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| name            =  Poste de Montecara
| name            =  Poste de Montecara
| logo            = [[File:PosteMC.png|300px]]
| logo            = [[File:PosteMC.png|300px]]
| type            = [[Government-owned corporations in Esquarium|State-owned enterprise]]
| type            = {{wp|State-owned enterprise}}
| traded_as        =  
| traded_as        =  
| foundation      = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1832}}
| foundation      = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1832}}
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| industry        = {{wp|Postal services}}, {{wp|financial services}}, {{wp|government services}}
| industry        = {{wp|Postal services}}, {{wp|financial services}}, {{wp|government services}}
| products        =  
| products        =  
| services        = {{wp|Mail}}, {{wp|parcel post}}, {{wp|courier}}, {{wp|wire transfers}}, {{wp|money orders}}, {{wp|passport}} and {{wp|identification card}} services
| services        = {{wp|Mail}}, {{wp|parcel post}}, {{wp|courier}}, {{wp|wire transfers}}, {{wp|money orders}}
| revenue          =  
| revenue          =  
| operating_income =  
| operating_income =  
| net_income      =  
| net_income      =  
| num_employees    =  
| num_employees    =  
| owner            = [[Montepietà]]
| owner            = State of Montecara
| parent          =  
| parent          =  
| subsid          =  
| subsid          =  
| slogan          = ''Il mùnd, presto'' (The world, quickly)
| homepage        = [http://poste.go.mc poste.go.mc]
| homepage        = [http://poste.go.mc poste.go.mc]
| dissolved        =
| dissolved        =
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}}
}}


'''Poste de Montecara''' ('''PdM''') is the [[Government-owned corporations in Esquarium|state-owned]] {{wp|postal service}} of [[Montecara]]. It provides daily home delivery to all addresses in Montecara except on Saturdays and holidays. Because Montecara uses {{wp|postal ballot|postal ballots}} exclusively, it is also de facto responsible for conducting elections. Residents in Montecara are required to inform the Poste within seven days of changing their address.
'''Poste de Montecara''' ('''PdM''') is the {{wp|State-owned enterprise|state-owned}} {{wp|postal service}} of [[Montecara]]. It provides daily home delivery to all addresses in Montecara except on Saturdays and holidays. Because Montecara uses {{wp|postal ballot|postal ballots}} exclusively, it is also largely responsible for carrying out elections. Residents in Montecara are required to inform the Poste within seven days of changing their address. The company uses the slogan ''Il mùnd, presto'' (The world, quickly) in its advertising campaigns.


== History ==
== History ==
[[File:Ath station 2017 2.jpg|200px|thumbnail|An early 20th-century postbox at [[Iàlba rail station]]]]
[[File:Ath station 2017 2.jpg|250px|thumb|left|An early 20th-century postbox at [[Iàlba rail station]]]]
[[File:Italy postbox 03.JPG|200px|thumbnail|A modern PdM postbox]]
The postal history of Montecara dates back over 2,500 years to the centralized mail system pioneered by the [[Solarian Republic]]. Originally intended as a {{wp|military mail}} system that allowed officials in the capital to communicate with regional commanders quickly, the system evolved into a fully-fledged postal system that merchants and travelers could take advantage of. Navy ships regularly ferried mail to mainland Euclea where it would be carried by dedicated riders, who could cover dozens of miles per day on good roads, to its final destination. In optimal conditions, this system could carry a message from Montecara to Solaria in as little as three days.  
The postal history of Montecara dates back over 2,500 years to the centralized mail system pioneered by the [[Latin Republic]]. Originally intended as a {{wp|military mail}} system that allowed officials in [[Latium]] to communicate with regional commanders quickly, the system evolved into a fully-fledged postal system that merchants and travelers could take advantage of. Latin navy ships regularly ferried mail to mainland Conitia where it would be carried by dedicated riders, who could cover dozens of miles per day on good roads, to its final destination. In optimal conditions, this system could carry a message from Montecara to Latium in as little as three days.  


After the fall of the Latin Republic, long-distance communication became difficult at best and impossible at worst. The pirate-infested waters off the Conitian coast made the sort of small, lightly defended ships that make good mail runners easy targets, and literacy rates were so low in any case that written messages were often not an option. Business on the island was simply worked out in person, and merchants brave enough to venture on the open sea were usually the only means of communicating with the outside world.  
After the fall of the Solarian Empire, long-distance communication became difficult at best and impossible at worst. The pirate-infested waters off the Euclean coast made the sort of small, lightly defended ships that make good mail runners easy targets, and literacy rates were so low in any case that written messages were often not an option. Business on the island was simply worked out in person, and merchants brave enough to venture on the open sea were usually the only means of communicating with the outside world.  


