Landskoder

Landskoder, or country codes, are standardized identifiers used to designate sovereign states, dependent territories, and other geographic areas in data systems and communications. They enable consistent data exchange across databases, software, logistics, and statistics, and help resolve ambiguities when multiple languages and scripts are involved.

The most widely adopted set is ISO 3166, maintained by the International Organization for Standardization. ISO 3166-1 defines codes for countries at three representations: alpha-2 (two-letter codes, such as SE for Sweden, NO for Norway, DK for Denmark, US for the United States, GB for the United Kingdom), alpha-3 (three-letter codes like SWE, NOR, DNK, USA, GBR), and numeric codes. ISO 3166-2 adds codes for subdivisions within each country. The standard is periodically updated to reflect geopolitical changes.

Other coding systems supplement or intersect with ISO 3166. ITU-T E.164 assigns country calling codes (for example +46 for Sweden, +47 for Norway, +1 for the United States). Internet infrastructure uses country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) such as .se, .no, .dk, .fi, .us, and .uk; note that the ISO alpha-2 code for the United Kingdom is GB, while its domain uses .uk. Sports organizations such as IOC and FIFA use codes that do not always align with ISO ones.

Maintenance and use: ISO 3166/MA handles updates, with changes published in official documents. Limitations: geopolitical developments can lead to code changes, and different organizations may use different code sets, requiring cross-referencing in data systems. Examples of common codes include SE, NO, DK, FI, US, and GB.