World Telephone Numbering Guide

Updated 31 December 2008

By Country Code

By Country Name

Other WTNG pages

Acknowledgements

Main Page

Calendar

Glossary

History

Regional Services

Special Services

What's New

WTNG Help and Information Page

Introduction: How to use WTNG

World Telephone Numbering Guide (WTNG) provides information on the world's telephone numbering formats.

This includes various website links regarding telephone numbering. Area code lists, text articles, news of phone number changes, number-finding forms are included as much as feasible.

There is information under each country, region or service reference containing information such as area code or numbering changes, links to area code lists or numbering news, and subscriber number/area code formats to the extent WTNG can find and include such details.

Please note that details are missing in some cases, due to incomplete availability of phone numbering information. Also, the information is subject to some disclaimers.

Search by Country or Service Name

If you know the name of a country or service, check the list of countries and services by name, a list in alphabetical order.

At the top of each WTNG page is a block under "By Country Name" with buttons from A through Z, representing the first letter of a country. Clicking on a letter button will open up the list of countries beginning with that letter.

A sample name block appears to the left. For example, clicking on 'M' will open the first nation beginning with M, namely Macao. Subsequent countries beginning with 'M' are listed after that.

Note that there is no 'X' button, since no country begins with that letter.

Search by Country Code

If you know the telephone country code, check the list of countries and services by country code, which is listed in order by the country code.

Country codes are assigned by the International Telecommunications Union, the international body which supports global telecommunication networks.

At the top of each WTNG page is a block under "By Country Code" with buttons from 1 through 0, representing the first digit of a country code. Clicking on a number button will open up the list of country codes beginning with that number. That first digit is also known as the World Zone which classifies the country code. World Zones generally (but not always) conform to a geographic region of the world.

Special services such as freephone or satellite are assigned under World Zones 8 and 9. The * and # buttons will open the top of the By Country Code page.

Regional and Special Services

To see information on regions (e.g. North American Numbering Plan, Europe, Caribbean) or to see information on special services like maritime/mobile (Inmarsat) or international freephone, search Regional Services or Special Services.

Calendar and History

For a list of recent, current and future numbering changes and events, a Calendar is provided to list these by date.

For country code developments starting with the 1960s, the History contains this longer-term view of how the present country code system developed.

Links and Other Resources

For general numbering related websites and resources, there is a page of Links and Other Resources.

Sample Listing Format

Each listing of a country or country code territory is in the following format:

Country Name Country Code

The national flag is on the left. The WTNG flag is used where a flag is unavailable or for a service that is not applicable to a specific nation.

The country name in green background is in the centre.

The country code for international dialling is on blue background at the right.

Non-graphical browsers such as Lynx are unlikely to show flags and colours, but the names and country codes should still be available for view.

The following contents can appear below the country heading:

Number Format

Area Code:             Range of digits in the area code.
                       (This does not include Trunk Prefix,
                       if this is used in the country).
                       Some nations only use the subscriber
                       number, and do not use an area code.

Subscriber Number:     Range of digits in the subscriber number.

Trunk Prefix:          Lists the prefix used for calls within a
                       country, usually for long distance calls
                       outside a local area. Increasingly,
                       some countries are requiring use of trunk
                       prefix and area code for local calls.

International Prefix:  Lists the prefix used in the country when
                       dialling an international number.

Numbering Range or Area Code Information

This section contains links to pages that contain area code or numbering range lists. The availability, format and accuracy of these links will vary. Most of these links are external to WTNG. The DCCL lists which are hosted on the WTNG site may not necessarily be current.

Numbering Events

Any known numbering changes or events of note are listed in detail, with the most recent events listed first. These sections will include dates, details and references to the extent available.

Other Information

This section will list telecom information of relevance such as website links to carriers, regulators and other organisations.

About Flag Graphics

Most flags appearing in WTNG are courtesy of the Mooney's MiniFlags website, and used in accordance with its non-commercial usage policy. Authorship and conditions of use of these flags are indicated on that website.

In cases where flags were unavailable from Mooney's Miniflags site, WTNG has prepared some flags to fill in these gaps. These were generally prepared with The GIMP application. Some flags were adapted from flags found in the CIA World Factbook, a reference that the CIA has placed in the public domain (except for the CIA's emblem). Others were created by WTNG, based on known flag specifications and dimensions, and as such may not be an exact replica.

National flags are used to assist identification of nations in WTNG. Flags are subject to change; no political opinions are implied by any usage (or non-usage) here.

A WTNG flag was created for those cases where a national or territorial flag could not be found, or where an item has no specific national identity (such as International Freephone services, or the North American Numbering Plan). It may also be used in websites that provide a link to WTNG.

Disclaimers

The information on websites linked outside the WTNG pages is the responsibility of the respective website authors. WTNG does not necessarily endorse companies or authors of such outside links. Some sites are unofficial or outdated sources of telephone numbering information and may vary in the detail, accuracy and timeliness of information. Information and links are subject to change. Occasionally, external links may be removed or altered by the respective authors, a situation which is beyond WTNG's control. Please note that WTNG is a non-commercial project, not affiliated with any telecom operation. Contents are updated on an irregular basis and should not be used for commercial-grade purposes or applications. Those using WTNG do so at their own risk.

Also please note that WTNG does not provide individual number tracing or individual investigation of particular numbers. Also please note that as a non-commercial project, WTNG does not generally participate in link exchanges. WTNG may not respond to such requests.

Contact

Contributions for this list are welcome. News of telephone numbering changes, relevant websites, corrections, broken links or other information should be e-mailed to WTNG editor David Leibold, wtng((at))wtng.info - although the ((at)) must be replaced with @ to remove the spam deterrent elements and form a proper address.

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