World wide postal codes are a conceptual framework for building teams. This list consists of a set of areas that people can identify themselves as living in so that when they are building teams, it should be easy to match up people living within moving or commuting distance of each other. Sizes are similar throughout the world and tend to map to areas the size of Canadian states (Provinces) American States (States) European States (Nations) African states (Countries) and similar entities throughout the world.
Special emphasis is also given to large islands or archipelagoes of small islands.
Perhaps this list should be renamed Worldwide Commuting Area Codes
Codes can be obtained from sources such as the US post office the International Organization for Standardization
www.iso.ch 
and the top level domain list etc.
proposed country postal nation or / area code state name -------- ------ ---------------------------- Africa A0 Africa Africa AN Angola Africa BF Burkina Faso Africa BI Burundi Africa BJ Benin Africa BW Botswana Africa CF Central African Republic Africa CG R. Congo Africa CM Cameroon Africa CV Cape Verde Africa DJ Djibouti Africa DZ Algeria Africa EH Western Sahara Africa ER Eritrea Africa ET Ethiopia Africa GB Guinea-Bissau Africa GH Ghana Africa GM Gambia Africa GN Guinea Africa GO Gabon Africa GQ Equatorial Guinea Africa IV Cote D'Ivoire Africa KE Kenya Africa KQ Comoros Africa LE Sierra Leone Africa LR Liberia Africa LS Lesotho Africa MC Madagascar Africa MJ Morocco Africa ML Mali Africa MR Mauritania Africa MU Mauritius Africa MW Malawi Africa MZ Mozambique Africa NA Namibia Africa NG Nigeria Africa NQ Niger Africa RW Rwanda Africa SF South Africa Africa SN Senegal Africa SO Somalia Africa SS Seychelles Africa SU Sudan Africa SZ Swaziland Africa TD Chad / Tschad Africa TG Togo Africa TU Tunisia Africa TZ Tanzania Africa UG Uganda Africa ZM Zambia Africa ZR Zaire / Democratic Republic of Congo Africa ZW Zimbabwe Antarcti AQ Antarctica Atlantic GL Greenland Atlantic SH Saint Helena Australia AE Australian Capital Territory Australia AU Australia Australia NW New South Wales Australia OZ Northern Territory (Australia) Australia QL Queensland Australia SQ South Australia Australia TS Tasmania Australia VI Victoria Australia WE Western Australia Canada AB Alberta Canada BC British Columbia Canada CN Canada Canada LD Labrador Canada MB Manitoba Canada NB New Brunswick Canada NF Newfoundland Canada NS Nova Scotia Canada NT Northwest Territories Canada NU Nunavut Canada ON Ontario Canada PI Prince Edward Island Canada PQ St. Pierre and Miquelon Canada QC Quebec Canada SK Saskatchewan Canada YT Yukon Territory Cen Asia AJ Azerbaijan Cen Asia GE Georgia (country) Cen Asia KG Kyrgyzstan Cen Asia KZ Kazakhstan Cen Asia MG Mongolia Cen Asia TJ Tajikistan Cen Asia TM Turkmenistan Cen Asia UZ Uzbekistan Cen Amer BZ Belize Cen Amer CI Central America Cen Amer CR Costa Rica Cen Amer EL El Salvador Cen Amer GT Guatemala Cen Amer HO Honduras Cen Amer NI Nicaragua Cen Amer PM Panama China AH Anhui China AO Aomen China BX Beijing China CH China China FU Fujian China GK Guangdong China GS Gansu China GX Guangxi China GZ Guizhou China HA Hainan China HB Hubei China