Long-distance communication remained an ad-hoc affair for centuries, with only minor attempts at providing reliable or consistent messenger service. From the middle ages to the early 17th century, written messages were usually carried by couriers, often boys, who would simply run letters around the island for merchants and others who needed a quick means of communication. The system was disorganized and informal, and sending messages further afield was often expensive and unreliable. Letters bound for recipients outside the island were often carried by merchants who happened to be sailing in the right general direction, with several handoffs often necessary to reach distant locations. Consequently, messages could take many months to arrive.
Long-distance communication remained an ad-hoc affair for centuries, with only minor attempts at providing reliable or consistent messenger service. From the middle ages to the early 17th century, written messages were usually carried by couriers, often boys, who would simply run letters around the island for merchants and others who needed a quick means of communication. The system was disorganized and informal, and sending messages further afield was often expensive and unreliable. Letters bound for recipients outside the island were often carried by merchants who happened to be sailing in the right general direction, with several handoffs often necessary to reach distant locations. Consequently, messages could take many months to arrive.
[[File:Italy postbox 03.JPG|250px|thumbnail|A modern PdM postbox]]
Though disorganized, medieval postal services did make some innovations. {{wp|Fumigated mail}} was invented in Montecara around 1380 during an outbreak of {{wp|plague}}; an official decree required all incoming letters to be pierced with needles and then exposed to smoke from a sulfurous fire ({{wp|sulfur dioxide}} was the disinfecting agent) before being sealed with yellow wax to indicate their safety. Cargo was often held in {{wp|quarantine}} (from [[Montecaran language|Montecaran]] ''cuaranta'', "forty") for forty days to stop the spread of disease.


The first attempt at a formal postal service since Latin times came in 1679 as Montecara's economy was making early strides toward modernization. The [[Borse Mercànte de Montecara]] had been founded in the previous decade, and the trend toward more organized and far-reaching commercial enterprises required a more economical and reliable system of communication. An enterprising group of merchants thus founded the ''Nunçii ultramarìn'' (Overseas messengers), a service of dedicated fast ships that would carry mail to ports along the [[Gulf of Hope]] and [[Central Ocean]]. Though it proved unprofitable and was defunct by 1690, it was a milestone in the redevelopment of permanent, public communications links between Montecara and the larger world.  
The first attempt at a formal postal service since ancient times came in 1679 as Montecara's economy was making early strides toward modernization. The [[Borse Mercànte de Montecara]] had been founded in the previous decade, and the trend toward more organized and far-reaching commercial enterprises required a more economical and reliable system of communication. An enterprising group of merchants thus founded the ''Nunçii ultramarìn'' (Overseas messengers), a service of dedicated fast ships that would carry mail to ports along the [[Solarian Sea|Solarian]] and [[Assonaire Sea|Assonaire Seas]]. Though it proved unprofitable and was defunct by 1690, it was a milestone in the redevelopment of permanent, public communications links between Montecara and the larger world.  


Merchants and private citizens in general had come to rely on the service that the ''Nunçii ultramarìn'' provided, and the State was persuaded to pick up where its investors had left off. The first state-provided postal service since the fall of the Latin Republic began in Montecara in 1692 with a small fleet of retired naval ships tasked with delivering mail to foreign shores.  
Merchants and private citizens in general had come to rely on the service that the ''Nunçii ultramarìn'' provided, and the State was persuaded to pick up where its investors had left off. The first state-provided postal service since the fall of the Solarian Empire began in Montecara in 1692 with a small fleet of retired naval ships tasked with delivering mail to foreign shores.  


