CountriesWhat the codes mean
- ISO 2-letter (alpha-2): the short code from the standard ISO 3166-1, seen in internet addresses, passports and shipping labels. IN is India.
- ISO 3-letter (alpha-3): easier to recognise, used in sport and on passports. IND is India.
- Numeric: a three-digit code that does not depend on any alphabet. 356 is India.
- Calling code: the digits to dial after + or 00 when phoning from another country. Some countries share one, such as +1 for the United States, Canada and many Caribbean islands.
- Internet domain: the ending of web addresses registered in that country, such as .in.
The United Kingdom's ISO code is GB, while its internet domain is .uk. Kosovo has no official ISO code. XK is in common use.
Need calling codes in more detail? See Dial Codes.
The table in numbers
The table has 250 entries. 24 of them have exactly the same calling code as at least one other entry, usually a small territory that uses the code of the country it belongs to or sits beside. Without a calling code of their own in the data: Antarctica.
For 3 entries the internet domain is not simply the two-letter ISO code: Saint Martin (.fr, code MF), United Kingdom (.uk, code GB), United States Minor Outlying Islands (.us, code UM). And in 43 cases the two-letter code does not begin with the same letter as the English name, usually because it comes from the name in the country's own language, as with DE for Germany (Deutschland) or ES for Spain (España).
Where you meet each code
- On a parcel or customs form: the two-letter code.
- On a passport and in sports results: the three-letter code.
- On a phone number: the calling code, written with a plus sign in front. A number saved as +91 followed by the ten digits works from anywhere in the world.
- In a web address or email: the internet domain. A domain shows where a name was registered, not where the website or its owner really is.