De facto currency

A de facto currency is a unit of money that is not legal tender in a country but is treated as such by most of the populace. The United States dollar and the European Union euro are the most common de facto currencies.

Euro

The following have the euro as their de facto currency:

• Andorra
• Kosovo
• Montenegro

United States dollar

The following have the USD as their de facto currency:

• Cambodia - Most hotels, restaurants, and transportation are priced in dollars.^[1]
• Lebanon^{[citation needed]}
• Zimbabwe^{[citation needed]}
• Iraq - American commercial, governmental and military involvement due to the Iraq War and the Iraqi Dinar's low value has made the US dollar highly preferred.^{[citation needed]}
• Panama^{[citation needed]}
• Russia - people do not trust "wooden rubles" and prefer currency that is more stable.

While legal tender, the following countries use currencies that are not their own:

• Panama - USD^{[citation needed]}
• Ecuador - USD^{[citation needed]}
• El Salvador - USD^{[citation needed]}
• East Timor - USD^{[citation needed]}

Russian ruble

The following have the Russian ruble as their de facto currency:

• Abkhazia
• South Ossetia

South African rand and Botswana pula

Due to hyperinflation in Zimbabwe in 2006 to 2008, the government of Zimbabwe has allowed circulation of foreign currency since September 2008 and local currency became obsolete since 12 April 2009. Both South African rand and Botswana pula circulate in Zimbabwe.

References

1. ^ "Cambodia: Money". http://www.canbypublications.com/cambodia/money.htm.