While the public once again had the ability to send a letter abroad without having to track down a sender themselves, the process was nevertheless convoluted and expensive by modern standards. Messages would be brought to a docked mail ship where a cashier would estimate the cost of delivery and charge the sender accordingly. Because the system still relied on handing off mail to foreign traders or state officials, there was no way to guarantee delivery or accurately estimate costs once the delivery was out of Montecaran hands. Postage could vary wildly depending on a range of variables from the cashier's estimation, the season, the weather, and demand on specific routes.  
While the public once again had the ability to send a letter abroad without having to track down a sender themselves, the process was nevertheless convoluted and expensive by modern standards. Messages would be brought to a docked mail ship where a cashier would estimate the cost of delivery and charge the sender accordingly. Because the system still relied on handing off mail to foreign traders or state officials, there was no way to guarantee delivery or accurately estimate costs once the delivery was out of Montecaran hands. Postage could vary wildly depending on a range of variables from the cashier's estimation, the season, the weather, and demand on specific routes.  
[[File:Cavallini (Philately).jpg|thumbnail|A Montecaran lettersheet from 1818]]
[[File:Cavallini (Philately).jpg|300px|thumb|left|A Montecaran lettersheet from 1818]]
A major breakthrough came in 1709 with the introduction of {{wp|letter sheet|lettersheets}}, {{wp|postal stationery}} that came pre-stamped at a fixed rate and that could simply be dropped off for delivery. Senders no longer had to haggle with mail crews about prices, and the Treasury, not opportunistic cashiers, collected profits. This innovation made sending mail abroad drastically more accessible to common people, who for the first time were able to communicate regularly with relatives or business partners living away.
A major breakthrough came in 1709 with the introduction of {{wp|letter sheet|lettersheets}}, {{wp|postal stationery}} that came pre-stamped at a fixed rate and that could simply be dropped off for delivery. Senders no longer had to haggle with mail crews about prices, and the Treasury, not opportunistic cashiers, collected profits. This innovation made sending mail abroad drastically more accessible to common people, who for the first time were able to communicate regularly with relatives or business partners living far away.


In 1832, the Montecaran government turned its postal bureau into '''Poste de Montecara''', the company that provides postal services to the present day. The change reflected the growing importance and complexity of postal services, which were by then becoming more popular among foreign states with an interest in trade. The newly incorporated PdM was free to innovate, which it did most notably with the introduction of the first {{wp|postage stamp}} in 1835.
The beginning of the [[Montecara under Gaullican rule|Gaullican occupation]] in 1810 meant the end of independent postal services. Mail was handled by the Gaullican postal service, with a concomitant fall in speed and quality.  


One of PdM's most unusual innovations debuted in 1888, when it introduced the world's first {{wp|pneumatic tube|pneumatic}} mail delivery system. Letters and telegrams were enclosed in capsules which were sent by pressurized air in underground tubes under the streets of Montecara. Originally designed to send mail between the central post office and branch offices, the system's lightning speed made it popular with businesses that relied on rapid communication, and expansions to large offices and stores followed in the succeeding decades. By the end of the system's last expansion in 1931, the network was 50 km in length and allowed a telegram to travel across the urban center of Montecara at 10 meters per second. Though sections of tube and several terminals and transfer stations have since been abandoned, the pneumatic post is still in use to this day.
Despite the lack of attention given to Montecaran postal needs by the Gaullican authorities, one area that saw innovation was the adoption of the {{wp|electric telegraph}} in 1850. {{wp|Optical telegraph}} systems had been in use locally for centuries to relay messages out to ships at sea and between mainland Euclea and Coius, but the move to electric transmission meant that messages could travel at the speed of light between Montecara and cities hundreds of kilometers away. One of the world's first major submarine telegraph cables was laid across the [[Aurean Straits]] with an exchange at the main post office in 1853. It allowed for instant communication across two continents and was regularly used to communicate between metropolitan [[Gaullica]] and its Coian colonies.
 
An unusual innovation debuted in 1888 when the local postmaster introduced the world's first {{wp|pneumatic tube|pneumatic}} mail delivery system. Letters and telegrams were enclosed in capsules which were sent by pressurized air in underground tubes under the streets of Montecara. Originally designed to send mail between the central post office and branch offices, the system's lightning speed made it popular with businesses that relied on rapid communication, and expansions to large offices and stores followed in the succeeding decades. By the end of the system's last expansion in 1931, the network was 50 km in length and allowed a telegram to travel across the urban center of Montecara at 10 meters per second. Though sections of tube and several terminals and transfer stations have since been abandoned, the pneumatic post is still in use to this day.
 
The fall of [[Functionalist Gaullica]] in 1935 and the restoration of Montecaran independence meant that Montecarans were finally responsible once again for their own communications with the outside world. The restored Montecaran government turned its postal bureau into '''Poste de Montecara''', the company that provides postal services to the present day.


== Operations ==
== Operations ==
[[File:IMG 3083 - Milano - P.za Cordusio - Foto G. Dall'Orto - 3-1-2007.jpg|250px|thumb|Central post office, Aviènd Zubizarreta]]
PdM operates 36 post offices, 167 automated kiosks, and over 400 stamp vending machines throughout Montecara. It also maintains 2,103 {{wp|Post box|postboxes}}. There are two major sorting stations: one at [[Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport]] and one at the main post office on Aviènd Zubizarreta.
PdM operates 36 post offices, 167 automated kiosks, and over 400 stamp vending machines throughout Montecara. It also maintains 2,103 {{wp|Post box|postboxes}}. There are two major sorting stations: one at [[Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport]] and one at the main post office on Aviènd Zubizarreta.


