Which African country has the birr as its currency?

Which African country has the birr as its currency? Ethiopia is the answer.

The Ethiopian birr is Ethiopia’s official currency and is divided into 100 santims. Its name is linked to the Amharic word for silver and has also been used historically for the Maria Theresa thaler, a major trade coin in the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia’s modern currency history has been turbulent. Italian forces introduced the Italian lira during the occupation beginning in 1936, and the East African shilling circulated during the British-led campaign that expelled Italy. The birr was restored after the war and remains the country’s monetary unit.

The birr is issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia. Older coins may show the Lion of Judah, while later designs feature Ethiopia’s landscapes, wildlife, and cultural symbols. A common mix-up is confusing the birr with currencies in neighboring countries: Somalia uses the shilling, Djibouti uses the franc, and Eritrea uses the nakfa.