Tricky Countries

Coding of countries that dissolved, unified, etc. during the sample time-period:

  1. West Germany and unified Germany (255? 260?). Because West Germany's previous treaty commitments carried forward upon unification, the code of 260 carries forward after unification. Be careful to check whether you need to use the alternate code of 255 for post-unification years if merging with Polity and other data.
  2. Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic (315? 316? 317?). Czechoslovakia (code 315) was a UN member from 1945 to 1992. Because the country ceased to exist on December 30, 1992, it does not continue in the dataset after that year. The Czech Republic (316) and The Slovak Republic (317) enter the dataset in 1993. This is consistent with Polity.
  3. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia & Montenegro, Serbia (345? 347?). The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (code 345) was a member of the UN from 1945 to 1991. After that country's dissolution in 1991, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (code 347) was not granted UN membership until 2000. It changed names twice (Serbia & Montenegro, then Serbia) but the code remains the same after 2000. This coding is consistent with Polity, with the exception of course that the country does not appear in the data for the period during which it is not a UN member.
  4. Montenegro. Montenegro joined the UN in 2006. I assigned it a code of 348 (not already taken) since the COW country list I have provides no guidance, but if anyone has seen a different code used, please let me know.
  5. USSR and Russia (364? 365?). Because Russia continued the USSR's treaty commitments after dissolution, the code of 364 carries forward to present. Be careful to check whether you need to use the alternate code of 365 for post-dissolution years if merging with Polity and other data.
  6. Ethiopia (529? 530?). After Eritrea's secession (and UN membership) in 1993, Ethiopia's treaty commitments carried forward for Ethiopia. Hence, the code of 530 carries forward to present. Be careful to check whether you need to use the alternate code of 529 for years after Eritrea's secession if merging with Polity, etc.
  7. North Yemen, South Yemen, Yemen (678? 679? 680?). North Yemen (678) joined the UN in 1947; South Yemen (680) in 1967. When the two countries merged in 1990, North Yemen's treaty commitments appear to have carried over. Hence the COW code of 678 carries forward to present. Be careful to check whether you need to use the alternate code of 680 for years following unification, if merging with Polity, etc.
  8. Pakistan (769? 770?). East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 (and became Bangladesh). It appears that West Pakistan (now Pakistan)'s treaty commitments carried forward. Therefore the COW code of 769 carries forward to present. Be careful to check whether you need to use the alternate code of 770 from 1971 forward, if merging with Polity, etc.
  9. Viet Nam (816? 817? 818?). Viet Nam joined the UN in 1977. By that time, it was unified, carrying a COW code of 818. This is consistent with Polity.
Institute for Social Research

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