International mail is sent to and from Montecara by contracting cargo services with shipping, rail, airline, and freight truck companies. State-owned companies [[Aeracara]] and [[Trenalia]] have the two biggest mail-carriage contracts. PdM does not operate its own aircraft, ships, or trains, though it does maintain a fleet of delivery trucks and vans for local use. Mail is generally delivered door-to-door by mail carriers using hand carts or, occasionally, bicycles.
International mail is sent to and from Montecara by contracting cargo services with shipping, rail, airline, and freight truck companies. State-owned air carrier [[Aeracara]] has the biggest mail-carriage contract. PdM does not operate its own aircraft, ships, or trains, though it does maintain a fleet of delivery trucks and vans for local use. Mail is generally delivered door-to-door by mail carriers using hand carts or {{wp|Freight bicycle|cargo bicycles}}.


PdM has a legal monopoly on the delivery of letters and postcards in Montecara. There is private competition in the parcel sector, with several multinational firms operating in the city-state alongside PdM. PdM's domestic market share in the parcel sector is approximately 65% as of 2016.  
PdM has a legal monopoly on the delivery of letters and postcards in Montecara. There is private competition in the parcel sector, with several multinational firms operating in the city-state alongside PdM. PdM's domestic market share in the parcel sector is approximately 65% as of 2016.  


PdM is one of the largest employers in Montecara, with more than 1,500 employees. All employees are members of the [[Union of Postal and Telecommunications Workers]].
PdM is one of the largest employers in Montecara, with more than 1,500 employees. All employees (other than supervisors) are members of the [[Union of Postal and Telecommunications Workers]].


== Postal services ==
== Postal services ==
Poste de Montecara offers four basic tiers of service organized by speed of delivery.  
Poste de Montecara offers four basic tiers of service organized by speed of delivery.  
=== ''Poste ordinària'' ===
=== ''Poste ordinària'' ===
''Poste ordinària'' (Standard post) is the most basic class of mail. Domestic mailings typically arrive within one business day, mailings to Conitia within three to four days, and intercontinental mailings within two weeks. All mailable items, including both letters and parcels, are eligible for Standard post.  
''Poste ordinària'' (Standard post) is the most basic class of mail. Domestic mailings typically arrive within one business day, mailings to Euclea and nearby Coius within three to four days, and intercontinental mailings within two weeks. All mailable items, including both letters and parcels, are eligible for Standard post.


=== ''Poste exprès'' ===  
=== ''Poste exprès'' ===  
Line 70: Line 75:
=== ''Exprès notùrna'' ===
=== ''Exprès notùrna'' ===
''Exprès notùrna'' (Overnight express) guarantees delivery by 6:00 the following day for domestic mail if posted by 17:00 and delivery to the destination country by next-flight airmail or high-speed train, whichever is faster, for international mail.
''Exprès notùrna'' (Overnight express) guarantees delivery by 6:00 the following day for domestic mail if posted by 17:00 and delivery to the destination country by next-flight airmail or high-speed train, whichever is faster, for international mail.
[[File:Courier transferring urgent mail onto a high-speed train.JPG|250px|thumbnail|''Postevèlo'' courier transfers express mail onto a train]]
[[File:Courier transferring urgent mail onto a high-speed train.JPG|300px|thumbnail|''Postevèlo'' courier transfers express mail onto a train]]
=== ''Postevèlo'' ===
=== ''Postevèlo'' ===
For urgent local delivery, the fastest service is ''Postevèlo'', a bicycle courier service that guarantees delivery within 120 minutes to any domestic address.
For urgent local delivery, the fastest service is ''Postevèlo'', a bicycle courier service that guarantees delivery within 120 minutes to any domestic address.
Line 88: Line 93:


== Non-postal services ==
== Non-postal services ==
[[File:MC-stamp1.png|250px|thumbnail|right|A Montecaran 2-libra stamp from 2018]]
In addition to postal services, PdM offers a number of financial and governmental services. These include (varies by location):  
In addition to postal services, PdM offers a number of financial and governmental services. These include (varies by location):  
* Bill payment
* Bill payment
* Document {{wp|Legalization (international law)|legalization}} and {{wp|apostille}} services
* Document {{wp|Legalization (international law)|legalization}} and {{wp|apostille}} services
* Mobile phone payments
* Mobile payments
* Money orders
* Money orders
* Passport application and renewal
* Public computer terminals
* Public computer terminals
* Prepaid debit cards
* Prepaid debit cards
* Printing and photocopying
* Printing and photocopying
* {{wp|Fax|Telefax}}
* {{wp|Fax|Telefax}}
* [[Ùnivers card|''Ùnivers'' card]] application and replacement
* {{wp|Webmail}}
* {{wp|Webmail}}
* Wire transfers
* Wire transfers


