This is a list of FIPS 10-4country codes for Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions.
The two-letter country codes are used by the U.S. Government for geographical data processing in many publications, such as the CIA World Factbook. The standard is also known as DAFIF 0413 ed 7 Amdt. No. 3 (Nov 2003) and as DIA 65-18 (Defense Intelligence Agency, 1994, "Geopolitical Data Elements and Related Features").
The FIPS 10-4 codes are similar to (but sometimes incompatible with) the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2country codes. The standard also includes codes for the top-level subdivision of the countries, similar to but usually incompatible with the ISO 3166-2 standard. The ISO 3166 codes are used by the United Nations and for Internet top-level country code domains.
FIPS PUB 10-4: Federal Information Processing Standard 10-4: Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions, April 1995
DAFIF 0413, Edition 7, Amendment No. 3, November 2003
DIA 65-18: Defense Intelligence Agency, Geopolitical Data Elements and Related Features, 1994