After decades as the largest foreign debtor among emerging economies, Brazil became a net creditor for the first time in January 2008.

In fact, the United States could turn out to be a net creditor -as it was until 1985 - rather than the world's largest net debtor.

The country remained a modest net creditor until the 1980s, when its creditor position expanded explosively, altering Japan's relationship to the rest of the world.

Purple means more indebtedness, and green means less or that the country is a net creditor.

When the dollar has fallen in the past, the United States was a net creditor and there was no serious rival currency.

As recently as 1984, the United States was a net creditor to the rest of the world by about $3.3 billion.

The United States went from net creditor to net debtor in 1985 for the first time in 71 years.

Germany, also a net creditor, saves more than 10 percent.

Western banks do not seem to have much to worry about from the gulf crisis: Kuwait was a net creditor to international banks.

It is actually a net creditor, unlike most Latin American countries.