Quiz Reference
What Money Is Called Around the World
Published September 26, 2026 • 2 Views
The currency of every country worth knowing, the ones that share a name, the shortest and strangest, and what a rand, a rial and a ringgit actually belong to.
Currencies are a crossword favourite because so many are short, vowel-heavy and unmistakable: euro, rand, yen, lira, peso.
Europe
| Country | Currency |
|---|---|
| Eurozone (20 countries) | Euro |
| United Kingdom | Pound sterling |
| Switzerland | Swiss franc |
| Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland | Krone / krona |
| Poland | Zloty |
| Czechia | Koruna |
| Hungary | Forint |
| Romania | Leu |
| Bulgaria | Lev |
| Ukraine | Hryvnia |
| Russia | Rouble |
| Turkey | Lira |
Asia and the Middle East
| Country | Currency |
|---|---|
| Japan | Yen |
| China | Yuan (the renminbi) |
| India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal | Rupee |
| South Korea, North Korea | Won |
| Thailand | Baht |
| Vietnam | Dong |
| Malaysia | Ringgit |
| Indonesia | Rupiah |
| Israel | Shekel |
| Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman | Riyal / rial |
| Iran | Rial |
| Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait | Dinar |
Africa and the Americas
| Country | Currency |
|---|---|
| South Africa | Rand |
| Nigeria | Naira |
| Ghana | Cedi |
| Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda | Shilling |
| Egypt | Egyptian pound |
| Morocco | Dirham |
| Ethiopia | Birr |
| Brazil | Real |
| Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia | Peso |
| Peru | Sol |
| Venezuela | Bolívar |
| Costa Rica | Colón |
The ones that catch people out
- China has two names for its money. The renminbi is the currency; the yuan is the unit. Like sterling and the pound.
- Not every "dollar" is American. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Fiji and more all use dollars.
- Switzerland does not use the euro. Nor do Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Czechia or Hungary, all of which are in Europe and several of which are in the EU.
- Panama and Ecuador use the US dollar as their own currency, as do several others.
- The Scottish and Northern Irish notes are pounds sterling, issued by commercial banks rather than the Bank of England. They are not a separate currency.
Short ones for crosswords
3: yen, won, sol, lek, leu, lev. 4: euro, rand, baht, dong, cedi, birr, mark, lira. 5: pound, krona, krone, zloty, pesos, rupee, franc, dinar, naira, riyal.