what is the name of the currency used in the european union
List of currencies in Europe A currency is a medium of exchange, such as money, banknotes, and coins.[2] In Europe, the most commonly used currency is the euro; any country entering the European Union (EU) is expected to join the eurozone[3] when they meet the five convergence criteria.[4] Denmark is the only EU member which has been granted an exemption from using the euro,[3] Sweden has also not adopted the Euro, although unlike Denmark, it has not formally opted out, instead, fails to meet the ERM II (Exchange Rate Mechanism) which results in the non-use of the Euro.[5][6] For countries which hope to join the eurozone, there are five guidelines that need to be followed, grouped in the Maastricht criteria.[3]
Pound sterling The pound sterling (symbol: Â£; ISO code: GBP), commonly known as the pound and less commonly referred to as Sterling, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the British Antarctic Territory,[8][9] and Tristan da Cunha.[10] It is subdivided into 100 pence (singular: penny, abbreviated: p). A number of nations that do not use sterling also have currencies called the pound. At various times, the pound sterling was commodity money or bank notes backed by silver or gold, but it is currently fiat money, backed only by the economy in the areas where it is accepted. The pound sterling is the world's oldest currency still in use and which has been in continuous use since its inception.[11]