Postal code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:24, 20 May 2011

Revision as of 09:34, 3 June 2011

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====UK====

Postcode-plus-house number or house name is unique; for domestic properties the postcode refers to up to 100 properties in one road or part of a road.

For domestic properties the postcode refers to up to 100 properties in contiguous proximity (e.g. a short section of a populous road, or a series of less populous neighbouring roads). The postcode plus the number or name of a property is not always unique, particularly in rural areas. For example GL208NX/1 might refer to either 1 Frampton Cottages or 1 Frampton Farm Cottages, roughly half a kilometre apart.

Structure is alphanumeric with the following seven valid permutations:

Structure is alphanumeric with the following seven valid permutations, as defined by [[British Standards|BS]] [http://interim.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/govtalk/schemasstandards/e-gif/datastandards/address/postcode.aspx 7666]:

A9 9AA

Line 115 ⟶ 116:

AA99 9AA

There are always two halves: the separation between outward and inward postcodes alwaysis separatedindicated by one space.

The outward postcode covers a unique area of the country and has two parts which may in total be two three or four characters in length. A postcode area of one or two letters, followed by one or two numbers, followed in some parts of London by a letter.

A postcode area of one or two letters, followed by one or two numbers, followed in some parts of London by a letter.

There are about 100 postcode areas ranging widely in size from BT which covers the whole of [[Northern Ireland]] to ZE for [[Shetland]].

The outward postcode and the leading numeric of the inward postcode in combination forms a postal sector, and this usually corresponds to a couple of thousand properties.

Larger businesses and isolated properties such as farms oftenmay have a unique postcode. Extremely large organisations such as larger government offices or bank headquarters may have multiple postcodes for different departments.

There are about 100 postcode areas ranging widely in size from [[BT_postcode_area|BT]] which covers the whole of [[Northern Ireland]] to [[ZE_postcode_area|ZE]] for [[Shetland]]. Postcode areas may also cross national boundaries, such as [[SY_postcode_area|SY]] which covers a large, predominantly rural area from [[Shrewsbury]] and [[Ludlow]] in [[Shropshire]], [[England]], through the eastern Welsh town of [[Welshpool]], [[Powys]] in [[Wales]] to the seaside town of [[Aberystwyth]], [[Ceredigion]] on [[Wales]]' west coast.

=== States and overseas territories sharing a postal code system ===