Meet the countries in the Triple-A debt club - 17 countries have the world's highest credit rating, AAA -

Meet the countries in the Triple-A debt club - 17 countries have the world's highest credit rating, AAA - 

Amid the contentious debt ceiling debate, the United States is at risk of being booted out of a prestigious group of countries that boast a spotless credit rating.

Only 17 countries in the world -- currently including the U.S. -- hold the highly coveted triple-A rating from both Standard & Poor's and Moody's. (S&P rates an additional three countries as triple-A, that aren't featured on Moody's list).

Germany, Canada, France, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland are among those with the undisputed stamp of approval -- so is the Isle of Man, a British crown dependency off Ireland's east coast, and Singapore (both of which are too small to see on our CNNMoney map above.)

Now, S&P and Moody's are questioning the United States' membership in this exclusive club.

The triple-A rating enables nations to borrow funds at a low cost, because their governments are considered stable and their bonds safe.

The U.S. for example, has seen its dollar become the world's No. 1 reserve currency because its bonds are held in such high regard by investors. They're backed by the "full faith and credit of the U.S. government" -- which until now, has never seriously been called into question.

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http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/29/news/international/countries_with_aaa_rating/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2