Central Bank of West African States
The Central Bank of West African States is a central bank serving the eight west African countries which share the common West African CFA franc currency and comprise the West African Economic and Monetary Union.
BCEAO headquarters tower in Dakar (center)
Benin Agency in Cotonou
Burkina Faso Agency in Ouagadougou
Guinea-Bissau Agency in Bissau
A central bank, reserve bank, national bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central bank possesses a monopoly on increasing the monetary base. Many central banks also have supervisory or regulatory powers to ensure the stability of commercial banks in their jurisdiction, to prevent bank runs, and in some cases also to enforce policies on financial consumer protection and against bank fraud, money laundering, or terrorism financing.
Walter Bagehot, influential 19th-century theorist of the economic role of central banks
Interior of the Llotja de Barcelona where the city's Taula de canvi was operated
The Bank of England in 1791
The Bank of Finland in Helsinki