== Philately ==
== Philately ==
[[File:MC-stamp1.png|250px|thumbnail|right|A Montecaran 2-libra stamp from 2018]]
[[File:MC-stamp2.png|250px|thumb|A 5-libra stamp from 2018]]
Poste de Montecara has a long tradition of producing sought-after stamps. Montecara's small size means that collectors prize Montecaran stamps for their relative obscurity, and PdM has issued many series with foreign philatelists in mind. PdM also prides itself on issuing stamps that highlight Montecaran works of art and which have intrinsic aesthetic value.
Poste de Montecara has a long tradition of producing sought-after stamps. Montecara's small size means that collectors prize Montecaran stamps for their relative obscurity, and PdM has issued many series with foreign philatelists in mind. PdM also prides itself on issuing stamps that highlight Montecaran works of art and which have intrinsic aesthetic value.


== Rates ==
== Rates ==
Certain types of domestic mail are carried by Poste de Montecara free of charge, including {{wp|postal voting|electoral mail}}, letters to elected officials or government bodies, and mail sent by the government for official purposes. A reduced rate is available when mail is presorted and {{wp|franking|franked}}, and in the case of parcels is part of a bulk commercial shipment.  
Certain types of domestic mail are carried by Poste de Montecara free of charge, including {{wp|postal voting|electoral mail}} and letters to elected officials or government bodies. A reduced rate is available when mail is presorted and {{wp|franking|franked}}, and in the case of parcels is part of a bulk commercial shipment.  


There are three rate zones for international mail:  
There are three rate zones for international mail:  
*'''Continental''', which includes [[Conitia]] and [[Nordania]]
*'''Euclea'''
*'''Overseas zone 1''', which includes [[Borea]] and [[Nautasia]]
*'''Coius'''
*'''Overseas zone 2''', which includes [[Lahudica]], [[Akai]], and outlying island nations and territories
*'''Intercontinental''', which includes the [[Asterias]] and outlying island nations and territories


''All prices are given in [[Montecaran libra|libra]] and are current as of 1 January 2018.''
''All prices are given in [[Montecaran libra|libra]] and are current as of 1 January 2018.''
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Base rates for Standard post
|+ Base rates for Standard post
! colspan="2" |
! colspan="2"|
! colspan="2" style="background: pink;"| Domestic
! colspan="2"| Domestic
! colspan="2" style="background: lightgreen;"| Continental
! colspan="2"| Euclea
! colspan="2" style="background: lightgreen;"| Overseas zone 1
! colspan="2"| Coius
! colspan="2" style="background: lightgreen;"| Overseas zone 2
! colspan="2"| Intercontinental
|-
|-
! Size !! Mass ≤ !! Standard !! Reduced !! Standard !! Reduced !! Standard !! Reduced !! Standard !! Reduced
! Size !! Mass ≤ !! Standard !! Reduced !! Standard !! Reduced !! Standard !! Reduced !! Standard !! Reduced
Line 136: Line 140:
| Ł2 || Ł1
| Ł2 || Ł1
| Ł4 || Ł3
| Ł4 || Ł3
| Ł10 || Ł8
| Ł4 || Ł3
| Ł12 || Ł10
| Ł4 || Ł3
|-
|-
| rowspan="4" | Large letter
| rowspan="4" | Large letter
Line 143: Line 147:
| Ł3 || Ł2
| Ł3 || Ł2
| Ł6 || Ł5
| Ł6 || Ł5
| Ł13 || Ł11
| Ł6 || Ł5
| Ł18 || Ł15
| Ł6 || Ł5
|-
|-
| 250g
| 250g
Line 212: Line 216:
Poste de Montecara encourages the following format:  
Poste de Montecara encourages the following format:  


{|  
{| cellpadding=5
| Carla Orèfice
| Carla Orèfice || ''Recipient's name''
| ''Recipient's name''
|-
|-
| sàla 100
| sàla 100 || ''Apartment, suite, or room number''
| ''Apartment, suite, or room number''
|-
|-
| Vìa da Òca 5
| Vìa da Òca 5 || ''Street name and building number''
| ''Street name and building number''
|-
|-
| Subùra
| Subùra || ''Commune''
| ''Commune''
|-
|-
| TL7231
| TL7231 || ''Postal code''
| ''Postal code''
|-
|-
| MONTECARA
| MONTECARA || ''Name of country''
| ''Name of country''
|}
|}


