World Area Codes

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World Area Codes: A quick guide

What is World Area Codes (WAC)?
World Area Codes is a reference list kept by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. It assigns codes to places around the world, including the United States and its territories, as well as many countries and territories worldwide. Each entry shows where the place is located, its political status, capital, country and state codes, and dates that mark when the code started or stopped being used. The list includes current countries and territories as well as historical or retired entries that have changed over time.

How to read a WAC entry
- World Area Code (WAC): The main numeric code for the place.
- WAC Sequence ID: A secondary identifying number used in the table.
- World area name: The place’s official name.
- Location: Broad region (e.g., North America, Europe, Africa, etc.).
- Sovereignty: The political status (e.g., independent country, overseas territory, etc.).
- Capital: The capital city of the place, if applicable.
- Country ISO code: The standard two-letter country code.
- State code: Any internal state or regional code (when relevant).
- Start date / End date: When the code began or ended being used.
- Comments: Extra notes about status, history, or changes.

Examples (short and simple)
- United States – Alaska and Hawaii are listed as WAC entries, reflecting their status within the U.S. as states. The dates show when Alaska and Hawaii joined the United States and how the codes have been used over time.
- Belize and other Central/South American countries: Each has its own WAC entry with a start date and notes about independence or status changes.
- Germany: The table shows historical entries for East and West Germany and how they combined into a single Germany, with the retired entries indicating the changes.
- Hong Kong and Macau: Both appear as semi-autonomous areas with their own codes, reflecting their special administrative arrangements under China.
- Caribbean and Pacific territories: Many islands and territories (e.g., Jamaica, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands) have their own WAC entries, including notes about changes in status or independence.

Why this matters
- WACs are used in transportation data and related statistics to consistently identify places across different datasets and years.
- The list documents both current political realities and historical changes, helping users trace how places have evolved over time.

Where to find more
- The World Area Codes list is published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and is often referenced in BTS aviation and transportation data.
- The BTS pages also provide notes about independence dates, changes in sovereignty, and retired codes.

In short, World Area Codes is a long, historical catalog that helps researchers and professionals reference places around the world in a consistent way, noting how political boundaries and classifications have changed over time.