Connect with us

Misc

Which Countries Feature Women on Banknotes?

Published

on

notable women on banknotes

Visualizing the Women on Banknotes Worldwide

A study by Swedish loan company Advisa analyzed 1,006 current international banknotes and found that only 15% featured images of women.

Who are these women, and which countries feature them on their bills?

This graphic by Ivett Kovács and Gabrielle Merite visualizes women on banknotes around the world, showing their main occupations, and the value of the banknotes they’re featured on.

The List: Women on Bills

To create this graphic, Ivett used data from the Standard Catalogue of World Paper Money, compiled by Vox.

According to the dataset, Queen Elizabeth II is the most featured woman worldwide.

CountryDenomination(s)WomanDescription
🇦🇱 Albania100 lekëQueen TeutaQueen of Illyria
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇦🇷 Argentina100 pesosEva PerónFirst Lady of Argentina
🇦🇺 Australia$50Edith CowanSuffragette
🇦🇺 Australia$10Mary GilmorePoet, journalist
🇦🇺 Australia$100Nellie MelbaOpera singer
🇦🇺 Australia$5Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇧🇸 Bahamas$10, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇧🇿 Belize$2, $10, $20, $50Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇨🇦 Canada$20Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇨🇻 Cape Verde2000 escudosCesária ÉvoraSinger
🇰🇾 Cayman Islands$1, $5, $10, $25, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇨🇱 Chile5000 pesosGabriela MistralNobel Prize winner
🇨🇴 Colombia10000 pesosPolicarpa SalavarrietaSeamstress, spy
🇨🇷 Costa Rica20000 colonesCarmen LyraWriter
🇨🇿 Czech Republic50 korunaAgnes of BohemiaBohemian princess
🇨🇿 Czech Republic500 korunaBožena NěmcováWriter
🇨🇿 Czech Republic2000 korunaEmmy DestinnOpera singer
🇩🇲 Dominica$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic200 pesosMirabal sistersSisters who opposed dictatorship
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic500 pesosSalomé UreñaPoet and pedagogist
🇫🇰 Falkland Islands5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇬🇪 Georgia50 lariQueen TamarThe Queen Regnant of Georgia
🇬🇮 Gibraltar5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇬🇩 Grenada$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇬🇬 Guernsey5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇭🇹 Haiti10 gourdesCatherine Flon ArcahaieCreated Haitian flag
🇮🇸 Iceland5000 kronurRagnheiður JónsdóttirSeamstress
🇮🇲 Isle of Man1, 5, ,10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇯🇲 Jamaica$500Nanny of the MaroonsNational heroine of Jamaica
🇯🇵 Japan5000 yenHiguchi IchiyōWriter
🇯🇪 Jersey1 ,5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan50 somKurmanjan DatkaStateswoman
🇲🇼 Malawi200 kwachaRose Lomathinda ChibamboLeader of African Congress
🇲🇽 Mexico500 pesosFrida Kahlo (and Diego Rivera)Artist, Communist Party militant
🇲🇽 Mexico200 pesosSor Juana Inés de la CruzNun, scholar, poet
🇳🇿 New Zealand$10Kate SheppardSuffragette
🇳🇿 New Zealand$20Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇳🇬 Nigeria20 nairaLadi KwaliPotter
🇳🇴 Norway100 kronerKirsten FalgstadOpera singer
🇳🇴 Norway500 kronerSigrid UndsetNobel Prize winner
🇵🇪 Peru200 solesRose of LimaFirst catholic saint of the Americas
🇵🇭 Philippines500 pesosCorazon C. AquinoFirst female president in Phillipines
🇵🇭 Philippines1000 pesosJosefa Llanes EscodaFounder, Philippines Girl Scouts
🇰🇳 St. Kitts and Nevis$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇱🇨 St. Lucia$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland50 poundsMary SlessorMissionary, activist
🇷🇸 Serbia200 dinarNadežda PetrovićPainter
🇰🇷 South Korea50000 wonShin SaimdangArtist, poet
🇻🇨 St Vincent and Grenadines$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇸🇭 St. Helena5, 10, 20 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇸🇪 Sweden20 kronorAstrid LindgrenAuthor of "Pippi Lockstocking"
🇸🇪 Sweden50 kronorJenny LindOpera singer
🇸🇪 Sweden500 kronorBirgit NilssonOpera singer
🇸🇪 Sweden100 kronorGreta GarboActress
🇨🇭 Switzerland50 francsSophie Taeuber-ArpPainter, sculptor
🇸🇾 Syria500 poundsZenobiaQueen of the Palmyrene Empire
🇹🇳 Tunisia10 dinarsDidoQueen & founder of Carthage
🇹🇷 Turkey50 liraFatma Aliye TopuzFirst female Muslim novelist
🇺🇦 Ukraine200 hryvenLesya UkrainkaPoet, writer
🇬🇧 United Kingdom5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇬🇧 United Kingdom5 poundsElizabeth FryPrison reformer
🇺🇾 Uruguay1000 pesosJuana de IbarbourouPoet
🇻🇪 Venezuela20 bolívaresLuisa Cáceres de ArismendiHeroine of War of Independence

Canada was the first country to use an image of Queen Elizabeth II on their money. In 1935, Canada printed her on a $20 banknote—the British monarch was only a 9-year-old princess at the time. Now, Queen E appears on a variety of different banknotes in 19 different countries. In the Cayman Islands, she’s on their $1, $5, $25, $50, and $100.