Line 239: Line 237:


The letter portion of the postal code refers to a geographic area of Montecara, and the numerical portion is assigned to a given street address. For multiple-unit addresses, the first two digits will be the same for all delivery points at the address, with the last two assigned to each unique delivery point.
The letter portion of the postal code refers to a geographic area of Montecara, and the numerical portion is assigned to a given street address. For multiple-unit addresses, the first two digits will be the same for all delivery points at the address, with the last two assigned to each unique delivery point.
== See also ==
* [[Government-owned corporations in Esquarium]]


{{Template:Montecara topics}}
{{Template:Montecara topics}}
[[Category:Montecara]]
[[Category:Montecara]]
[[Category:Postal services]]
[[Category:Postal services]]

Latest revision as of 21:14, 21 August 2023

Poste de Montecara
State-owned enterprise
IndustryPostal services, financial services, government services
Founded1832; 192 years ago (1832)
HeadquartersAviènd Zubizarreta 45,
Montecara
Area served
Montecara
ServicesMail, parcel post, courier, wire transfers, money orders
OwnerState of Montecara
Websiteposte.go.mc

Poste de Montecara (PdM) is the state-owned postal service of Montecara. It provides daily home delivery to all addresses in Montecara except on Saturdays and holidays. Because Montecara uses postal ballots exclusively, it is also largely responsible for carrying out elections. Residents in Montecara are required to inform the Poste within seven days of changing their address. The company uses the slogan Il mùnd, presto (The world, quickly) in its advertising campaigns.

History

An early 20th-century postbox at Iàlba rail station

The postal history of Montecara dates back over 2,500 years to the centralized mail system pioneered by the Solarian Republic. Originally intended as a military mail system that allowed officials in the capital to communicate with regional commanders quickly, the system evolved into a fully-fledged postal system that merchants and travelers could take advantage of. Navy ships regularly ferried mail to mainland Euclea where it would be carried by dedicated riders, who could cover dozens of miles per day on good roads, to its final destination. In optimal conditions, this system could carry a message from Montecara to Solaria in as little as three days.

After the fall of the Solarian Empire, long-distance communication became difficult at best and impossible at worst. The pirate-infested waters off the Euclean coast made the sort of small, lightly defended ships that make good mail runners easy targets, and literacy rates were so low in any case that written messages were often not an option. Business on the island was simply worked out in person, and merchants brave enough to venture on the open sea were usually the only means of communicating with the outside world.

Long-distance communication remained an ad-hoc affair for centuries, with only minor attempts at providing reliable or consistent messenger service. From the middle ages to the early 17th century, written messages were usually carried by couriers, often boys, who would simply run letters around the island for merchants and others who needed a quick means of communication. The system was disorganized and informal, and sending messages further afield was often expensive and unreliable. Letters bound for recipients outside the island were often carried by merchants who happened to be sailing in the right general direction, with several handoffs often necessary to reach distant locations. Consequently, messages could take many months to arrive.

A modern PdM postbox

Though disorganized, medieval postal services did make some innovations. Fumigated mail was invented in Montecara around 1380 during an outbreak of plague; an official decree required all incoming letters to be pierced with needles and then exposed to smoke from a sulfurous fire (sulfur dioxide was the disinfecting agent) before being sealed with yellow wax to indicate their safety. Cargo was often held in quarantine (from Montecaran cuaranta, "forty") for forty days to stop the spread of disease.

The first attempt at a formal postal service since ancient times came in 1679 as Montecara's economy was making early strides toward modernization. The Borse Mercànte de Montecara had been founded in the previous decade, and the trend toward more organized and far-reaching commercial enterprises required a more economical and reliable system of communication. An enterprising group of merchants thus founded the Nunçii ultramarìn (Overseas messengers), a service of dedicated fast ships that would carry mail to ports along the Solarian and Assonaire Seas. Though it proved unprofitable and was defunct by 1690, it was a milestone in the redevelopment of permanent, public communications links between Montecara and the larger world.

Merchants and private citizens in general had come to rely on the service that the Nunçii ultramarìn provided, and the State was persuaded to pick up where its investors had left off. The first state-provided postal service since the fall of the Solarian Empire began in Montecara in 1692 with a small fleet of retired naval ships tasked with delivering mail to foreign shores.

