The franc was introduced at par with the French franc.

The franc is the currency of French Polynesia.

In 1999, the Euro was introduced to replace the French franc.

The franc zone is, in fact, an appendage of the French economy.

Before 1914, there were three international currencies the British pound, the French franc, and the German mark.

The ensuing economic difficulties were exacerbated under President François Mitterrand, whose prime minister, Pierre Bérégovoy, pursued a strong French franc a policy that ultimately led to a massive 100 devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994.

In the late summer of 1931, the dollar, alongside the French franc, appeared to be the strongest currency in the international system.

On the monetary front, the CFA Franc Zone s member countries dismantled the federal structure that united them during French occupation and erected trade barriers instead. The CFA franc issued by two sub regional central banks (BCEAO and BEAC) are not interchangeable.

Uses either the West African CFA franc or Central African CFA franc (C.F.A.).

On the monetary front, the CFA Franc Zone s member countries dismantled the federal structure that united them during French occupation and erected trade barriers instead.

Decolonizing the Franc Zone

Another devaluation of the CFA franc today might deflate France s debts to the franc zone and boost its African based export industries, but it would worsen the franc zone countries miseries.

Meanwhile, as discussed in paragraph 42 above, New Caledonia's currency, the Pacific franc, could be replaced by the euro within two years if all three French Pacific Territories concur.

But others including the 14 countries that form the franc zone (12 of which are former French colonies) lack major Chinese investment, and are missing out on Africa s economic boom.

Even Switzerland is intervening to weaken the franc.

Côte d Ivoire, the franc zone s leading economy, was a net rice exporter in the early 1970 s, until the country s elite followed the advice of French expatriates to import rice rather than produce it.

Since 1945, it has been part of the CFP franc.

History The franc became the currency of Rwanda in 1916, when Belgium occupied the previously German colony and the Belgian Congo franc replaced the German East African rupie.

And the euro s appreciation against the dollar from 2002 until very recently meant that the shift in the CFA franc s exchange rate peg from the French franc to the euro caused a repeat of that scenario.

More appalling is the fact that France guarantees the CFA franc s free convertibility into hard currency, originally on the condition that all 15 Franc Zone countries surrender 100 of their foreign reserves to the French Treasury.

History The franc became the currency of Burundi in 1916, when Belgium occupied the former Germany colony and replaced the German East African rupie with the Belgian Congo franc.

But the franc zone countries did not fare nearly so well.

The base colours of the new notes were kept similar to the old ones, except that the 20 franc note was changed from blue to red to prevent a frequent confusion with the 100 franc note, and that the 10 franc note was changed from red to yellow.

The CFA franc is convertible in euros and freely transferable to France, whose companies control the lion s share of the franc zone s private sector and receive most of its public contracts.

In 1945, Switzerland joined the Bretton Woods system and pegged the franc to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 1 4.30521 francs (equivalent to 1 franc 0.206418 grams of gold).

It was the largest plunge of the franc ever against the euro.

22 Communauté financière du Pacifique franc (CFP fr) 1 euro 119.2 CFP.

When a group of individual currencies is replaced by a single currency, as the Deutsche mark, French franc, Italian lira, Spanish peseta, and others were by the euro, there are two primary benefits lower transaction costs and greater transparency.

The CFA franc was sharply devalued in 1994, and outstanding debts were reduced.

Rignieux le Franc is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.

On January 1, 2008, the franc was valued at 1,129.40 per US dollar.

It is responsible for Swiss monetary policy and for issuing Swiss franc banknotes.

From the end of World War II until the adoption of the euro, France devalued its own franc 14 times in order to bolster competiveness and exports, with the CFA franc devalued along with it each time.

This gap should encourage the franc zone s member countries to reject their relationship with France.

The franc zone s plight is being compounded by distorted and dysfunctional economic and monetary policies.

This was changed to 1 4.375 francs (1 franc 0.203125 grams of gold) in 1949.

Only during the period when Burundi used the Belgian Congo franc were centime coins issued.

The franc was the currency of the Swiss canton of Geneva between 1839 and 1850.

The CFA franc issued by two sub regional central banks (BCEAO and BEAC) are not interchangeable.

But France s woes are also being felt far beyond its borders, sparking rumors of a possible devaluation of the CFA franc, the common currency of the franc zone, which comprises 14 African countries and the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean.

First, franc zone countries could issue their own currencies a radical approach that would face serious obstacles.

France may not like it, but the best interests of the franc zone s citizens should come first.

By 1943, Wake was the Gestapo's most wanted person, with a 5 million franc price on her head.

There is no easy answer. But it is time for the franc zone s two leading regional groupings the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community to begin playing a decisive role in overhauling the franc zone s architecture.

The Swiss franc has increased more than 40 against the dollar and therefore more than 30 against the renminbi.