International Dialing Codes

Having a phone is essential for communication. It's not a want anymore but a necessity. Cellphones help us to communicate not even just in our town but also outside our very own country. If you're lucky, you can use pre-paid data or WiFi when you want to talk to someone abroad.

What is the country phone code?

To simply put it into words, dialing codes let you access the right telephone circuit so that you can place an international call or a region call (they are also called call prefixes). They are usually the number written before you out the telephone. They are usually 011 or 00 in most countries.

For instance, when you want to call someone from the United States, you'll have to dial their country code as +1, then you start dialing the person's phone number and the area code.

The first digit of a prefix indicates the region of the country. There are nine different area codes:

  1. North America (+1)
  2. Africa (+2)
  3. Europe has two prefixes: +3 and +4
  4. South America and Mexico (+5)
  5. Australia and Oceania (+6)
  6. Russia and Kazakhstan (+7)
  7. Eastern Asia (+8)
  8. Middle East (+9)
Two persons can have the same phone number, but they are based in different countries. When someone from the same country needs to call them, there is no need to use the country code, but they should first add the prefix code if they are from other countries.

How did international dialing codes Start?

International dialing codes were first agreed upon by the International Telecoms Union. They are a club of every country's network provider back in the 1960s. Their main objective is to set unique numbers for each country for a more convenient option. +1 for one of the most known country-the United States and Canada, +2 for Africa, they set the 3 and 4 for Europe and so on.

Why exactly do you need these number codes?

These prefixes were made to avoid confusion to the public whenever they have to call internationally. These lessen the chance of dialing the wrong number because they would have a great basis whether they are calling the right place.

Also, it's a great help for the phone companies around the world to know exactly where they will route your call. There are so many countries in the world and them having all the unique numbers of their own will help people to be routed exactly where it is supposed to be routed.

How do you make an international call?

To make an international call, these steps are the ones to take.

  1. Put the dialing code, which is usually the plus sign (+) or 00.
  2. Choose the country code, for instance, United States +1.
  3. Write the number of the specific person to call.