In search of a controlled vocabulary for country names. The ISO 3166-1 standard list countries with several different representations of each country's name:
- Official name: the long and complicated legal name of the country
- Name
- Common name
A few examples to illustrate the difficulty of using a single controlled vocabulary:
-
Bolivia:
- Common name:
Bolivia - Name:
Bolivia, Plurinational State of - Official name:
Plurinational State of Bolivia
- Common name:
-
Belize:
- Common name:
null - Name:
Belize - Official name:
null
- Common name:
-
Syria:
- Common name:
null - Name:
Syrian Arab Republic - Official name:
null
- Common name:
-
Laos
- Common name:
null - Name:
Lao People's Democratic Republic - Official name:
null
- Common name:
Generated from the iso-codes Debian package (version 4.3).
$ cat /usr/share/iso-codes/json/iso_3166-1.json | jq '.[][] | {common_name: .common_name, name: .name, official_name: .official_name}' > /tmp/iso_3166.txt
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Aruba",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Afghanistan",
"official_name": "Islamic Republic of Afghanistan"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Angola",
"official_name": "Republic of Angola"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Anguilla",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Åland Islands",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Albania",
"official_name": "Republic of Albania"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Andorra",
"official_name": "Principality of Andorra"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "United Arab Emirates",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Argentina",
"official_name": "Argentine Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Armenia",
"official_name": "Republic of Armenia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "American Samoa",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Antarctica",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "French Southern Territories",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Antigua and Barbuda",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Australia",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Austria",
"official_name": "Republic of Austria"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Azerbaijan",
"official_name": "Republic of Azerbaijan"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Burundi",
"official_name": "Republic of Burundi"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Belgium",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Belgium"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Benin",
"official_name": "Republic of Benin"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba",
"official_name": "Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Burkina Faso",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bangladesh",
"official_name": "People's Republic of Bangladesh"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bulgaria",
"official_name": "Republic of Bulgaria"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bahrain",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Bahrain"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bahamas",
"official_name": "Commonwealth of the Bahamas"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bosnia and Herzegovina",
"official_name": "Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Saint Barthélemy",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Belarus",
"official_name": "Republic of Belarus"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Belize",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bermuda",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": "Bolivia",
"name": "Bolivia, Plurinational State of",
"official_name": "Plurinational State of Bolivia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Brazil",
"official_name": "Federative Republic of Brazil"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Barbados",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Brunei Darussalam",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bhutan",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Bhutan"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Bouvet Island",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Botswana",
"official_name": "Republic of Botswana"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Central African Republic",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Canada",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Cocos (Keeling) Islands",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Switzerland",
"official_name": "Swiss Confederation"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Chile",
"official_name": "Republic of Chile"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "China",
"official_name": "People's Republic of China"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Côte d'Ivoire",
"official_name": "Republic of Côte d'Ivoire"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Cameroon",
"official_name": "Republic of Cameroon"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Congo, The Democratic Republic of the",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Congo",
"official_name": "Republic of the Congo"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Cook Islands",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Colombia",
"official_name": "Republic of Colombia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Comoros",
"official_name": "Union of the Comoros"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Cabo Verde",
"official_name": "Republic of Cabo Verde"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Costa Rica",
"official_name": "Republic of Costa Rica"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Cuba",
"official_name": "Republic of Cuba"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Curaçao",
"official_name": "Curaçao"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Christmas Island",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Cayman Islands",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Cyprus",
"official_name": "Republic of Cyprus"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Czechia",
"official_name": "Czech Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Germany",
"official_name": "Federal Republic of Germany"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Djibouti",
"official_name": "Republic of Djibouti"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Dominica",
"official_name": "Commonwealth of Dominica"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Denmark",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Denmark"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Dominican Republic",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Algeria",
"official_name": "People's Democratic Republic of Algeria"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Ecuador",
"official_name": "Republic of Ecuador"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Egypt",
"official_name": "Arab Republic of Egypt"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Eritrea",
"official_name": "the State of Eritrea"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Western Sahara",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Spain",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Spain"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Estonia",
"official_name": "Republic of Estonia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Ethiopia",
"official_name": "Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Finland",
"official_name": "Republic of Finland"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Fiji",
"official_name": "Republic of Fiji"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Falkland Islands (Malvinas)",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "France",
"official_name": "French Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Faroe Islands",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Micronesia, Federated States of",
"official_name": "Federated States of Micronesia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Gabon",
"official_name": "Gabonese Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "United Kingdom",
"official_name": "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Georgia",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Guernsey",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Ghana",
"official_name": "Republic of Ghana"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Gibraltar",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Guinea",
"official_name": "Republic of Guinea"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Guadeloupe",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Gambia",
"official_name": "Republic of the Gambia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Guinea-Bissau",
"official_name": "Republic of Guinea-Bissau"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Equatorial Guinea",
"official_name": "Republic of Equatorial Guinea"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Greece",
"official_name": "Hellenic Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Grenada",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Greenland",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Guatemala",
"official_name": "Republic of Guatemala"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "French Guiana",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Guam",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Guyana",
"official_name": "Republic of Guyana"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Hong Kong",
"official_name": "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Heard Island and McDonald Islands",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Honduras",
"official_name": "Republic of Honduras"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Croatia",
"official_name": "Republic of Croatia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Haiti",
"official_name": "Republic of Haiti"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Hungary",
