The nakfa is the currency of Eritrea and was introduced on 8 November 1997 to replace the Ethiopian birr at par. The currency takes its name from the Eritrean town of Nakfa, site of the first major victory of the Eritrean War of Independence; the nakfa is divided into 100 cents. The nakfa is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of USD 1 = ERN 15. At earlier times, it was pegged at USD 1 = ERN 13.50. The currency is not convertible, so black market rates available on the streets offered a rate of 32 nakfas per dollar. Between 18 November and 31 December 2015, the Bank of Eritrea began replacement of all nakfa banknotes; the banknote replacement initiative was designed to combat counterfeiting, the informal economy but Sudanese human traffickers who had accepted payments in nakfa banknotes in exchange for transporting would-be migrants to Europe. A consequence of this was substantial amounts of the country's currency existed in vast hoardings outside of Eritrea; the plan to replace the country's currency was top secret and designed to prevent human traffickers bringing their funds back in time to exchange for the new banknotes.
On 1 January 2016 the old nakfa banknotes ceased being recognized as legal tender, rendering external stockpiles of currency worthless. The current series of banknotes is the artwork of an Afro-American banknote designer, Clarence Holbert, printed by German currency printer Giesecke & Devrient. Nakfa coins are made of Nickel clad Steel; each coin has a different reeded edge, instead of consistent reeding for all denominations. The 1 nakfa coin carries the denomination "100 cents". Coin denominations: 1 cent 5 cents 10 cents 25 cents 50 cents 1 nakfa The nakfa banknotes were designed by Clarence Holbert of the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing in 1994. Banknotes come in denominations of: 1 nakfa 5 nakfa 10 nakfa 20 nakfa 50 nakfa 100 nakfaThere have been five series of banknotes since the currency's launch; the first issue for all denominations was dated 24.5.1997. The current fifth banknote series which rendered all previous currency valueless is dated 24.5.2015. Eritrea's government has resisted calls to float the nation's currency, preferring the stability of a fixed exchange rate.
However periodic devaluations have been made. ERN is a weak currency; the de facto exchange rate of the currency is around 100 ERN for 1 USD. The currency does not have a good demand outside of Eritrea; the black markets that exist in Asmara and a few other towns show the diminishing values of ERN. Economy of Eritrea Regulations concerning the nakfa from Afrol news
Nikos "Magic" Stavropoulos, a.k.a. Professor Nicholas "Magic" Stavropoulos, is a former Greek professional basketball player that played for Gymnastikos S. Larissas, PAOK, Iraklis at the pro club level in Greece's GBL basketball league. Born in Larissa, Greece, he began his career with Gymnastikos S. Larissas. Stavropoulos won the Greek Cup in 1984, the Saporta Cup in 1991, the Greek League championship in 1992, while playing with PAOK. Stavropoulos was known for his dazzling passing skill and spectacular play-making ability, which garnered him the nickname "Magic", or "Greek Magic", after NBA player Magic Johnson, who played during the same era, was known for his dazzling passes and play-making ability, he holds the distinction of being the first player to make a 3-point basket in the Greek League, after the 3-point shot was first introduced into the league. He was the Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer in 1984. Stavropoulos was a long-time member of the senior men's Greek National Basketball Team.
Ηε was a member of the Greek squad that won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 1987, playing alongside such European basketball legends as Panagiotis Giannakis, Panagiotis Fasoulas, Fanis Christodoulou, Nikos Galis. He competed for Greece at the EuroBasket 1983 and at the 1986 FIBA World Championship. In total, he played in 102 games for Greece. After his playing career, Stavropoulos became a coach of the Greek National Youth Teams, an assistant coach for the Greek National Basketball Team, he opened up his famous basketball camp called, "Magic Basketball Camp". At his basketball camp, he worked with legendary basketball coach Bob Knight, whom he had worked for as an assistant coach on the Indiana Hoosiers Men's Basketball Team, from 1994 to 1997. Stavropoulos coached the Greek 2nd Division club Olympia Larissa. FIBAEurope.com article on Stavropoulos Professor Nicholas Stavropoulos' basketball camp site
Robert Brooks Brown is a retired United States Army general who served as commander of the United States Army Pacific. Brown graduated from Grosse Pointe North High School in Grosse Pointe, Michigan in 1977, he was commissioned into the United States Army as an Infantry Officer, upon graduating from the United States Military Academy in May 1981. While at West Point, he played for the Army Black Knights men's basketball team under Coach Mike Krzyzewski and was a 1,000 point scorer for the Black Knights. Brown remains close to the coach and spoke at a USA Basketball camp in Las Vegas, Nevada prior to the 2006 Olympics. Brown received a Master of Education degree at the University of Virginia and a Master of Science in National Security and Strategic Studies from the National Defense University. From June 2003 to December 2005, Brown commanded the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis–McChord; the 1st BCT, 25th Infantry Division, a Stryker unit, was deployed to Mosul, Iraq from September 2004 to September 2005.
Brown led the unit through the first elections in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. From February 2014 to April 2016, Brown was the commanding general United States Army Combined Arms Center headquartered at Fort Leavenworth. From 2012 to 2014, Brown was the commanding general of the I Corps headquartered at Joint Base Lewis–McChord. Brown was serving as commander of the United States Army Pacific until his retirement was announced in September 2019, USINDOPACOM bid farewell to him on October 9, the general retired on 1 November 2019