HE Hebei China HH Henan China HJ Heilongjiang China HK Hong Kong China HN Hunan China HX Shaanxi China JI Jiangsu China JL Jilin China JX Jiangxi China LG Liaoning China NX Ningxia China OL Nei Mongol China QH Qinghai China SX Shanxi China TF Taianjin China XC Sichuan China XG Xianggang China XH Shanghai China XJ Xinjiang China XN Shandong China XZ Xizang China YU Yunnan China ZH Zhejiang Carribean AW Aruba Carribean BB Barbados Carribean BM Bermuda Carribean BU Bahamas Carribean CB Carribean Carribean CJ Cayman Islands Carribean CU Cuba Carribean DM Dominica Carribean DO Dominican Republic Carribean DS Saint Martin Island (changed from FS) Carribean GD Grenada Carribean GP Guadeloupe Carribean HT Haiti Carribean JM Jamaica Carribean KN Saint Kitts and Nevis Carribean LC Saint Lucia Carribean MQ Martinique Carribean PR Puerto Rico Carribean RX Montserrat Carribean TC Turks and Caicos Islands Carribean TP Sao Tome and Principe Carribean TT Trinidad and Tobago Carribean UV U.S. Virgin Islands Carribean VB British Virgin Islands Carribean VS Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VCT Carribean ZU Antigua and Barbuda East Asia BQ Sarawak and Sabah / Borneo East Asia BR Brunei Darussalam East Asia EA East Asia East Asia JH Japan / Hokkaido East Asia JK Japan / Kyushu East Asia JP Japan / Honshu East Asia JR Japan / Ryukyu Islands East Asia JS Japan / Shikoku East Asia KH Cambodia East Asia KP North Korea East Asia KR South Korea East Asia LO Laos East Asia MY Malaysia East Asia PH Philippines East Asia SG Singapore East Asia TH Thailand East Asia TW Taiwan East Asia VN Viet Nam Europe AD Andorra Europe AI Albania Europe AT Austria Europe AX Azores Europe BE Belgium Europe BG Bulgaria Europe BH Bosnia - Herzegovinia Europe BY Belarus Europe CC Canary Islands & Madeira Europe CX Corsica Europe CY Cyprus Europe CZ Czech Republic Europe DE Deutschland / Germany Europe DK Denmark Europe EE Estonia Europe EI Northern Ireland Europe EK Montenegro Europe EN England Europe EO Monaco Europe ES Spain Europe EU Europe Europe FI Finland Europe FO Faroe Islands Europe FR France Europe GG Guernsey Europe GI Gibraltar Europe GR Greece Europe HU Hungary Europe HV Croatia/ Hrvatska Europe IC Iceland Europe IE Ireland Europe IM Isle of Man Europe IT Italy Europe IY Sicily Europe JE Jersey Europe KV Kosovo Europe LI Liechtenstein Europe LL Lappland Europe LT Lithuania Europe LU Luxembourg Europe LV Latvia Europe MK Macedonia (F. Yu. Rep. of) Europe MV Moldova Europe NL Netherlands Europe NO Norway Europe PL Poland Europe PT Portugal Europe QN Sardinia Europe RO Romania Europe SB Serbia Europe SE Sweden Europe SJ Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Europe SL Slavonia Europe SM San Marino Europe ST Scotland Europe SV Slovenia Europe SW Switzerland Europe TR Turkey Europe UK United Kingdom Europe UN Ukraine Europe VC Vatican City Europe VK Slovak Republic Europe VP Malta Europe WL Wales India AP Arunachal Pradesh India AS Assam India BD Bangladesh India BP Bihar India BT Bhutan India CD Chandigarh (city) India DD Daman and Diu (city) India DG Diego Garcia / British Indian Ocean Territory India DH Delhi (city) India DN Dadra and Nagar Haveli (city) India