While the public once again had the ability to send a letter abroad without having to track down a sender themselves, the process was nevertheless convoluted and expensive by modern standards. Messages would be brought to a docked mail ship where a cashier would estimate the cost of delivery and charge the sender accordingly. Because the system still relied on handing off mail to foreign traders or state officials, there was no way to guarantee delivery or accurately estimate costs once the delivery was out of Montecaran hands. Postage could vary wildly depending on a range of variables from the cashier's estimation, the season, the weather, and demand on specific routes.

A Montecaran lettersheet from 1818

A major breakthrough came in 1709 with the introduction of lettersheets, postal stationery that came pre-stamped at a fixed rate and that could simply be dropped off for delivery. Senders no longer had to haggle with mail crews about prices, and the Treasury, not opportunistic cashiers, collected profits. This innovation made sending mail abroad drastically more accessible to common people, who for the first time were able to communicate regularly with relatives or business partners living far away.

The beginning of the Gaullican occupation in 1810 meant the end of independent postal services. Mail was handled by the Gaullican postal service, with a concomitant fall in speed and quality.

Despite the lack of attention given to Montecaran postal needs by the Gaullican authorities, one area that saw innovation was the adoption of the electric telegraph in 1850. Optical telegraph systems had been in use locally for centuries to relay messages out to ships at sea and between mainland Euclea and Coius, but the move to electric transmission meant that messages could travel at the speed of light between Montecara and cities hundreds of kilometers away. One of the world's first major submarine telegraph cables was laid across the Aurean Straits with an exchange at the main post office in 1853. It allowed for instant communication across two continents and was regularly used to communicate between metropolitan Gaullica and its Coian colonies.

An unusual innovation debuted in 1888 when the local postmaster introduced the world's first pneumatic mail delivery system. Letters and telegrams were enclosed in capsules which were sent by pressurized air in underground tubes under the streets of Montecara. Originally designed to send mail between the central post office and branch offices, the system's lightning speed made it popular with businesses that relied on rapid communication, and expansions to large offices and stores followed in the succeeding decades. By the end of the system's last expansion in 1931, the network was 50 km in length and allowed a telegram to travel across the urban center of Montecara at 10 meters per second. Though sections of tube and several terminals and transfer stations have since been abandoned, the pneumatic post is still in use to this day.

The fall of Functionalist Gaullica in 1935 and the restoration of Montecaran independence meant that Montecarans were finally responsible once again for their own communications with the outside world. The restored Montecaran government turned its postal bureau into Poste de Montecara, the company that provides postal services to the present day.

Operations

Central post office, Aviènd Zubizarreta

PdM operates 36 post offices, 167 automated kiosks, and over 400 stamp vending machines throughout Montecara. It also maintains 2,103 postboxes. There are two major sorting stations: one at Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport and one at the main post office on Aviènd Zubizarreta.

International mail is sent to and from Montecara by contracting cargo services with shipping, rail, airline, and freight truck companies. State-owned air carrier Aeracara has the biggest mail-carriage contract. PdM does not operate its own aircraft, ships, or trains, though it does maintain a fleet of delivery trucks and vans for local use. Mail is generally delivered door-to-door by mail carriers using hand carts or cargo bicycles.

PdM has a legal monopoly on the delivery of letters and postcards in Montecara. There is private competition in the parcel sector, with several multinational firms operating in the city-state alongside PdM. PdM's domestic market share in the parcel sector is approximately 65% as of 2016.

PdM is one of the largest employers in Montecara, with more than 1,500 employees. All employees (other than supervisors) are members of the Union of Postal and Telecommunications Workers.

Postal services

Poste de Montecara offers four basic tiers of service organized by speed of delivery.

Poste ordinària

Poste ordinària (Standard post) is the most basic class of mail. Domestic mailings typically arrive within one business day, mailings to Euclea and nearby Coius within three to four days, and intercontinental mailings within two weeks. All mailable items, including both letters and parcels, are eligible for Standard post.

Poste exprès

Poste exprès (Express post) guarantees delivery by 12:00 the next day for domestic mail and delivery within three to four business days for international mail (depending on the destination).

Exprès notùrna

Exprès notùrna (Overnight express) guarantees delivery by 6:00 the following day for domestic mail if posted by 17:00 and delivery to the destination country by next-flight airmail or high-speed train, whichever is faster, for international mail.

Postevèlo courier transfers express mail onto a train

Postevèlo

For urgent local delivery, the fastest service is Postevèlo, a bicycle courier service that guarantees delivery within 120 minutes to any domestic address.

