This code demonstrates how to use the CultureInfo and RegionInfo classes from the .NET Globalization namespace to create a SortedDictionary list that can be bound to a ComboBox or DropDownList.

Visual Basic 2005

Imports System.Collections.Generic

Imports System.Globalization

Public Class Countries

    Public Shared Function GetCounties() As SortedDictionary(Of String, String)

        Dim countryList As New SortedDictionary(Of String, String)

        ' Iterate the Framework Cultures...

        For Each ci As CultureInfo In CultureInfo.GetCultures(CultureTypes.FrameworkCultures)

            Dim ri As RegionInfo

            Try

                ri = New RegionInfo(ci.Name)

            Catch

                ' If a RegionInfo object could not be created we don't want to use the CultureInfo

                '    for the country list.

                Continue For

            End Try

            ' Create new country dictionary entry.

            Dim newKeyValuePair As New KeyValuePair(Of String, String)(ri.EnglishName, ri.ThreeLetterISORegionName)

            ' If the country is not alreayd in the countryList add it...

            If Not countryList.ContainsKey(ri.EnglishName) Then

                countryList.Add(newKeyValuePair.Key, newKeyValuePair.Value)

            End If

        Next

        Return countryList

    End Function

End Class

C# 2005

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Text;

using System.Globalization;

public class Countries

{

    public static SortedDictionary<string, string> GetCounties()

    {

        SortedDictionary<string, string> countryList = new SortedDictionary<string, string>();

        // Iterate the Framework Cultures...

        foreach (CultureInfo ci in CultureInfo.GetCultures(CultureTypes.FrameworkCultures))

        {

            RegionInfo ri = null;

            try

            {

                ri = new RegionInfo(ci.Name);

            }

            catch

            {

                // If a RegionInfo object could not be created we don't want to use the CultureInfo

                //    for the country list.

                continue;

            }

            // Create new country dictionary entry.

            KeyValuePair<string, string> newKeyValuePair = new KeyValuePair<string, string>(ri.EnglishName, ri.ThreeLetterISORegionName);

            // If the country is not alreayd in the countryList add it...

            if (!(countryList.ContainsKey(ri.EnglishName)))

            {

                countryList.Add(newKeyValuePair.Key, newKeyValuePair.Value);

            }

        }

        return countryList;

    }

}