GJ Gujarat India GW Goa India HD India India HL Meghalaya India HP Himachal Pradesh India HR Haryana India IH Maharashtra India IP Manipur India KA Karnataka India KF Kerala India KU Jammu and Kashmir India LK Sri Lanka India LW Lakshadweep India MM Myanmar India MP Madhya Pradesh India NP Nepal India OD Nagaland India OS Orissa India PD Pondicherry (city) India PJ Punjab India RJ Rajasthan India TN Tamil Nadu India TQ Tripura India UP Uttar Pradesh India WB West Bengal India WM Sikkim India XA Andaman and Nicobar Islands India XV Maldives India YH Andhra Pradesh Indonesia BL Bali Indonesia ED East Timor Indonesia IJ Irian Jaya Indonesia IU Indonesia Other Indonesia JV Java Indonesia KL Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) Indonesia PN Papua New Guinea Indonesia TI Timor (Indonesia) Indonesia PB Sumatra Indonesia XM Maluku Indonesia XR Sulawesi / Celebes Mid East AF Afghanistan Mid East AM Armenia Mid East BA Bahrain Mid East EG Egypt Mid East HZ Saudi Arabia Mid East IQ Iraq / Irak Mid East IR Iran Mid East IS Israel Mid East JO Jordan Mid East KW Kuwait Mid East LB Lebanon Mid East LY Libyan Arab Jamhiriya Mid East OM Oman Mid East PK Pakistan Mid East PS Palestinian Teritory Mid East QA Qatar / Katar Mid East SY Syria Mid East UA United Arab Emirates Mid East YE Yemen Mid East YI Sokotra (part of Yemen) Mexico AV Aguascalientes Mexico BN Baja California Norte Mexico BS Baja California Sur Mexico CP Campeche Mexico CS Chiapas Mexico DF Districto Federal (Mexico) Mexico DR Durango Mexico FE Flores Mexico GF Guerrero Mexico GV Guanajuato Mexico HG Hidalgo Mexico HQ Coahuila Mexico IZ Mizoram Mexico JA Jalisco Mexico LM Colima Mexico LQ Nuevo Leon Mexico LX San Luis Potosi Mexico MX Mexico Mexico OA Oazaca Mexico PU Puebla Mexico QE Queretaro Mexico QR Quintana Roo Mexico TA Tamaulipas Mexico TB Tabasco Mexico TL Tlaxcala Mexico UH Chihuahua Mexico UQ Michoacan Mexico VZ Vera Cruz Mexico XQ Morelos Mexico YC Yucatan Mexico YW Anguilla Mexico ZA Zacatecas Mexico ZS Sinaloa Mexico ZT Sonora Pacific CK Cook Islands Pacific CQ Northern Mariana Islands Pacific EM South Georgia / South Sandwich Islands Pacific FH Mayotte Island Pacific FJ Fiji Islands Pacific FM Federated States of Micronesia Pacific FS American Samoa (changed from PP) Pacific FT French Southern Territories Pacific FW Wallis & Futana Islands Pacific HM Heard & Mc''''''Donald Islands Pacific KI Kiribati Pacific MF Macau Pacific MH Marshall Islands Pacific NK New Caledonia Pacific NN Niue Pacific NZ New Zealand Pacific PC Pacific Ocean Pacific PF Tahiti Pacific PW Palau Pacific QU Curacao Pacific RE Reunion Pacific TK Tokelau Pacific TO Tonga Pacific TV Tuvalu Pacific UB Bouvet Island Pacific UI Cocos (Keeling) Islands Pacific VU Vanuatu Pacific WN Nayarit Pacific WS Western Samoa Pacific XL Solomon Islands Pacific XP Pitcairn Island Pacific YN Nauru Russia AC Arkhangel'skaya Russia AY R. Altay Russia BK R. Bashkortostan Russia BV Blagoveshchensk / Amurskaya Russia CW Central Federal District (Moscow, Bryansk,Smolensk) Russia DA R. Daghestan Russia GC R. Groznyy / Chechnya Russia IG R. Ingushetiya Russia IK Irkutsk Russia KB R. Kabardino-Balkariya Russia KC R. Karachayevo-Cherkesiya