The Forex (FOReign EXchange) market appeared at the beginning of the 1970s after many countries decided to unpeg the value of their currencies from that of the US dollar or gold. This led to the forming of an international market on which currency could be exchanged and traded freely. Today, Forex is the largest financial market in the world with an average daily trading volume exceeding 5 trillion USD, roughly double that of the stock exchange. Forex also differs from the stock exchange in that it operates around the clock. It doesn't matter where you live or even where you are right now; as long as you have access to the internet, a trading terminal (a special program for trading Forex) and an account with a Forex broker, all the instruments and opportunities of Forex are open to you.Source: "Forex trading with Alpari: dependability and innovation in trading"