Question 1

What is the difference between Alpha-2 and Alpha-3 country codes?

Accepted Answer

Alpha-2 codes are 2-letter country codes (like US, GB, DE), while Alpha-3 codes are 3-letter codes (like USA, GBR, DEU). Alpha-2 codes are more commonly used in web applications and URLs, while Alpha-3 codes are often used in data processing and international documentation.

Question 2

How many countries are in ISO 3166-1?

Accepted Answer

ISO 3166-1 includes 249 entries covering all internationally recognized countries and territories. This includes 195 sovereign states and 54 dependent territories and special administrative regions.

Question 3

Can I download the complete country codes list?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can download the complete ISO 3166 country codes database in JSON, CSV, or XML formats directly from this page. The data includes all codes, capitals, regions, and metadata.

Question 4

What is a numeric country code?

Accepted Answer

Numeric country codes are 3-digit numbers assigned to each country in ISO 3166-1. For example, 840 for United States, 276 for Germany, and 392 for Japan. These are useful in systems that need to avoid character encoding issues.

Question 5

Are ISO country codes updated regularly?

Accepted Answer

Yes, ISO 3166-1 is maintained and updated by the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency. Updates occur when countries change names, gain independence, or merge. Our database is updated regularly to reflect these changes.

ISO 3166 Country Codes Database

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Related Tools & Resources

📖 ISO 3166 Standard

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