In 2008, Zimbabwe saw an inflation rate unlike anything else in global history. The rate surged to a whopping 231,000,000% in July, which was twenty times higher than just a month before. As a result, shops in the country temporarily accepted South African rands and United States dollars, as the Zimbabwean dollar was worth so little. The government’s central bank was forced to remove ten zeros from the currency after having to print $100 billion bills and $100 trillion bills. A year later, twelve more zeroes were taken off the currency. The currency in the country was seen as worthless. After several years of decreasing value, the Zimbabwean dollar was taken out of circulation. To this day, there is no longer an official currency of Zimbabwe, but the central bank allows the use of eight currencies: the South African rand, United States dollar, Chinese yuan, Australian dollar, Indian rupees, Japanese yen, Botswana pula, and British pounds. The government uses United States dollars for official business, but Zimbabwe residents can open bank accounts in any of the foreign currencies allowed by the central bank.
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