Iso2

Iso2 commonly refers to ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes, the two-letter codes used to represent countries and certain dependent territories. Defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), each code consists of two uppercase letters and serves as a compact, internationally recognized identifier for data exchange, logistics, statistics, and information technology.

The alpha-2 codes form part of a three-code system for country identifiers that also includes ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 (three-letter codes) and ISO 3166-1 numeric (three-digit codes). They are maintained by the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency and are updated through formal newsletters and standard updates. While widely adopted in databases, software, and processes, the two-letter codes are not always used verbatim for all national identifiers or domains; domains, for example, may differ from ISO codes in some cases.

Usage examples include US for the United States, CA for Canada, FR for France, and JP for Japan. The codes also underpin internet country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs), though mappings can have exceptions—such as the United Kingdom, which uses the domain .uk while its ISO alpha-2 code is GB. The European Union is represented by EU within ISO 3166-1 as a special regional entity.

Maintenance and updates: ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes are periodically reviewed and revised by the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency. Changes reflect geopolitical developments and maintain interoperability across international data systems, ensuring consistent, two-letter identifiers across diverse applications.