It grants a spot in ISO 3166-1, a directory compiled by the Geneva-based International Standards Organisation.

ECONOMIST: How to start a nation: Trappings of state | The

When Dr Hooke asked the International Standards Organisation committee that assigns country codes about establishing codes for the moon and Mars, he was told that he would need to provide a letter from the relevant sovereign representative.

ECONOMIST: An interplanetary Internet: The wire of the worlds | The

By 2012, more than 100 countries had implemented biometric passports, or ePassports, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a UN agency that develops standards and recommended practices for international flights.

BBC: How safe is your passport?

They complain that some of the signatories to CAFTA fail to enforce labour standards laid down by the International Labour Organisation.

ECONOMIST: A small victory for free trade as CAFTA passes | The

Jorge Nieto, the minister of labour, brandishes a book-length certificate from the International Labour Organisation to prove that the country's labour laws do meet international standards.

ECONOMIST: Labour rights and free trade with the United States