110 volt started in the U.S. with Thomas Edison's famous first light bulb. At the time, 110 was the most efficient and sufficient for powering electrical devices. As a result, power plants were created for delivering 110 volts. The rest of the world didn't adopt electricity extensively until after World War I. At that time, scientists had been able to calculate that 220 volts was more efficient and that the method of delivery should be split into alternating current (AC) delivery rather than the traditional direct current (DC).
Converters are what are used for 220 to 110 volt conversion. It is a simple process to cut the delivery of the current by half for smaller devices. A converter is used for things like hair dryers, electric razors, and straighteners. A transformer, on the other hand, is used to convert either 110 to 220 volts or 220 to 110 volts. It is used for larger appliances like radios, televisions and computers.
Some of the most prominent 110 volt countries are: Algeria, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cayman Islands, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, North Korea, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam. Interestingly, some of these also use 220 volt in addition to 110 volt.
Some of the most prominent 220 volt countries are: Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Chile, China, Columbia, Croatia, Cuba, Curacao, Denmark, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
