Which country uses the quetzal as its national currency?

Guatemala uses the quetzal as its national currency.

The Guatemalan quetzal, divided into 100 centavos, became the country’s monetary unit in 1925 during the presidency of José María Orellana. It replaced the Guatemalan peso and was designed to provide a stable currency linked to monetary reforms of the period.

The name comes from the resplendent quetzal, a brilliantly coloured bird native to Central America. The bird has long held cultural importance in Maya traditions and appears on Guatemala’s national emblem. The currency’s symbol is commonly written as Q.

Although Guatemala is geographically part of Central America rather than South America, it is often included in broad Latin American geography quizzes. The quetzal should not be confused with the Venezuelan bolívar, the Guyanese dollar or Suriname’s dollar, all currencies used elsewhere in the wider region.