Expired countries populate the Internet's web forms

While making travel bookings in Australia over the past week, I have been amused yet again by the "nations" that populate assorted drop-down lists for the Country field of many web forms. The image below shows some of the jewels garnered from the websites of Jetstar, the budget airline subsidiary of Qantas, and VroomVroomVroom, a car booking site.

Have Soviet drivers ever been welcome to rent cars in Australia??! I have frequently wondered where these lists originate and still have no good answer. I am prepared to supply a standards compliant list for $500. Strewth, as one says in Australia.