diff --git a/django_countries_hdx/__init__.py b/django_countries_hdx/__init__.py
index f2f66a6..b5043ef 100644
--- a/django_countries_hdx/__init__.py
+++ b/django_countries_hdx/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,120 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from hdx.location.country import Country
+
 from django_countries_hdx.country_regions import COUNTRY_REGIONS
 from django_countries_hdx.regions import REGIONS, SUBREGIONS
 
+# custom_file_url = Path(__file__).parent.resolve() / "hdx_plus_m49.csv"
+# This next will need to change once our PR in the hdx lib has been merged
+# Country.set_ocha_url(str(custom_file_url))
+Country.set_use_live_default(False)
+
+
+def get_country_data(country_code: str) -> dict[str, str] | None:
+    """Retrieves annotated country information. Will accept either ISO2 or ISO3 country code.
+
+    :param country_code: ISO2 or ISO3 country code.
+    :return: Dictionary of country information with HXL hashtags as keys.
+    """
+    if country_code is None:
+        return None
+
+    if len(country_code) == 2:
+        return Country.get_country_info_from_iso2(country_code)
+
+    return Country.get_country_info_from_iso3(country_code)
+
+
+def get_region_name(region_code: int) -> str | None:
+    """Retrieves region or sub-region name for a region code.
+
+    :param region_code: UN M49 region code.
+    :return: String. Region name
+    """
+    if not region_code:
+        return None
+
+    try:
+        countriesdata = Country.countriesdata()
+        return countriesdata["regioncodes2names"].get(region_code) # noqa
+    except KeyError:
+        return None
+
+def get_countries_by_region() -> dict[int, dict[str, list[tuple[str, str]]]]:
+    """Retrieves lists of countries keyed by region, with region name and country tuples.
+
+    :param regions: Boolean to determine whether to use regions or subregions.
+    :return: Dict. Keyed by region code, the value is a dictionary containing the
+    region name and a list of country_code, country_name tuples.
+    """
+    region_codes = (2, 9, 19, 142, 150,)
+
+    return {
+        region_code: {
+            "name": get_region_name(region_code),
+            "countries": sorted(
+                [
+                    (
+                        Country.get_iso2_from_iso3(code),
+                        Country.get_country_name_from_iso3(code)
+                    )
+                    for code in Country.get_countries_in_region(region_code)
+                ],
+                key=lambda x: x[1]  # Sort by country name
+            )
+        }
+        for region_code in sorted(region_codes, key=lambda x: get_region_name(x))
+    }
+
+
+def get_countries_by_subregion() -> dict[int, dict[str, list[tuple[str, str]]]]:
+    """Retrieves lists of countries keyed by region, with region name and country tuples.
+
+    :param regions: Boolean to determine whether to use regions or subregions.
+    :return: Dict. Keyed by region code, the value is a dictionary containing the
+    region name and a list of country_code, country_name tuples.
+    """
+    subregion_codes = (
+        5, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 29, 30, 34, 35, 39, 53, 54, 57, 61, 143, 145, 151, 154, 155,
+    )
+
+    return {
+        region_code: {
+            "name": get_region_name(region_code),
+            "countries": sorted(
+                [
+                    (
+                        Country.get_iso2_from_iso3(code),
+                        Country.get_country_name_from_iso3(code)
+                    )
+                    for code in Country.get_countries_in_region(region_code)
+                ],
+                key=lambda x: x[1]  # Sort by country name
+            )
+        }
+        for region_code in sorted(subregion_codes, key=lambda x: get_region_name(x))
+    }
+
+
+def get_countries_in_region(region_code: int) -> list[tuple[str, str]] | None:
+    """Retrieves lists of countries in a region/sub-region.
+
+    :return: List. ISO2 country_code, country_name tuples.
+    """
+    if not region_code:
+        return None
+
+    countries_iso3 = Country.get_countries_in_region(region_code)
+
+    countries_list = [(
+        Country.get_iso2_from_iso3(code),
+        Country.get_country_name_from_iso3(code)
+    ) for code in countries_iso3
+    ]
+
+    return countries_list
+
 
 class Regions:
     """
@@ -8,48 +122,55 @@ class Regions:
     that region.
     """
 
-    def country_region(self, country_code: str, region: bool = True) -> str | None:
+    def country_region(self, country_code: str) -> int | None:
         """Return a UN M49 region code for a country.
 
-        Extends django-countries by adding a .region method to the Country field.
+        Extends django-countries by adding a .region() method to the Country field.
 
         :param country_code: Two-letter ISO country code.
-        :param region: Boolean. Region lookup if True, Sub-region if False.
-        :return: String. UN M49 region code.
+        :return: Integer. UN M49 region code.
         """
-        code_to_use = "un_region_code" if region else "un_subregion_code"
-        try:
-            return COUNTRY_REGIONS[country_code][code_to_use]
-        except KeyError:
+        country_data = get_country_data(country_code)
+        if country_data:
+            return int(country_data["#region+code+main"])
+        else:
             return None
 
     def country_region_name(self, country_code: str) -> str | None:
-        """Return the region name for a country
+        """Retrieves region name for a country.
+
+        Extends django-countries by adding a .region_name() method to the Country field.
 
