Currencies of the world

In the world it is estimated that there are 193 countries recognized by the UN (they are part of its General Assembly), and yet there are not so many different currencies. The UN puts them at 180 world currencies (or currencies) in total.

There are several explanations for this paradox:

• because many countries have decided to use the same currency, for example, countries like Spain, which use the euro (countries of the euro zone). The euro (€) is the official currency of 19 of the 28 EU member countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal.

• because other countries with developing and less stable economies decided to “reference” their national currency to the US dollar. This is known as “dollarization” of the economy, and although in the short term, it requires discipline and prices rise when rounded up, it brings economic stability and allows citizens to obtain stable purchasing power for their work and savings. For example, the US dollar is used in addition to the United States, in Ecuador or El Salvador, Zimbabwe and other minor island countries.

Here are the currencies of the world ordered by name (left column) and by country in which they are used (right column).