The euro (€) is the official currency of 16 of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU). The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The currency is also used in a further five European countries, with and without formal agreements and is consequently used daily by some 327 million Europeans.
Over 175 million people worldwide use currencies which are pegged to the euro, including more than 150 million people in Africa. The euro is the second largest reserve currency and the second most traded currency in the world after the U.S. dollar. As of November 2008[update], with more than €751 billion in circulation, the euro is the currency with the highest combined value of cash in circulation in the world, having surpassed the U.S. dollar.
Based on IMF estimates of 2008 GDP and purchasing power parity among the various currencies, the Eurozone is the second largest economy in the world. The name euro was officially adopted on 16 December 1995. The euro was introduced to world financial markets as an accounting currency on 1 January 1999, replacing the former European Currency Unit (ECU) at a ratio of 1:1.
Euro coins and banknotes entered circulation on 1 January 2002.
"I will say this only once":-) The P.I.G.S. will have to leave the Euro club or we will all be out to fry. The longer we delay. The more the Financial Markets will bet on the odds of Faliue.
"I will say this only once":-) The P.I.G.S. will have to leave the Euro club or we will all be out to fry. The longer we delay. The more the Financial Markets will bet on the odds of Faliue.
"Miss Merkel" & "Sarcozee", can scream @ "Mr. Papandraio". But unlike our leaders he decided to let democracy decide. Shame we in the North of Europe can't or won't let "Us" have our say.
If we sell out the Euro to be bailed our by China, then what in Gods name did we fight the 2nd World War for. It's "Rememberance Sunday", soon will we have learn the lessons.
I hope our "P.M." will wake up and smell the coffee by then and lead by then on the World Stage. As it is "We" here in the UK, are mere on lookers but our jobs, way of life, freedoms are on the line. Wake up P.M., Chancellor start leading on the "World Stage", obviously its "Little Britain" for real:-)
Hum, this is funny money or it will be when Greece, defaults. I can't see the Germans bailing them out! So the pigs (Portugal,Italy,Greece & Spain) R Stuffed