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| documentation | -- Definition --
An address component which represents the identification of a subdivision of addresses and postal delivery points in a country, region or city for postal purposes.
-- Description --
NOTE 1 The postal descriptor is specified by means of a post code and/or names of the associated post office, town or area.
NOTE 2 In some countries post codes are seen as a proper geographic subdivision of the country, in other countries the post code is regarded only as an attribute that characterizes a (usually small) number of adjacent postal delivery points and addresses.
NOTE 3 The postal descriptors are created and developed on the basis of postal requirements (e.g. efficient sorting, logistics, transport and distribution). Consequently, there is not often a tight relationship between the postal areas and administrative units in the same area.
NOTE 4 The structure schema and formats of national postal descriptor systems are different. Sometimes (for example in the UK) the post code itself is the only information required for a valid address; in other situations both the post code and the associated name of post office or town is required. Sometimes there is a simple relationship between the code and the name; in other situations a set of postcodes are associated with a single post office or town.
NOTE 5 In some countries like e.g. The Republic of Ireland, no post code system currently exists, therefore the postal descriptor is only represented by the name of the post town.
EXAMPLE 1 In the UK the post code "EC4M 7DR" is sufficient, as a postal descriptor, while the related town name "London" is informative, but not necessary in the postal address.
EXAMPLE 2 In Sweden all postcodes starting with "80" is related to the postal name "Gävle". Therefore in the postal descriptor "802 74 Gävle", the postcode "802 74" bears all postal necessary information, while the town name "Gävle" is extra information.
EXAMPLE 3 In Denmark, outside the centre of Copenhagen, each postcode has a 1:1 relationship to one post name only: Postcode "6372" relates to the village "Bylderup-Bov".
EXAMPLE 4 In Germany the lowest level of the Postal descriptor (the 5 digit Postleitzahl) often does not fall within an administrative unit (e.g. municipality). The Postleitzahl is handled completely independent from the hierarchal systematic of the addresses. In addition, some "Postleitzahlen" represent not a delivery area, but institutions with a big amount of post. |
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