Morse Code, International

Morse Code, International, system of signals employed in radiotelegraphy in the land-telegraph systems of all countries except the United States and Canada, and by all countries in flash lamp communications in marine navigation. The system is an adaptation of Morse code, the original telegraph alphabet devised by the American inventor Samuel F. B. Morse. When other countries adopted the International Morse Code for sending radiotelegraphy messages in the 1850s, the United States and Canada continued to use the original Morse code. International Morse Code consists of combinations of dots and dashes representing the letters of the alphabet and numerals, as shown in the accompanying table. The duration of one dash equals that of three dots. Today, International Morse Code is rarely used, because radiotelegraphy has been replaced by printing telegraph systems, and facsimile transmission. The international code of signals however, was used until recently to ensure the safety of navigation and people at sea. On February 1, 1999, Morse code was withdrawn from use and was replaced by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, which uses satellite and terrestrial radio communication. Ships are now obliged to carry automatic distress beacons that can immediately tell the nearest coastguard of their exact position, their problem, and their name.