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Webster's New World Finance and Investment Dictionary » West African Economic and Monetary Union
West African Economic and Monetary Union
West African Economic and Monetary Union definition - finance
A monetary agreement between
eight countries in Western Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivôire,
Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The common currency of the WAEMU
is the CFA franc, or franc de la
Communauté Financiére de l’Afrique. It is issued by the Banque Centrale
des Etats de lÂ’Afrique de lÂ’Ouest. The CFA franc has been pegged to the French
franc since 1947; when France adopted the euro in 1999, the CFA was pegged to
the euro. Only one devaluation has occurred during the history of the currency
peg. In January 1994, the CFA was devalued to CFA 100 from CFA 50. The
countries using the CFA franc have an arrangement with the French treasury to
maintain their currency peg and take the sole responsibility for guaranteeing
convertibility of CFA francs into euros.
Webster's New World Finance and Investment Dictionary Copyright © 2003 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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