Russia KD Kaliningrad Russia KJ R. Karelia Russia KK R. Kakasiya Russia KM R. Kalmikiya Russia KO R. Komi Russia KT Kamchatka / Koryakia Russia OB Ob river (Novosibirsk, Tomsk) Russia OT R. Osetiya-Alaniya Russia RA R. Adygeya Russia RC R. Chuvashiya Russia RM R. Mordoviya Russia RN Murmansk Russia RT R. Tatarstan Russia RU Russia Russia SI Siberian Federal District (Dudinka, Russia SP Saint Petersburg / Pskov / Novgorod Russia TY R. Tyva Russia UC Upper Don (Voronezh, Tula, Lipetsk, Ryazan) Russia UD R. Udmurtiya Russia UF Ural Federal District (Omsk, Sverdlovsk) Russia UU R. Ulan-Ude / Buryatiya Russia VG Northern Caucasus Federal District (Volgograd) Russia VL Far East Federal District (Vladivostok, Russia VO Volga Federal District (Orenburg, Chelyabinsk, Ulyanovsk) Russia YK R. Yakutiya / Sakha Russia YO R. Yoshkar-Ola / Mariy-El S America AA Argentina S America BO Bolivia S America CE Chile S America CL Colombia S America DB Distrito Federal Brazil S America EB Eastern Brazil (9 provinces) S America EC Ecuador S America FG French Guiana S America FK Falkland Islands S America GY Guyana S America NR Northern Region Brazil (6 provinces) S America PE Peru S America PG Patagonia S America PY Paraguay S America RD Southeast Brazil (Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo, S America RS South Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Parana, Santa Catarina) S America SA South America S America SR Suriname S America UR Uruguay S America VE Venezuela S America WC West Central Brazil (Mato Grosso, Goias) USA AK Alaska USA AL Alabama USA AR Arkansas USA AZ Arizona USA CA California USA CO Colorado USA CT Connecticut USA DC District of Columbia USA DL Delaware USA FL Florida USA GA Georgia (state) USA GU Guam USA HI Hawaii USA IA Iowa USA ID Idaho USA IL Illinois USA IN Indiana USA KS Kansas USA KY Kentucky USA LA Louisiana USA MA Massachusetts USA MD Maryland USA ME Maine USA MI Michigan USA MN Minnesota USA MO Missouri USA MS Mississippi USA MT Montana USA NC North Carolina USA ND North Dakota USA NE Nebraska USA NH New Hampshire USA NJ New Jersey USA NM New Mexico USA NV Nevada USA NY New York USA OH Ohio USA OK Oklahoma USA OR Oregon USA PA Pennsylvania USA RI Rhode Island USA SC South Carolina USA SD South Dakota USA TE Tennessee USA TX Texas USA US United States USA UT Utah USA VA Virginia USA VT Vermont USA WA Washington (state) USA WI Wisconsin USA WV West Virginia USA WY Wyoming
In this set, 48 of the United States retain their current codes. Tennessee has been changed from TN to TE to use TN for Tamil Nadu in India, and Delaware has been changed from DE to DL so that we can use DE for Deutschland.
Hmmm - Mauritius comes under Africa? Try telling that to a Mauritian!
Even more: Do you really think, UK doesn't belong to Europe? I have now added all of the areas that were under UK into Europe
A lot of European Islands mentioned belong to different states! Have a look at the history of Gibraltar.
I never liked being "AS", but I like it a hell of a lot better than being "PP". -- Togiola Talalelei Tulafono, Governor of American Samoa
Perhaps there are a few that should not be used for anybody. Here is a matrix of used pairs.
