ISO 3166-1 defines two-letter, three-letter and three-digit codes for countries, dependencies and geopolitical areas. It replaces inconsistent place names with shared identifiers, helping payment and reference-data systems represent markets and keep geographic records aligned.
TL;DR:
- ISO 3166-1 provides country-code representations.
- Two-letter, three-letter and numeric forms serve different contexts.
- Maintained code-list changes are distinct from a new standard edition.
Summary
Country-code role
ISO 3166-1 concerns codes representing country names. The wider ISO 3166 family separately covers subdivisions and formerly used codes. It provides identifiers rather than determining country names independently of the United Nations sources used by ISO.
Representations
The country codes have two-letter, three-letter and three-digit numeric representations. ISO recommends alpha-2 for general use, while alpha-3 more closely resembles country names and numeric codes can avoid dependence on Latin script.
Cross-system use
ISO describes uses in postal exchange, internet domains, machine-readable passports and identifying a bank’s country. Each application still needs its own rules for which code form and list version to use.
Maintenance and edition
The referenced standard edition is ISO 3166-1:2020, while code entries are maintained over time. ISO’s browsing platform and change archive supply current list information. Updating an assigned code is distinct from publishing a new edition of the standard.
Keywords
- Country Codes
- Alpha-2
- Alpha-3
- Numeric-3
- Country Identification
- Code Maintenance
- Data Interchange
- Territories
- Reference Lists
- ISO 3166