# What happens with mail delivery in contested areas?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-with-mail-delivery-in-contested-areas/536049>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 14, 2010, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-with-mail-delivery-in-contested-areas/536049 "2010-04-14T08:52:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-with-mail-delivery-in-contested-areas/536049/21 "2010-04-15T14:25:51Z")

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> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> Suppose I addressed mail to Cuba or North Korea. What would the USPS do with it?

You can send letters and packages to Cuba through any postal service, US and Canada at least. Once in Cuba delivery is more uncertain, I know my mail is regularly opened and packages I send are sometimes missing items.

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**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-with-mail-delivery-in-contested-areas/536049/22 "2010-04-15T15:01:07Z")

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> [@Noone\_Special](#):
>
> Just as a point to ponder – the code the OP gives, along with the house number, allowed me to identify the street name (and therefore the building) as well, within 5 minutes.
> 
> Not necessarily **too** accurate, but I thought I’d point it out in case the OP wants to rethink 🙂

You were able to figure out the street just from the house number and zipcode? Are there that few streets in that zipcode?

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-with-mail-delivery-in-contested-areas/536049/23 "2010-04-15T18:59:28Z")

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> [@Keeve](#):
>
> You were able to figure out the street just from the house number and zipcode? Are there that few streets in that zipcode?

Israeli postcodes specify a single [delivery route](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_codes_in_Israel).

(Here in the UK, a single postcode specifies on average only about 15 houses, more in densely populated areas.)

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