The loonie (so named for the bird on the one-dollar coin) has soared from a record low of 62.1 American cents in January 2002 to over 74 cents this week, its highest level in six years.

ECONOMIST: Canada's economy

The loonie, nicknamed after an aquatic bird, has soared against the hobbled U.S. dollar so far this century.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Masahiro Kawai, an official at the Asian Development Bank, this week urged the region to prepare for a slump in the dollar, the probability of which he compared to that of a global bird-flu epidemic: it is far from a certainty but would have a tremendous impact if it happened.

ECONOMIST: The region's currencies stay strong amid the squalls