         :param country_code: Two-letter ISO country code.
-        :return: String
+        :return: String. Region name
         """
-        region_code = self.country_region(country_code)
+        country_data = get_country_data(country_code)
+
+        if country_data:
+            return country_data["#region+main+name+preferred"]
 
-        if region_code:
-            try:
-                return self.region_name(region_code)
-            except KeyError:
-                return None
         return None
 
-    def country_subregion(self, country_code: str) -> str | None:
+    def country_subregion(self, country_code: str) -> int | None:
         """Return a UN M49 sub-region code for a country.
 
-        Extends django-countries by adding a .subregion method to the Country field.
+        Extends django-countries by adding a .subregion() method to the Country field.
 
         :param country_code: Two-letter ISO country code.
-        :return: String. UN M49 sub-region code.
+        :return: Integer. UN M49 sub-region code.
         """
-        try:
-            return self.country_region(country_code, region=False)
-        except KeyError:
-            return None
+        country_data = get_country_data(country_code)
+
+        if country_data:
+            # Return the intermediate region if populated.
+            intermediate_region = country_data.get("#region+code+intermediate", None)
+
+            if intermediate_region:
+                return int(intermediate_region)
+            else:
+                return int(country_data["#region+code+sub"])
+
+        return None
 
     def country_subregion_name(self, country_code: str) -> str | None:
         """Return the sub-region name for a country
@@ -57,69 +178,52 @@ def country_subregion_name(self, country_code: str) -> str | None:
         :param country_code: Two-letter ISO country code.
         :return: String
         """
-        region_code = self.country_subregion(country_code)
+        country_data = get_country_data(country_code)
+
+        if country_data:
+            # Return the intermediate region if populated.
+            intermediate_region = country_data.get("#region+intermediate+name+preferred", None)
+            return intermediate_region or country_data["#region+name+preferred+sub"]
 
-        if region_code:
-            try:
-                return self.subregion_name(region_code)
-            except KeyError:
-                return None
         return None
 
-    def countries_by_region(self, region_code: str, region: bool = True) -> str | None:
-        """Return a list of country codes found within a region.
+    def is_sids(self, country_code: str) -> bool | None:
+        """Returns whether a country is classed as a SIDS
 
-        :param region_code: UN M49 region code.
-        :param region: Boolean. Region lookup if True, Sub-region if False.
-        :return: List of two-letter ISO country codes.
+        :param country_code: Two-letter ISO country code.
+        :return: Boolean
         """
-        if region_code:
-            if region:
-                try:
-                    return REGIONS[region_code]["countries"]
-                except KeyError:
-                    return None
-            else:
-                return SUBREGIONS[region_code]["countries"]
-        return None
+        country_data = get_country_data(country_code)
 
-    def countries_by_subregion(self, region_code: str) -> str | None:
-        """Return a list of country codes found within a sub-region
+        if country_data:
+            return bool(country_data["#meta+bool+sids"])
 
-        :param region_code: UN M49 sub-region code.
-        :return: List of two-letter ISO country codes.
-        """
-        if region_code:
-            try:
-                return self.countries_by_region(region_code, region=False)
-            except KeyError:
-                return None
         return None
 
-    def region_name(self, region_code: str) -> str | None:
-        """Return the region name
+    def is_ldc(self, country_code: str) -> bool | None:
+        """Returns whether a country is classed as a LDC
 
-        :param region_code: UN M49 region code.
-        :return: String
+        :param country_code: Two-letter ISO country code.
+        :return: Boolean
         """
-        if region_code:
-            try:
-                return REGIONS[region_code]["name"]
-            except KeyError:
-                return None
+        country_data = get_country_data(country_code)
+
+        if country_data:
+            return bool(country_data["#meta+bool+ldc"])
+
         return None
 
-    def subregion_name(self, region_code: str) -> str | None:
-        """Return the region name
+    def is_lldc(self, country_code: str) -> bool | None:
+        """Returns whether a country is classed as a LLDC
 
-        :param region_code: UN M49 sub-region code.
-        :return: String
+        :param country_code: Two-letter ISO country code.
+        :return: Boolean
         """
-        if region_code:
-            try:
-                return SUBREGIONS[region_code]["name"]
-            except KeyError:
-                return None
+        country_data = get_country_data(country_code)
+
+        if country_data:
+            return bool(country_data["#meta+bool+lldc"])
+
         return None
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_django_countries_regions.py b/tests/test_django_countries_hdx.py
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/test_django_countries_regions.py
rename to tests/test_django_countries_hdx.py