lydians who standardized a gold coinage for currency, and we still use these metallic durable forms to this day.

SilentBlue

International currency exchange rates seem to be fluid and subject to change rapidly. The ultimate linchpin or "first domino" that necessarily affects all other currencies is probably the US dollar, since the US is a very central economy in the larger global economy, and ties many other economies together. When we are stupid with our money and investments in the US, or overly ambitious, it can cause devastating effects throughout the world, as we have seen.

Renegade

Rates of currency change can vary over time and depending on GDP of various countries. Determining rates can be difficult, but it is necessarily standardized and calculated in a system. These changing systems can buttress each other. Economists who participate in arbitrage exploit the economic weaknesses of a region for their own profit, as rates climb and shrink.

BioNerd

With an increasingly open global economy, it is to be hoped that the currency of the world will become a single type. The internet already controls much of the economic records and balance differences, so if we simply learn to use a single, net-based unit for transactions, we will be enabled to conduct business faster and more openly, benefitting us all.

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    • Most transactions in Europe are carried out using Euros.
      Most transactions in Europe are carried out using Euros.
    • Various types of currency, including US dollars, pounds sterling, and euros.
      By: Joop Hoek
      Various types of currency, including US dollars, pounds sterling, and euros.
    • Like many other countries, Singapore uses a currency called a Dollar.
      By: syphrix
      Like many other countries, Singapore uses a currency called a Dollar.
    • Most members of the European Union, except for nations such as Poland and Britain, use the euro.
      By: Kaarsten
      Most members of the European Union, except for nations such as Poland and Britain, use the euro.