Economics General Knowledge – January 2025

50 vocabulary flashcards covering leaders, stock exchanges, currencies, key dates, and core economic indicators from the lecture notes.

Cyril Ramap

President of South Africa

Paul Mashatile Deputy President of South Africa

Enoch Godongwana

Minister of Finance of South Africa

Lesetja Kganyago

Governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB)

Donald Trump

President of the United States

Jerome Powell

Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve

Keir Starmer

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Andrew Bailey

Governor of the Bank of England

Olaf Scholz

Chancellor of Germany

Emmanuel Macron

President of France

Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister of Canada

Vladimir Putin

President of Russia

Xi Jinping

President of China

Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)

Main stock exchange of South Africa

Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX)

Leading stock exchange of Germany

Paris Stock Exchange (CAC 40)

Primary stock exchange of France

London Stock Exchange (FTSE)

Principal stock exchange of the United Kingdom

New York Stock Exchange (Dow Jones / S&P 500)

Major U.S. stock exchange located on Wall Street

NASDAQ Stock Exchange

Technology-heavy U.S. stock exchange in New York

Tokyo Stock Exchange (Nikkei)

Main stock exchange of Japan

Beijing Stock Exchange

Mainland China stock exchange in Beijing

Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Hang Seng)

Key stock exchange in Hong Kong

Davos, Switzerland

Host city of the annual World Economic Forum

South African Parliament, Cape Town

Legislative seat of South Africa

World Bank & IMF – Washington DC

Headquarters of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund

US Dollar ($)

Currency of the United States

Pound Sterling (£)

Currency of the United Kingdom

Euro (€)

Currency of the Eurozone

Swiss Franc

Currency of Switzerland

Swedish Krona

Currency of Sweden

Japanese Yen ¥

Currency of Japan

Chinese Yuan / Renminbi

Currency of China

South Korean Won

Currency of South Korea

Russian Rouble

Currency of Russia

Indian Rupee

Currency of India

Brazilian Real

Currency of Brazil

Mexican Peso

Currency of Mexico

Argentine Peso

Currency of Argentina

Botswana Pula

Currency of Botswana

Mozambican Metical

Currency of Mozambique

Nigerian Naira

Currency of Nigeria

2008 – The Great Recession

Global financial crisis beginning in 2008

1929–1939 – The Great Depression

Worldwide economic downturn lasting roughly a decade

1994 – South Africa’s First Democratic Elections

Marked the end of Apartheid in South Africa

31 December 2020 – Brexit

Official withdrawal of the UK from the European Union

Early 2020 – COVID-19 Outbreak

Global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus

Inflation Rate (CPI)

Measures the average change in consumer prices over time

Interest Rate (REPO)

Benchmark rate at which central banks lend to commercial banks

Unemployment Rate

Percentage of the labor force that is jobless and seeking work

Economic Growth Rate (Real GDP)

Rate at which a nation’s real gross domestic product increases