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The traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U.S. postal abbreviations. The traditional abbreviations are still commonly used for other purposes (such as legal citation), and are still recognized (though discouraged) by the postal service. Prior to 1987, when the U.S. Secretary of Commerce approved the two-letter codes for use in government documents, the United States Government Printing Office (GPO) suggested a specific set of abbreviations, with some states being left unabbreviated. In addition, the Associated Press Stylebook, the usage guide for most United States newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended to a city name (for example, "Miami, Fla."). AP suggests spelling out "Alaska," "Hawaii," and all state names with five or fewer letters; and, unlike the GPO, AP suggests spelling out the names of all non-state territories, with the exception of the District of Columbia (D.C.). Legal citation manuals, such as the Bluebook and ALWD Citation Manual, typically use these "traditional abbreviations" as well. Below are listed the GPO abbreviations for U.S. states and territories; the AP abbreviations for states; and other abbreviations that are or have been commonly used.
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