Re: [PATCH] localedata: i18napis: update LC_ADDRESS.country_post

[Florian Weimer <fweimer at redhat dot com>]

On 06/11/2016 01:07 AM, Mike Frysinger wrote:
>   de_DE: changing D to DE

I don't think this is correct, actual historic use within Europe at 
least was âDâ (and similar car codes for other countries).  Apparently, 
this was in alignment with a CEPT recommendation.

The German incumbent (Deutsche Post) says that in 1999, country codes in 
mail addresses were abolished:

ÂWas ist aus den LÃndercodes geworden?

Die Angabe der LÃnderkÃrzel vor der Postleitzahl bei der Adressangabe 
auf Briefen und Paketen wurde offiziell am 1. September 1999 abgeschafft.

Aufgrund der automatisierten Anschriftenerkennung fÃhrte die Vielzahl 
der weltweit unterschiedlich verwendeten LÃndercodes hÃufig zu Problemen 
bei der Sortierung und damit zu VerzÃgerung und VerÃrgerung bei den 
Kunden. Die Angabe des Bestimmungslandes unter der Ortsangabe ist 
ausreichend.Â

âWhat happened to country codes?

Specifying country codes in front of the zip code in address on mail and 
packages was officially abolished on September 1st, 1999.

Due to automated address recognition, the variety of different country 
codes in world-wide use often led to sorting problems and thus to delays 
and customer complaints.  It is sufficient to write the destination 
country below the city name.â

<https://www.deutschepost.de/de/b/briefe-ins-ausland/laenderkuerzel-laendercode.html>

The United States Postal Service requires:

âThe last line of the address must show only the country name, written 
in full (no abbreviations) and in capital letters.â

<http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc1_008.htm>


I haven't found a more authoritative source for the change in practice. 
The Universal Postal Union web site has some documents and says that 
sometimes an ISO country code is used in front of the zip code, *but* 
the only example I could find on the UPU site was Finland, and the 
Finnish post does not corroborate this.

In any case, I think it is safe to say that LC_ADDRESS.country_post is 
now obsolete.

Florian