DZD / ZAR

The Algerian dinar is the official currency of Algeria, introduced in 1964 to replace the French franc following the country’s independence. It is issued by the Bank of Algeria and is subdivided into 100 centimes, although centime coins are now rarely seen in everyday transactions.

The dinar is denoted by the symbol د.ج and is often written as DA. Banknotes range from 5 to 2,000 dinars, and the currency’s value is closely tied to Algeria’s oil and gas exports, which dominate the national economy. An interesting quirk is that the name “dinar” traces back to the Spanish word for the historic Roman denarius, making it one of the few African currencies not directly pegged to a major foreign currency.