Map: Eurozone members
The eurozone refers to the 17-nation bloc of European Union states which use the euro single currency.
Published On 5 Jan 2012
EU Eurozone
Eleven countries adopted the euro when it was launched in 1999, while six more countries have joined the bloc since then, most recently Estonia which joined at the beginning of 2011.
| Austria | Belgium | Cyprus |
| Estonia | Finland | France |
| Germany | Greece | Ireland |
| Italy | Luxembourg | Malta |
| Netherlands | Portugal | Slovakia |
| Slovenia | Spain |
EU states obliged to join the Eurozone
Most of the European Union’s 27 member states still outside the euro are legally obliged to join the single currency when monetary conditions permit.
| Sweden | Latvia | Lithuania |
| Czech Republic | Hungary | Romania |
| Poland | Bulgaria |
EU state with an opt-out on Eurozone participation
The exceptions are the UK and Denmark which have “opted out” of Eurozone membership.
| Denmark | United Kingdom |
Source: Al Jazeera