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List of country calling codes facts for kids

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Country calling codes map
Worldwide distribution of country calling codes. Regions are coloured by first digit.

Country calling codes, also known as telephone country codes, are special numbers you dial before a phone number to call someone in another country. Think of them like a country's unique ID number for phone calls! These codes help connect your call across different international phone networks. The rules for these codes are set by a group called the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

You only use a country code when you're calling someone in a different country or region. Before you dial the country code, you usually need to dial an "international call prefix" first. This prefix tells your phone system that you're about to make an international call. In most places, this prefix is 00. But in countries like the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) members (like the US and Canada), it's 011.

How Country Codes Are Organized

The world is divided into nine main "zones" for country codes. These zones are mostly based on geography, but sometimes they group countries together for political or historical reasons.

Country Codes by World Zone

Let's look at some examples from each zone:

Zone 1: North America and the Caribbean

This zone uses a special system called the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Countries in this plan share the country code '1' and then use a three-digit "area code" for specific regions.

Zone 2: Mostly Africa

This zone includes most African countries, plus a few others.

Zones 3–4: Europe

Europe has many countries, so it uses two zones. Larger countries often have two-digit codes, while smaller ones or newer codes use three digits.

Zone 5: South and Central Americas

This zone covers countries in South and Central America.

Zone 6: Southeast Asia and Oceania

This zone includes countries in Southeast Asia and many islands in Oceania.

Zone 7: Russia and Neighboring Regions

This zone was once used by the Soviet Union. Now, it's shared by two large countries.

Zone 8: East Asia, South Asia, and Special Services

This zone includes many countries in Asia and also has codes for special phone services, like toll-free numbers.

  • 800 – Universal International Freephone Service (like a global 1-800 number)
  • 808 – Universal International Shared Cost Numbers
  • 81 –  Japan
  • 82 –  South Korea
  • 84 –  Vietnam
  • 850 –  North Korea
  • 852 –  Hong Kong
  • 853 –  Macau
  • 855 –  Cambodia
  • 856 –  Laos
  • 86 –  China
  • 870 – Global Mobile Satellite System (for satellite phones)
  • 880 –  Bangladesh
  • 881 – Global Mobile Satellite System
  • 882 – International Networks (for special global networks)
  • 883 – International Networks
  • 886 –  Taiwan
  • 888 – Used by the UN for disaster relief.

Zone 9: West, Central, and South Asia, and Eastern Europe

This zone covers a wide area from the Middle East to parts of Eastern Europe.

Locations Without Their Own Country Code

Some places don't have their own unique country code. Instead, they use the code of another country, usually the one that manages their telecommunications.

For example, in Antarctica, research stations use the calling code of their home country:

Base Calling
Code		 Country
Almirante Brown Antarctic Base 54  Argentina
Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station 1  United States
Casey Station 672  Australia
Concordia Station 39
33		  Italy
 France
Halley Research Station 44  United Kingdom
Jang Bogo Station 82  South Korea
McMurdo Station 1  United States
Scott Base 64  New Zealand

Other places that use another country's code include:

Location Calling Code Country Reason
Kerguelen Archipelago 262  France No permanent local phone systems
Pitcairn Islands 64  Pitcairn Islands Their phone network is connected to and uses numbers from New Zealand.

See also

  • List of mobile telephone prefixes by country
  • National conventions for writing telephone numbers
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