Editing Country code (section)

===Telephone country codes===
{{main|Telephone country code}}
{{See also|List of telephone country codes}}

Telephone country codes are [[telephone number]] prefixes for [[international direct dialing]] (IDD), a system for reaching subscribers in foreign areas via international telecommunication networks. Country codes are defined by the [[International Telecommunication Union]] (ITU) in [[ITU-T]] standards [[E.123]] and [[E.164]].

Country codes constitute the international [[telephone numbering plan]]. They are dialed before the national telephone number of a destination in a foreign country or area, but typically require at least one additional prefix, the [[International direct dialing#International call prefix|international call prefix]] which is an exit code from the national numbering plan to the international one. ITU standards recommend the digit sequence ''00'' for the prefix, and most countries comply.