diff --git a/db/geodata/README.txt b/db/geodata/README.txt
index ff42edb3b..4988404c0 100644
--- a/db/geodata/README.txt
+++ b/db/geodata/README.txt
@@ -1 +1,10 @@
 this is just for getting this maxmind data over there so i can use it.
+
+source for iso3166-1 data:
+
+http://dev.maxmind.com/static/csv/codes/iso3166.csv
+
+source for iso3166-2 data (compatible):
+
+http://geolite.maxmind.com/download/geoip/misc/region_codes.csv
+
diff --git a/db/geodata/ca_region.csv b/db/geodata/ca_region.csv
deleted file mode 100644
index f24bd3902..000000000
--- a/db/geodata/ca_region.csv
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-AB,Alberta
-BC,British Columbia
-MB,Manitoba
-NB,New Brunswick
-NL,Newfoundland and Labrador
-NS,Nova Scotia
-NT,Northwest Territories
-NU,Nunavut
-ON,Ontario
-PE,Prince Edward Island
-QC,Quebec
-SK,Saskatchewan
-YT,Yukon
diff --git a/db/geodata/us_region.csv b/db/geodata/us_region.csv
deleted file mode 100644
index b8a27ee2e..000000000
--- a/db/geodata/us_region.csv
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,57 +0,0 @@
-AA,Armed Forces America
-AE,Armed Forces
-AP,Armed Forces Pacific
-AK,Alaska
-AL,Alabama
-AR,Arkansas
-AZ,Arizona
-CA,California
-CO,Colorado
-CT,Connecticut
-DC,District of Columbia
-DE,Delaware
-FL,Florida
-GA,Georgia
-GU,Guam
-HI,Hawaii
-IA,Iowa
-ID,Idaho
-IL,Illinois
-IN,Indiana
-KS,Kansas
-KY,Kentucky
-LA,Louisiana
-MA,Massachusetts
-MD,Maryland
-ME,Maine
-MI,Michigan
-MN,Minnesota
-MO,Missouri
-MS,Mississippi
-MT,Montana
-NC,North Carolina
-ND,North Dakota
-NE,Nebraska
-NH,New Hampshire
-NJ,New Jersey
-NM,New Mexico
-NV,Nevada
-NY,New York
-OH,Ohio
-OK,Oklahoma
-OR,Oregon
-PA,Pennsylvania
-PR,Puerto Rico
-RI,Rhode Island
-SC,South Carolina
-SD,South Dakota
-TN,Tennessee
-TX,Texas
-UT,Utah
-VA,Virginia
-VI,Virgin Islands
-VT,Vermont
-WA,Washington
-WI,Wisconsin
-WV,West Virginia
-WY,Wyoming
diff --git a/db/manifest b/db/manifest
index b1162bd2c..6bc1571b3 100755
--- a/db/manifest
+++ b/db/manifest
@@ -158,3 +158,4 @@ remove_lat_lng_user_fields.sql
 update_get_work_for_larger_radius.sql
 periodic_emails.sql
 remember_extra_scoring_data.sql
+indexing_for_regions.sql
diff --git a/db/up/indexing_for_regions.sql b/db/up/indexing_for_regions.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e59ebaca2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/up/indexing_for_regions.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+create index regions_countrycode_ndx on regions (countrycode);
+create unique index regions_countrycode_region_ndx on regions (countrycode, region);
diff --git a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/region.rb b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/region.rb
index decc05b9a..8a44a4f6d 100644
--- a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/region.rb
+++ b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/region.rb
@@ -7,47 +7,50 @@ module JamRuby
       self.where(countrycode: country).order('regionname asc').all
     end
 
-    def self.import_from_xx_region(countrycode, file)
+    def self.import_from_region_codes(file)
 
-      # File xx_region.csv
+      # File region_codes.csv
       # Format:
-      # region,regionname
+      # countrycode,region,regionname
 
-      # what this does is not replace the contents of the table, but rather update the specifies rows with the names.
-      # any rows not specified are left alone. the parameter countrycode denote the country of the region (when uppercased)
-
-      raise "countrycode (#{MaxMindIsp.quote_value(countrycode)}) is missing or invalid (it must be two characters)" unless countrycode and countrycode.length == 2
-      countrycode = countrycode.upcase
+      # what this does is replace the contents of the table with the new data.
 
