Showing posts with label currencies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label currencies. Show all posts

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Bulgaria and Croatia Enter Eurozone "Waiting Room" (ERM II)

This article covers the latest changes to PolGeoNow's map of which countries use the euro.

Map of the Eurozone (euro area), showing which countries use the euro as their currency. Includes members, pre-members (ERM II or ERM-2 waiting area), EU non-members using the euro, and other EU countries (color blind accessible). Updated for July 2020 with the entry of Croatia and Bulgaria into the ERM-II.
The Eurozone, European Union, and other countries using the euro.
Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Croatia and Bulgaria preparing to adopt the euro

The southeastern European countries of Bulgaria and Croatia have been approved by the European Union's central bank to take the next step towards joining the Eurozone - the organization of countries that officially use the euro as their shared currency. As new participants in the "European Exchange Rate Mechanism II" (ERM II or ERM-2), Croatia and Bulgaria are on track to adopt the euro after a 2-3 year waiting period - likely on January 1, 2024.

Which Countries Use the Euro in 2020? (Map of the Eurozone)

This Eurozone map and explainer article have been updated to July 2020. The article was originally published in June 2016, and the earliest version of the map appeared in a 2014 news article.

Map of the Eurozone (euro area), showing which countries use the euro as their currency. Includes members, pre-members (ERM II or ERM-2 waiting area), EU non-members using the euro, and other EU countries (color blind accessible). Updated for July 2020 with the entry of Croatia and Bulgaria into the ERM-II.
The Eurozone, European Union, and other countries using the euro.
Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Article by Caleb Centanni, with additional content by Evan Centanni 

What is the Eurozone?

Officially called the "euro area", the Eurozone is a nickname for the group of countries in Europe that share a single currency, called the euro. The euro currency is administered by the European Union (EU), but many countries in the EU don't use the euro, and some countries outside the EU do use it. The European Central Bank, the governing financial body of the Eurozone, is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. Germany, along with eleven other EU countries, became a founding member of the Eurozone in 1999.

Monday, March 20, 2017

2016 Year in Review: Country & Border Changes

Inside this Review of 2016:

Map of election results from the UK's "Brexit" referendum on leaving the European Union
    • Country name, capital, and flag changes
    • Border changes and disputed territories 
    • Separatist states and proposed new countries
    • Recognition of disputed countries 
    • Countries joining (and leaving) international organizations
    • Sea borders and seabed claims
    • New states and provinces within countries
    • Changes to countries' coastal contours and official languages
        And in companion articles:
        Rebel Control Around the World in 2016 
        Time Zones that Changed in 2016 

        It's PolGeoNow's mission to track changes to the world's countries, borders, and territories, whether it's happening formally on the books or unofficially on the ground. When new countries appear, borders change, and territorial disputes arise or are settled, you'll hear about it here. With 2016 now concluded, here's our look back at the events of the year!

        (For extra coverage of geography events in 2017, follow @PolGeoNow on Twitter!)

        Friday, November 6, 2015

        The Death of a Currency: Zimbabwe Dollar Demonetized

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        $100 trillion dollar bill in Zimbabwe dollars, front side, from Zimbabwe's worst period of hyperinflation in 2008

        By Olga Rodriguez-Walmisley, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

        The End of the Zimbabwe Dollar
        As of last month, the Zimbabwe dollar (Z$) no longer has any monetary value: After more than a decade of extreme inflation, it has been permanently retired. It was the official currency of Zimbabwe for 29 years, from 1980 to 2009, and continued to be circulated until this past September. Today, the government of Zimbabwe uses US dollars, while at least seven other foreign currencies are also accepted as legal tender: the South African rand, Botswana pula, British pound, Indian rupee, Chinese yuan, Japanese yen, and Australian dollar.

        Wednesday, January 7, 2015

        Lithuania Joins the Eurozone (map)

        Even as doubts persist about the future of the euro, and talk is in the air about a possible exit for Greece, other countries have still moved forward with adopting the currency. One such country joined the Eurozone just last week.

        Map of the Eurozone (euro area), showing which countries use the euro as their currency. Includes members, pre-members (ERM II), EU non-members using the euro, and other EU countries (colorblind accessible).
        The Eurozone, European Union, and other countries using the euro.
        Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA
        Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!

        Thursday, August 28, 2014

        Latvia Joins the Eurozone (map)

        This article was originally published as "Map: Which Countries Use the Euro? (Plus: This Year's New Addition)". To see newer versions of the map, view all Eurozone articles on PolGeoNow.


        Map of the Eurozone (euro area), showing which countries use the euro as their currency. Includes members, pre-members (ERM II), EU non-members using the euro, and other EU countries (colorblind accessible).
        The Eurozone, European Union, and other countries using the euro.
        Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA
        Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!