state code

A state code is the official abbreviation or character combination used to designate a state, province, or other first-level subdivision of a country. It is usually assigned by a national postal service, but can also be assigned by another branch of a national government.

The abbreviation identifies the subdivision as a whole. It differs from a postal code for a delivery area within that subdivision.

A national postal service and another government agency can use different coding schemes. The code's meaning depends on the issuing scheme as well as the characters themselves.