A few other queens or royal members have made it onto different banknotes too—Georgia’s 50 lari note has an image of Queen Tamar, who was the Queen of Georgia from 1184 to 1213, and Albania’s 100 lekë features Queen Teuta, a 3rd century queen of an Illyrian tribe.

While royals (especially Queen Elizabeth II) are frequently featured on bills worldwide, women in other positions have also made it onto banknotes.

Authors, singers, poets, and painters are featured on a number of different currencies. For instance, Sweden has Astrid Lindgren—the author of Pippi Longstocking—on their 20 kronor.

Sweden also features three other women on their bills: Birgit Nilsson, Jenny Lind, and Greta Garbo, making their banknote features an even 50/50 split between men and women.

A Quick History of Women Featured on U.S. Banknotes

Essentially the only time a woman was prominently featured on a U.S. banknote was in the late 19th century when Martha Washington—the wife of President George Washington—appeared on a $1 silver certificate.

martha washington 1 dollar silver note

This dearth of women on U.S. banknotes may soon come to an end. The Biden administration is now speeding up efforts to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, an initiative that was delayed in recent years. When the plan was initially introduced by then Treasury secretary, Jacob Lew, in 2016, the new design was set to be unveiled in 2020 on the centennial of the 19th Amendment (which granted women the right to vote).

Women are Still Underrepresented

It’s worth noting that women are still consistently underrepresented in positions of power, and in the media.

And even when women do hold authoritative positions, research has shown they’re taken less seriously than their male counterparts.

That’s why events like International Women’s Day exist. It’s not just a time to celebrate women’s achievements—it’s also a day to shed light on existing gender bias, and ultimately take action to help combat gender inequality.

Want to be part of the change? Learn more about Women’s Day, or donate to fundraising efforts for female-focused charities.

green check mark icon

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

Subscribe to Visual Capitalist
Click for Comments

Technology

Who Owns the Most Satellites?

Despite Starlink’s dominance in the industry, the company is set to face intense competition in the coming years.

Published

on

Who-Owns-the-Most-Satellites

Who Owns the Most Satellites?

Nearly 7,000 satellites orbit the Earth, serving vital functions such as communication, navigation, and scientific research.

In 2022 alone, more than 150 launches took place, sending new instruments into space, with many more expected over the next decade.

But who owns these objects? In this graphic, we utilize data from the Union of Concerned Scientists to highlight the leaders in satellite technology.

SpaceX’s Dominance in Space

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is unquestionably the industry leader, currently operating the largest fleet of satellites in orbit—about 50% of the global total.

The company has already completed 62 missions this year, surpassing any other company or nation, and operates thousands of internet-beaming Starlink spacecraft that provide global internet connectivity.

Starlink customers receive a small satellite dish that self-orients itself to align with Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellites.

OwnerTotalShareCountry
SpaceX3,39550%USA
OneWeb Satellites5027%UK
Chinese Government 3695%China
U.S. Government3064%USA
Planet Labs, Inc.1953%USA
Russian Federation1372%Russia
Spire Global Inc.1272%USA
Swarm Technologies841%USA
Iridium Communications, Inc.751%USA
Other1,52823%

Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

In second place is a lesser-known company, British OneWeb Satellites. The company, headquartered in London, counts the UK government among its investors and provides high-speed internet services to governments, businesses, and communities.

Like many other satellite operators, OneWeb relies on SpaceX to launch its satellites.

Despite Starlink’s dominance in the industry, the company is set to face intense competition in the coming years. Amazon’s Project Kuiper plans to deploy 3,236 satellites by 2029 to compete with SpaceX’s network. The first of the fleet could launch as early as 2024.

The Rise of China’s Space Program

After the top private companies, governments also own a significant portion of satellites orbiting the Earth. The U.S. remains the leader in total satellites, when adding those owned by both companies and government agencies together.

American expenditures on space programs reached $62 billion in 2022, five times more than the second one, China.

China, however, has sped up its space program over the last 20 years and currently has the highest number of satellites in orbit belonging directly to government agencies. Most of these are used for Earth observation, communications, defense, and technology development.

Satellite Demand to Rise Over the Decade

Despite the internet being taken for granted in major metropolitan areas and developed countries, one out of every three people worldwide has never used the web.

Furthermore, the increasing demand for data and the emergence of new, more cost-effective satellite technologies are expected to present significant opportunities for private space companies.

In this context, satellite demand is projected to quadruple over the next decade.

Continue Reading

Subscribe

Popular