Additional postal services

PdM customers can choose to add on several services to their mailings. These include:

  • Delivery holding while customers are away from home for an extended period.
  • Extra insurance
  • Fermaposte (Poste restante): mail is delivered to a post office location to be picked up by the recipient.
  • International forwarding if a customer is abroad for up to one year.
  • Post-office boxes
  • Poste ràcomandata (Registered mail): the mailpiece is sent in a separate, locked container with only other registered mail. It must be signed for upon delivery by the designated recipient, and the sender receives an electronic or paper riçevùda di rebatìn (return receipt) confirming delivery. Includes insurance for Ł2,500.
  • Poste verificàda (Certified mail): the mailpiece is electronically tracked and must be signed for upon delivery.

Prohibited items

PdM maintains a list of items which it will not post or carry. These include any item illegal in Montecara, including firearms, banned knives, illicit drugs, and certain obscene publications; dangerous goods; and human or animal remains.

Non-postal services

A Montecaran 2-libra stamp from 2018

In addition to postal services, PdM offers a number of financial and governmental services. These include (varies by location):

  • Bill payment
  • Document legalization and apostille services
  • Mobile payments
  • Money orders
  • Public computer terminals
  • Prepaid debit cards
  • Printing and photocopying
  • Telefax
  • Webmail
  • Wire transfers

Philately

A 5-libra stamp from 2018

Poste de Montecara has a long tradition of producing sought-after stamps. Montecara's small size means that collectors prize Montecaran stamps for their relative obscurity, and PdM has issued many series with foreign philatelists in mind. PdM also prides itself on issuing stamps that highlight Montecaran works of art and which have intrinsic aesthetic value.

Rates

Certain types of domestic mail are carried by Poste de Montecara free of charge, including electoral mail and letters to elected officials or government bodies. A reduced rate is available when mail is presorted and franked, and in the case of parcels is part of a bulk commercial shipment.

There are three rate zones for international mail:

  • Euclea
  • Coius
  • Intercontinental, which includes the Asterias and outlying island nations and territories

All prices are given in libra and are current as of 1 January 2018.

Base rates for Standard post
Domestic Euclea Coius Intercontinental
Size Mass ≤ Standard Reduced Standard Reduced Standard Reduced Standard Reduced
Postcard n.a. Ł1 Ł0.5 Ł2 Ł1 Ł5 Ł4 Ł7 Ł6
Letter 100g Ł2 Ł1 Ł4 Ł3 Ł4 Ł3 Ł4 Ł3
Large letter 100g Ł3 Ł2 Ł6 Ł5 Ł6 Ł5 Ł6 Ł5
250g Ł4 Ł3 Ł7 Ł6 Ł14 Ł12 Ł19 Ł16
500g Ł5 Ł4 Ł8 Ł7 Ł15 Ł13 Ł20 Ł17
750g Ł6 Ł5 Ł9 Ł8 Ł16 Ł14 Ł21 Ł18
Small parcel 1kg Ł15 Ł13 Ł28 Ł23 Ł42 Ł35 Ł58 Ł48
2kg Ł18 Ł15 Ł34 Ł28 Ł51 Ł43 Ł70 Ł59
Large parcel 1kg Ł21 Ł18 Ł39 Ł33 Ł55 Ł46 Ł76 Ł63
2kg Ł29 Ł24 Ł54 Ł45 Ł76 Ł63 Ł103 Ł86
5kg Ł52 Ł43 Ł101 Ł84 Ł140 Ł117 Ł196 Ł163
10kg Ł68 Ł66 Ł95 Ł79 Ł152 Ł127 Ł236 Ł197
20kg Ł102 Ł85 Ł143 Ł119 Ł229 Ł191 Ł366 Ł305

Address format

Poste de Montecara encourages the following format:

Carla Orèfice Recipient's name
sàla 100 Apartment, suite, or room number
Vìa da Òca 5 Street name and building number
Subùra Commune
TL7231 Postal code
MONTECARA Name of country

Building numbers

Numbers are assigned within each commune, usually in sequence from the southwest to the northeast, but there are many exceptions. This means that numbers may be repeated on the same street if it runs through several communes, but also means that no two streets in the same commune will share numbers.

Postal codes

The current system of postal codes was introduced in 1982 to allow for every address in Montecara to have a unique code. The format is AANNNN, where A is a capital Latin letter A through Z excepting I and O, and N is a numeral from 0 to 9. This pattern allows for a maximum of 5,760,000 individual postal codes. Large buildings with multiple tenants and companies with several suites can apply for additional postal codes to cover every room or even every individual working in a building.

The letter portion of the postal code refers to a geographic area of Montecara, and the numerical portion is assigned to a given street address. For multiple-unit addresses, the first two digits will be the same for all delivery points at the address, with the last two assigned to each unique delivery point.

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