From the rupee to the rand, the world's currencies hide stories of empires, metals and mountains of silver.
Which country outside the EU uses the euro without any formal agreement with the EU?
Switzerland
Montenegro
Denmark
Iceland
Correct! Montenegro adopted the euro unilaterally, having earlier used the Deutsche Mark. Kosovo did the same.
It's Montenegro, which adopted the euro unilaterally. Switzerland keeps the franc, Denmark and Iceland their krónur.
The word 'dollar' ultimately comes from which coin?
The Spanish real de a ocho
The German-Bohemian thaler
The American United States cent
The Chinese yuan silver coin
Yes! Silver from Joachimsthal in Bohemia gave the 'thaler', which became 'daalder' in Dutch and 'dollar' in English.
It's the thaler, named after silver coins minted in Joachimsthal, Bohemia. Dutch 'daalder' passed it into English.
The South African rand takes its name from what?
Rand Mines, a gold mining company
The Witwatersrand gold reef ridge
A Dutch coin called the randgulden
The Afrikaans word for 'border'
Spot on! The rand is named after the Witwatersrand, the ridge where most of South Africa's gold was found.
It's named after the Witwatersrand, the gold-rich ridge around Johannesburg.
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Zimbabwe once printed a 100 trillion dollar note during hyperinflation in 2008.
Which currency has been used continuously for the longest time?
The US dollar
The pound sterling
The Swiss franc
The Japanese yen
Correct! Sterling dates back over 1,200 years to Anglo-Saxon silver pennies, making it the oldest currency still in use.
It's the pound sterling, in use for over 1,200 years. The yen dates from 1871 and the dollar from 1792.
Since 2000, which South American country has used the US dollar as its official currency?
Ecuador
Peru
Colombia
Bolivia
Right! Ecuador dropped the sucre for the US dollar in 2000 after a severe economic crisis.
It's Ecuador, which replaced the sucre with the US dollar in 2000. Peru uses the sol, Colombia and Bolivia have their own currencies.
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Paper money was first widely used in China under the Song dynasty, around a thousand years ago.
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Which EU member has a legal opt-out and keeps its own krone?
Sweden
Finland
Yes! Denmark negotiated a formal opt-out. Sweden has no opt-out but simply hasn't joined.
It's Denmark, which holds a formal opt-out. Sweden must join in theory, Finland uses the euro and Iceland isn't in the EU.
How does 'yuan' relate to 'renminbi'?
The renminbi is the currency; the yuan is its unit
They are two currencies, one for tourists
Yuan is the Japanese name for renminbi
The yuan is the coin, the renminbi the note
Correct! Renminbi means 'people's currency'; the yuan is its unit, much like sterling and the pound.
The renminbi is the currency and the yuan is its unit, like sterling and the pound. The yen is Japan's separate currency.
Apart from Russia, which country calls its currency the ruble?
Ukraine
Kazakhstan
Belarus
Georgia
Right! Belarus uses the Belarusian ruble, separate from Russia's.
It's Belarus. Ukraine uses the hryvnia, Kazakhstan the tenge and Georgia the lari.
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Which currency is the biggest?
The CFA franc is shared by fourteen African countries and is pegged to the euro.
Which country's currency is the rupiah?
India
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
Indonesia
Correct! The rupiah is Indonesia's currency; both it and the rupee come from Sanskrit 'rupya', silver.
It's Indonesia. India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan use rupees, a related word from Sanskrit 'rupya'.
Besides South Korea, which country has a currency called the won?
Mongolia
North Korea
Japan
Vietnam
Yes! Both Koreas use a won, split into separate currencies in 1947.
It's North Korea, whose won split from the South's in 1947. Mongolia uses the tögrög, Vietnam the dong.
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Question 1: Which country outside the EU uses the euro without any formal agreement with the EU?
Question 2: The word 'dollar' ultimately comes from which coin?
Question 3: The South African rand takes its name from what?
Question 4: Which currency has been used continuously for the longest time?
Question 5: Since 2000, which South American country has used the US dollar as its official currency?
Question 6: Which EU member has a legal opt-out and keeps its own krone?
Question 7: How does 'yuan' relate to 'renminbi'?
Question 8: Apart from Russia, which country calls its currency the ruble?
Question 9: Which country's currency is the rupiah?
Question 10: Besides South Korea, which country has a currency called the won?
Made with AI. This quiz was made with AI, which can make mistakes.
