However, residents of the first European Union countries that adopted the euro didn't begin using euro banknotes and coins until January 1, 2002.
Euro Countries
Today, the euro is one of the world's most powerful currencies, used by more than 320 million Europeans in twenty-three countries. The countries currently using the euro are:
1) Andorra
2) Austria
3) Belgium
4) Cyprus
5) Estonia
6) Finland
7) France
8) Germany
9) Greece
10) Ireland
11) Italy
12) Kosovo
13) Luxembourg
14) Malta
15) Monaco
16) Montenegro
17) Netherlands
18) Portugal
19) San Marino
20) Slovakia
21) Slovenia
22) Spain
23) Vatican City
Recent and Future Euro Countries
On January 1, 2009, Slovakia started using the euro. Estonia began using the euro on January 1, 2011.Lithuania and Latvia are expected to join the Eurozone in the next few years and thus become countries using the euro.
Only 17 of the 27 members of the European Union (EU) are part of the Eurozone, the name for the collection of EU countries that utilize the euro. Notably, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden have thus far decided not to convert to the euro. Other new EU member countries are working toward becoming part of the Eurozone.
On the other hand, Andorra, Kosovo, Montenegro, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City are not EU members but do officially use the euro as their currencies.
The Euro - €
The symbol for the euro is a rounded "E" with one or two cross lines - €. You can see a larger image on this page. Euros are divided into eurocents, each eurocent being one one-hundredth of a euro.
