ANSI INCITS-38-2009 pdf download Codes for the Identification of the States and Equivalent Areas within the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Insular Areas
1. Scope and purpose This standard establishes a structure for the assignment of identifying codes to states and state equivalents of the United States and its insular areas, for the purpose of information interchange among data processing systems.
2. Definitions and coverage States and state equivalents are the primary administrative divisions that cover the United States without overlap or omission. When the term “state equivalent” is used in this standard, it identifies one of the following: District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Alternatively, state equivalent also identifies individual minor outlying islands, offshore areas of the United States, and Areas of Special Sovereignty. The states and state equivalents to be identified by data codes in accordance with this standard include all those specified by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. All territory of the United States and its associated commonwealths, dependencies, territories and other areas of sovereignty shall be covered.
3. Assignment of identifying data codes 3.1 Assignment of state codes Each state and state equivalent to be identified under this standard shall be assigned a single state code consisting of two digits. Each assigned state code shall be unique. The codes shall be maintained in four separate tables: Table 1 shall contain assigned codes for the United States proper including the District of Columbia; Table 2 shall contain areas under U.S. sovereignty, territories, minor outlying islands, and the sovereign states that have entered into a compact of Free Association with the United States; Table 3 shall contain the individual component parts of the minor outlying islands; Table 4 shall contain offshore areas and areas of special sovereignty not covered above (i.e., property in foreign nations, military installations, and territory within Seaward Limits but not within a specific state). The tables may be found at: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/ansi/ansi.html.