"official_name": "Hungary"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Indonesia",
"official_name": "Republic of Indonesia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Isle of Man",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "India",
"official_name": "Republic of India"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "British Indian Ocean Territory",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Ireland",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Iran, Islamic Republic of",
"official_name": "Islamic Republic of Iran"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Iraq",
"official_name": "Republic of Iraq"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Iceland",
"official_name": "Republic of Iceland"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Israel",
"official_name": "State of Israel"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Italy",
"official_name": "Italian Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Jamaica",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Jersey",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Jordan",
"official_name": "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Japan",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Kazakhstan",
"official_name": "Republic of Kazakhstan"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Kenya",
"official_name": "Republic of Kenya"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Kyrgyzstan",
"official_name": "Kyrgyz Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Cambodia",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Cambodia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Kiribati",
"official_name": "Republic of Kiribati"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Saint Kitts and Nevis",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Korea, Republic of",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Kuwait",
"official_name": "State of Kuwait"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Lao People's Democratic Republic",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Lebanon",
"official_name": "Lebanese Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Liberia",
"official_name": "Republic of Liberia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Libya",
"official_name": "Libya"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Saint Lucia",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Liechtenstein",
"official_name": "Principality of Liechtenstein"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Sri Lanka",
"official_name": "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Lesotho",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Lesotho"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Lithuania",
"official_name": "Republic of Lithuania"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Luxembourg",
"official_name": "Grand Duchy of Luxembourg"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Latvia",
"official_name": "Republic of Latvia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Macao",
"official_name": "Macao Special Administrative Region of China"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Saint Martin (French part)",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Morocco",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Morocco"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Monaco",
"official_name": "Principality of Monaco"
}
{
"common_name": "Moldova",
"name": "Moldova, Republic of",
"official_name": "Republic of Moldova"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Madagascar",
"official_name": "Republic of Madagascar"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Maldives",
"official_name": "Republic of Maldives"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Mexico",
"official_name": "United Mexican States"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Marshall Islands",
"official_name": "Republic of the Marshall Islands"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "North Macedonia",
"official_name": "Republic of North Macedonia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Mali",
"official_name": "Republic of Mali"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Malta",
"official_name": "Republic of Malta"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Myanmar",
"official_name": "Republic of Myanmar"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Montenegro",
"official_name": "Montenegro"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Mongolia",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Northern Mariana Islands",
"official_name": "Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Mozambique",
"official_name": "Republic of Mozambique"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Mauritania",
"official_name": "Islamic Republic of Mauritania"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Montserrat",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Martinique",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Mauritius",
"official_name": "Republic of Mauritius"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Malawi",
"official_name": "Republic of Malawi"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Malaysia",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Mayotte",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Namibia",
"official_name": "Republic of Namibia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "New Caledonia",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Niger",
"official_name": "Republic of the Niger"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Norfolk Island",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Nigeria",
"official_name": "Federal Republic of Nigeria"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Nicaragua",
"official_name": "Republic of Nicaragua"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Niue",
"official_name": "Niue"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Netherlands",
"official_name": "Kingdom of the Netherlands"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Norway",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Norway"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Nepal",
"official_name": "Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Nauru",
"official_name": "Republic of Nauru"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "New Zealand",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Oman",
"official_name": "Sultanate of Oman"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Pakistan",
"official_name": "Islamic Republic of Pakistan"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Panama",
"official_name": "Republic of Panama"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Pitcairn",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Peru",
"official_name": "Republic of Peru"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Philippines",
"official_name": "Republic of the Philippines"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Palau",
"official_name": "Republic of Palau"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Papua New Guinea",
"official_name": "Independent State of Papua New Guinea"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Poland",
"official_name": "Republic of Poland"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Puerto Rico",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Korea, Democratic People's Republic of",
"official_name": "Democratic People's Republic of Korea"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Portugal",
"official_name": "Portuguese Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Paraguay",
"official_name": "Republic of Paraguay"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Palestine, State of",
"official_name": "the State of Palestine"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "French Polynesia",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Qatar",
"official_name": "State of Qatar"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Réunion",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Romania",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Russian Federation",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Rwanda",
"official_name": "Rwandese Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Saudi Arabia",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Sudan",
"official_name": "Republic of the Sudan"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Senegal",
"official_name": "Republic of Senegal"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Singapore",
"official_name": "Republic of Singapore"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Svalbard and Jan Mayen",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Solomon Islands",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Sierra Leone",
"official_name": "Republic of Sierra Leone"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "El Salvador",
"official_name": "Republic of El Salvador"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "San Marino",
"official_name": "Republic of San Marino"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Somalia",
"official_name": "Federal Republic of Somalia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Saint Pierre and Miquelon",
"official_name": null
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Serbia",
"official_name": "Republic of Serbia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "South Sudan",
"official_name": "Republic of South Sudan"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Sao Tome and Principe",
"official_name": "Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Suriname",
"official_name": "Republic of Suriname"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Slovakia",
"official_name": "Slovak Republic"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Slovenia",
"official_name": "Republic of Slovenia"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Sweden",
"official_name": "Kingdom of Sweden"
}
{
"common_name": null,
"name": "Eswatini",
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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