       self.transaction do
-        self.connection.execute "update #{self.table_name} set regionname = region where countrycode = #{MaxMindIsp.quote_value(countrycode)}"
+        self.connection.execute "delete from #{self.table_name}"
 
         File.open(file, 'r:ISO-8859-1') do |io|
-          saved_level = ActiveRecord::Base.logger ? ActiveRecord::Base.logger.level : 0
+          saved_level = ActiveRecord::Base.logger ? ActiveRecord::Base.logger.level : -1
           count = 0
-
-          ncols = 2
+          errors = 0
+          ncols = 3
 
           csv = ::CSV.new(io, {encoding: 'ISO-8859-1', headers: false})
           csv.each do |row|
             raise "file does not have expected number of columns (#{ncols}): #{row.length}" unless row.length == ncols
 
-            region = row[0]
-            regionname = row[1]
+            countrycode = row[0]
+            region = row[1]
+            regionname = row[2]
 
-            stmt = "UPDATE #{self.table_name} SET regionname = #{MaxMindIsp.quote_value(regionname)} WHERE countrycode = #{MaxMindIsp.quote_value(countrycode)} AND region = #{MaxMindIsp.quote_value(region)}"
-            self.connection.execute stmt
-            count += 1
+            if countrycode.length == 2 and region.length == 2 and regionname.length >= 2 and regionname.length <= 64
 
-            if ActiveRecord::Base.logger and ActiveRecord::Base.logger.level < Logger::INFO
-              ActiveRecord::Base.logger.debug "... logging updates to #{self.table_name} suspended ..."
-              ActiveRecord::Base.logger.level = Logger::INFO
+              stmt = "INSERT INTO #{self.table_name} (countrycode, region, regionname) VALUES (#{self.connection.quote(countrycode)}, #{self.connection.quote(region)}, #{self.connection.quote(regionname)})"
+              self.connection.execute stmt
+              count += 1
+
+              if ActiveRecord::Base.logger and ActiveRecord::Base.logger.level < Logger::INFO
+                ActiveRecord::Base.logger.debug "... logging updates to #{self.table_name} suspended ..."
+                ActiveRecord::Base.logger.level = Logger::INFO
+              end
+            else
+              ActiveRecord::Base.logger.warn("bogus region_codes record '#{countrycode}', '#{region}', '#{regionname}'") if ActiveRecord::Base.logger
+              errors += 1
             end
           end
 
           if ActiveRecord::Base.logger
             ActiveRecord::Base.logger.level = saved_level
-            ActiveRecord::Base.logger.debug "updated #{count} records in #{self.table_name}"
+            ActiveRecord::Base.logger.debug "inserted #{count} records into #{self.table_name}, #{errors} errors"
           end
         end # file
       end # transaction
diff --git a/web/lib/tasks/import_max_mind.rake b/web/lib/tasks/import_max_mind.rake
index 526c73514..c23e11b41 100644
--- a/web/lib/tasks/import_max_mind.rake
+++ b/web/lib/tasks/import_max_mind.rake
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ namespace :db do
     Country.import_from_iso3166 ENV['file']
   end
 
-  desc "Import a region database (regioncode, regionname); run like this: rake db:import_regions countrycode=XX file=/path/to/xx_region.csv"
+  desc "Import a region database (countrycode, regioncode, regionname); run like this: rake db:import_regions file=/path/to/region_codes.csv"
   task import_regions: :environment do
-    Region.import_from_xx_region(ENV['countrycode'], ENV['file'])
+    Region.import_from_region_codes(ENV['file'])
   end
 
   desc "Help"
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ namespace :db do
     puts "bundle exec rake db:import_geoip_locations file=/path/to/GeoIPCity-134-Location.csv # geo-134"
     puts "bundle exec rake db:import_jam_isp file=/path/to/GeoIPISP.csv # geo-124"
     puts "bundle exec rake db:import_countries file=/path/to/iso3166.csv # db/geodata"
-    puts "bundle exec rake db:import_regions countrycode=XX file=/path/to/xx_region.csv # db/geodata, both of them"
+    puts "bundle exec rake db:import_regions file=/path/to/region_codes.csv # db/geodata"
   end
 
   desc "Create a fake set of maxmind data"