Definition
ISO 3166‑2:RE is the entry for Réunion in the ISO 3166‑2 standard, which defines codes for the principal subdivisions (e.g., provinces, states, regions) of all countries that are coded in ISO 3166‑1.
Overview
ISO 3166‑2 is maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and provides an internationally recognized coding system for the first‑order administrative divisions of countries. The entry “RE” corresponds to the French overseas department and region of Réunion, located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. In the ISO 3166‑2 format, the code for Réunion consists of the ISO 3166‑1 alpha‑2 country code for France (“FR”) followed by a hyphen and the subdivision code “RE”, yielding FR‑RE. This code is used in data exchange, statistical reporting, and geocoding to uniquely identify Réunion as a distinct administrative entity within France.
Etymology/Origin
- ISO 3166‑1 “FR”: The two‑letter country code for France, derived from the French name “France”.
- Subdivision code “RE”: An abbreviation derived from the name “Réunion”, the official name of the territory. The use of “RE” follows ISO’s convention of assigning a short, mnemonic identifier that often reflects the local or English name of the subdivision.
Characteristics
- Code Structure: The full ISO 3166‑2 code for Réunion is FR‑RE, combining the country code (“FR”) and the subdivision identifier (“RE”).
- Administrative Status: Réunion is both an overseas department (département d’outre‑mer) and an overseas region (région d’outre‑mer) of France, with the same territorial boundaries for both designations.
- Geographical Scope: The code encompasses the entire island of Réunion, which covers an area of approximately 2,511 km².
- Usage: FR‑RE is employed in international shipping, postal services, statistical databases (e.g., United Nations, World Bank), and information systems that require standardized subdivision identifiers.
- Updates: The ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency periodically reviews and, if necessary, updates subdivision codes. As of the latest published update (2023), the code FR‑RE remains unchanged.
Related Topics
- ISO 3166 – the broader family of standards for country and subdivision codes.
- ISO 3166‑1 – the part of the standard that assigns the two‑letter code “FR” to France.
- Réunion – the French overseas department and region that the code represents.
- France – the sovereign state to which Réunion belongs.
- ISO 3166‑2 codes for other French overseas territories – e.g., FR‑GF (French Guiana), FR‑GP (Guadeloupe), FR‑MQ (Martinique).
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO) – the organization responsible for developing and maintaining the ISO 3166 series.