BRL - The Brazilian Real

Since 1964, Brazil's Central Bank has taken care of the Real and made sure that the value stayed stable. Its exchange rate isn’t fixed, but is allowed to fluctuate based on the market’s demand and supply. Yet, the Central Bank intervenes when needed, so that there are no sharp fluctuations in what one would call Latin America’s most important economies.

Although Brazil has employed several different currencies throughout history, the contemporary Real was launched on July 1, 1994, as part of the Plano Real—a government plan to fight hyperinflation. It supplanted the Cruzeiro Real and re-established confidence in the country's monetary system. The term 'Real' (meaning 'royal' in Portuguese) was also the name of Brazil's first currency in colonial times—it has historical relevance.

The BRL has colorful, multicolored banknotes with native Brazilian animals on the front and prominent national personalities on the back. Brazil also rolled out new Real banknotes in 2010 with sophisticated security features such as color-shifting ink, watermarks, and raised printing to help visually impaired people.

The official symbol 'R$' unites the letter 'R' for Real with the classic dollar sign '$'. Implemented in 1994, together with the introduction of the currency, it provides a clear, recognizable symbol for national and international use.