Communication is the heart of human interaction all over the world. In this current era of an enhanced interconnected world where you can connect with friends and families living on multiple continents instantly the significance of correct country code is preeminent.
You cannot escape the challenges which may come across, when you simply want to make an international call to your friend living in Australia or a small town in Nigeria If the information you get is not correct. This applies to you whether you are an international student or running a startup where you might have to communicate with clients living in different time zones.
The knowledge of country codes and area codes is your basic toolkit. To save your time and energy we have compiled a comprehensive list of country codes of almost all countries of the world.
How are country codes assigned?
The specialized United Nations agency, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) laid down the groundwork for a global telecommunication network and coordination parameters for international calling. In order to develop an easy and organized system for international calling, countries were allotted codes which changed over the period of time due to political and technological developments since the 1960s. At a broader level, the world was divided into zones, and they were allotted numbers accordingly. In order to keep the system organized a method was developed which kept the overall digits to 11 for all countries.
Timeline for Country Code Attribution
1924- Committees Formation
In order to form common protocols and a certain standard in international calling operations which includes communication to far regions of the world, in the year 1924 two high-powered committees were formed seeking their recommendations and suggestions for the new system at international level.
1956-International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT)
The two committees International Telephone Consultative Committee (CCIF) , and International Telegraph Consultative Committee (CCIT) were facing similar issues at technical level. So both were joined to form the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT) Which afterward renamed ITU-T.
1960-The Red Book
The draft of suggestions by ITU-T was available in the form of a red book which included codes related to the regions under Europe, some Asian and North African countries. The Red Book included codes for countries like Poland, Belgium, Finland, Lebanon, Netherlands and Austria among others.
Next Four Years- Blue Book
In the next four years from 1964 to 1967, the suggestions were expanded in the form of a Blue Book which included codes for all around the globe and many more countries than included in the previous Red Book.
Still Evolving
Due to shifts in politics and the decolonization process new countries were formed and they were offered unique numbers with respect to their zone.
As per the World Telephone Numbering Guide (WTNG), the world is divided into 9 zones with each zone having a special number designated which is further assigned as per the number of countries in that region. You can find the list of nine zones below.
Zone 1
North and Central America falls under this zone and their international country code is +1. Caribbean nations also come under the umbrella of North American Numbering Plan (NANP) which also includes USA territories. One plausible reason why the US got the +1 as a country code is its global influence and the Rotary phones at that time which were easy to dial 1 as compared to the last digit on it.
Zone 2
The continent of Africa is covered in zone 2 which include countries like Tunisia, Mauritius, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Madagascar among others.
You might find countries in this zone which are not exactly in the African region for example Aruba but due to non-availability of codes in other zones these countries are registered in zone 2.
Zone 3 & 4
There were two zones which were allotted to Europe due to the greater number of countries which required 2-digit codes. Countries like Netherlands, France, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Greece, and Italy amongst others were given 2-digit codes starting with 3. While there were also countries which were allotted 3-digit codes in Europe including countries like Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Malta, Ireland and Cyprus amongst others.
Zone 5
The region of Latin America is included in the world zone 5 with the disrespect to the country code at international level. The list of countries in South America of zone 5 includes Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Cuba amongst others.
Zone 6
This zone includes countries from South Pacific, Oceania, and Australia. In this zone still there are chords which are unassigned and any new future country which may emerge in the future can get one of those unassigned codes. Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Palau and Samoa among other countries in this zone.
Zone 7
Soviet Union and the republics come under this union which is included in zone 7. Due to the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 many new republics were formed, and they changed their zone accordingly. For example, Central Asian republics which were previously part of the USSR are now using code 9 except Kazakhstan which is still using code 7 in collaboration with Russia.
Zone 8
The region of East Asia is included in the world zone 8 with the international country code of +8. It includes countries like China, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea amongst others. There are also a few unassigned codes which are available for any future new country or transnational organization like Telecommunications for Disaster Relief (+888).
Zone 9
Countries from West Asia, South Asia and Middle East are included in zone 9 with the country code of +9. In this list you will find countries like Pakistan, India, United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kuwait and Iran amongst others.Special services: There are also some special services numbers which are included in these zones. For example, in zone 9 there is Proposed Disaster Relief Service (+999), and zone 8 there is universal Personal Telecommunications Service (+878) amongst a few others.
Conclusion
The inception of country codes have profoundly made it easier for countries to connect.