~0 ~1 ~2 ~3 ~4 ~5 ~6 ~7 ~8 ~9 ~A ~B ~C ~D ~E ~F ~G ~H ~I ~J ~K ~L ~M ~N ~O ~P ~Q ~R ~S ~T ~U ~V ~W ~X ~Y ~Z A A0 SA CN RU EU AU ME CH EU CA US US ME A0 CH HD AQ US HD EU AU MX CB EU RU US B ME CB CN HD EU A0 EU EU A0 A0 RU IN CB MX SA HD EA EA MX HD CB RU A0 CH EU CE C US CB EU HD SA A0 A0 CH CE CB PC SA A0 CN US MX PC CE MX US CB A0 RU EU EU EU D RU SA US HD EU MX HD HD A0 EU US CB HD CB MX CB A0 E EA SA SA IN EU ME A0 EU EU CE PC EU EU A0 EU A0 EU F MX SA PC EU PC SA US PC EU EU PC PC CH PC G US A0 RU CB CA MX EU A0 EU HD CH AT A0 A0 A0 CB A0 EU CH CE US MX HD CH SA CH H CH CH HD CH MX CH US CH CH HD PC CH CE HD MX HD CB EU EU CH ME I US EU US EU RU HD IN RU US EU US HD ME ME ME EU IN A0 EU MX J MX EU EA CH EA CH CB ME EA EA EA IN CH K HD RU RU RU A0 HD CA EA PC RU RU IN RU CB RU EA A0 EA US RU HD EU ME US CA L US ME CB CN A0 CH EU HD EU MX EA MX A0 A0 EU EU EU HD MX ME M US CN A0 US US PC CA PC US A0 EU A0 HD US US HD CB A0 US US A0 EU A0 MX EA A0 N A0 CN US US US CN A0 US CE US PC EU US PC EU HD A0 SA CN CN CN US AU CH US PC O MX RU HD US US CH ME CN US HD RU AU P US IN PC HD SA PC SA EA CN HD ME EU CE IN -- CN CB ME EU MX PC SA Q ME CN MX CH AU EU MX PC R RU RU SA PC US HD RU RU EU SA RU RU A0 CB S SA EU US US EU A0 EA AT RU EU CN EU EU A0 A0 RU AU SA A0 EU A0 EU EU CH ME A0 T MX MX CB A0 US CH A0 EA IN CA PC MX CA HD PC CB HD EU AU CB A0 PC EA US RU A0 U ME PC RU RU RU A0 MX PC EU EU HD MX SA US US RU CB CA V US CB EU SA RU AU EU RU EA RU EU CB US PC MX W US HD SA AU US EU HD PC PC US US X HD CH CH CH CH PC IN CH PC MX IN HD CH Y MX ME HD ME RU PC RU CN CH MX Z MX CH A0 A0 MX MX CB A0
Here is the matrix of used letter combinations and the larger areas they are part of. Since PP should probably not be used for anyone, would DS, HS, QS, XS, or YS be better?
Samoa was once called the Navigator Islands. The Capital of American Samoa is Pago Pago, the main island is Tutuila, and fa-samoan is the name of the ethical code. Western Samoa is now called Samoa. ES is Spain, AS is Assam, TU is Tunisia, NI is Nicaragua, SA is South America. FS is St Martin Island. Perhaps FS would be a better code for American Samoa. Then of course we need a new code for St Martin Island. We could use DS (D. Souligia).
Also, I have not identified letter pairs for these areas:
ME Middle East CA Central Asia IN Indonesia AT Atlantic CE Central America
If there are Postal Codes established, as in US and Europe, why change them? What about the existing top-level domains?
Team building
I built this list originally to build teams. I wanted a set of areas that people could identify themselves as living in so that when they were building teams, it would be easy to match up people living within moving or commuting distance of each other. Worldwide Postal Codes was essentially a framework for building this list. -- Jon Grover
Sumatra changed from UM to PB (Palembang)
Using a two-letter code to represent the set of 50 US states, 10 Canadian provinces, and various territories, districts, commonwealths, and administrative regions of both countries is one thing. Using a two-letter code with 676 (26*26) possibilities to represent a set of countries and regions whose cardinality approaches 676 strikes me as asinine.
Agreed.
The wiki could be a place where people create things. -- Jon Grover
A0 Africa B0 Antarctica C0 Central Asia D0 E0 Europe F0 Far East G0 H0 I0 Indian Subcontinent JKL M0 Middle East N0 North America O0 Oceana P0 Pacific Ocean Q0 R0 S0 South America TUVWXYZ0
Related:
See original on c2.com