West African CFA Franc Symbol (CFA)
The West African CFA Franc is abbreviated as CFA (or F.CFA). Issued by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO - Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest), it is the shared legal currency of eight independent West African nations belonging to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
Typographic & Developer Encoding Codes
Quickly copy HTML entities, CSS content escape sequences, and Unicode code points for West African CFA Franc.
| Format | Value / Code | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Symbol | CFA | Standard plain text character or abbreviation | |
| Encoding Classification | Plain Latin Letters | Written as standard text without a single dedicated Unicode point | |
| Base Character / Block | None (Plain Latin letters) | None (Written as plain text) | |
| HTML Representation | CFA | Standard text in HTML documents (No dedicated entity) | |
| CSS Content String | "CFA " | CSS content string for pseudo-elements |
How to Type West African CFA Franc Symbol (CFA) on Any Device
Windows PC
Type CFA directly as standard letters on your physical keyboard.
Mac / macOS
Type CFA directly as plain letters on your keyboard.
iPhone & iPad (iOS)
Type CFA
Android (Gboard)
Type CFA
Formatting Rules & Real-World Examples
Symbol Placement: After Amount
In standard financial notation, the West African CFA Franc symbol is positioned after the amount with a space.
Typography & International Usage Guidelines
In French and West African business usage, 'CFA' or 'F.CFA' is positioned after the numeric amount (5.000 CFA). Due to devaluation, fractional centimes are no longer used. The official ISO 4217 code is XOF.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing West African CFA Franc (XOF) with Central African CFA Franc (XAF) (they are distinct currencies issued by different central banks).
- Using the historic French franc symbol ₣ (U+20A3) for CFA (CFA is written as plain letters).
- Using decimal fractions (XOF operates as integer amounts).
Historical Background & Monetary Evolution
The CFA franc was created on December 26, 1945 by French decree following the Bretton Woods conference. Originally standing for 'Colonies Françaises d'Afrique', the acronym was later revised to 'Communauté Financière Africaine'. The currency is pegged to the Euro at a guaranteed fixed rate of 1 EUR = 655.957 XOF, backed by the French Treasury.
Countries & Jurisdictions Using CFA
Related Tools & Guides for West African CFA Franc
ISO 4217 Lookup
Search standard three-letter currency codes and ISO country pairings.
ToolCurrency Formatter
Calculate before/after position styles and international decimal notations.
GuideMac Option Key Shortcuts
How to configure and type international financial marks quickly on macOS.
GuideGoogle Docs & Sheets Guide
Insert special characters and configure currency formats in spreadsheets.
GuideiPhone & iPad Shortcuts
Quick long-press keyboard shortcuts on iOS to type monetary symbols.
SpecsUnicode Technical Standards
Master technical index for U+20A0–U+20CF blocks, HTML entities & CSS codes.
Similar & Related Currency Symbols
View all Franc Currencies (CHF, CFA, ₣) →Standards Verification & Official Registry Specifications
This specification has been verified against official international standards registries (ISO 4217 Maintenance Agency, Unicode Consortium 16.0, and Unicode CLDR).
Frequently Asked Questions about West African CFA Franc (CFA)
Common questions and direct answers regarding currency symbols, typing shortcuts, and international formatting.
Which eight countries use the West African CFA Franc (XOF)?
Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
What is the exchange rate between the CFA Franc and the Euro?
The West African CFA Franc is pegged to the Euro at a fixed exchange rate of 1 Euro = 655.957 XOF.
Can you spend West African CFA Francs in Central Africa?
No. Although both currencies share the name 'CFA Franc' and have identical parity to the Euro, West African (XOF) and Central African (XAF) notes are issued by separate central banks and are not legally interchangeable in shops.