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Reference.org
Postal code
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<p>A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or <a href="/facts/Numerical_digit/JJdLBoGT">digits</a> or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a <a href="/facts/Postal_address/JB3RnlQu">postal address</a> for the purpose of sorting <a href="/facts/Mail/qF0nv7t9">mail</a>. </p><p>As of August 2021, the <a href="/facts/Universal_Postal_Union/s2MMptUx">Universal Postal Union</a> lists 160 countries which require the use of a postal code. </p><p>Although postal codes are usually assigned to geographical areas, special codes are sometimes assigned to individual addresses or to institutions that receive large volumes of mail, such as government agencies and large commercial companies. One example is the French <a href="/facts/Cedex_(France)/d7z5rYNC">CEDEX</a> system. </p>