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From: mcvax!cgch!wtho@uunet.uu.net (Tom Hofmann)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Some Questions About International Country Codes
Message-ID: <telecom-v09i0324m01@vector.dallas.tx.us>
Date: 24 Aug 89 11:39:37 GMT
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 From article <telecom-v09i0316m01@vector.dallas.tx.us>, by dolf@idca.tds.
philips.nl (Dolf Grunbauer):
> 5. Are there any countries with a 4 digit country code ?
>
> [Moderator's Note: I think the longest country code has to the one for the
> Vatican; it is six or eight digits, of which the final digits simply appear
> to be appended to the code for Italy.  PT]

The seven digits for the Vatican (3966982) are composed as follows:

	a) 39   (the country code for Italy)
	b) 6    (the area code for Rome)
	c) 6982 (an exchange within the Rome area code)

A problem that arises here is that we use the notion "country code" in
two different manners:

	a) telephone-system code
           (all calls within one telephone system can be dialed
	   without international access code)
	b) proper country code
	   (all international calls starting with this code end
	   in one and the same country)

One telephone system can provide several countries (e.g. U.S.A. and Canada);
the involved countries have no proper country code.  In some cases, however,
a small country covers exactly one area code of a telephone system.

Liechtenstein e.g. has area code 75 within telephone system +41 (Switzerland).
The Vatican covers only an exchange within an area code. For these countries a
proper country code can be determined: telephone-system code + area code
(+ exchange). For Italy, however, there is no proper country code (+39 covers
Italy, the Vatican, and San Marino).

When we say country code we usually mean telephone-system code (+1 e.g.---USA
and Canada have no proper country codes), and these codes are in fact limited
to three digits.

Tom Hofmann	wtho@cgch.UUCP