function getStateCodes() {
	var stateCodes = new Array();
	stateCodes['-- US STATES --'] = '';
	stateCodes['ALABAMA'] = 'AL';
	stateCodes['ALASKA'] = 'AK';
	stateCodes['AMERICAN SAMOA'] = 'AS';
	stateCodes['ARIZONA'] = 'AZ';
	stateCodes['ARKANSAS'] = 'AR';
	stateCodes['CALIFORNIA'] = 'CA';
	stateCodes['COLORADO'] = 'CO';
	stateCodes['CONNECTICUT'] = 'CT';
	stateCodes['DELAWARE'] = 'DE';
	stateCodes['DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA'] = 'DC';
	stateCodes['FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA'] = 'FM';
	stateCodes['FLORIDA'] = 'FL';
	stateCodes['GEORGIA'] = 'GA';
	stateCodes['GUAM'] = 'GU';
	stateCodes['HAWAII'] = 'HI';
	stateCodes['IDAHO'] = 'ID';
	stateCodes['ILLINOIS'] = 'IL';
	stateCodes['INDIANA'] = 'IN';
	stateCodes['IOWA'] = 'IA';
	stateCodes['KANSAS'] = 'KS';
	stateCodes['KENTUCKY'] = 'KY';
	stateCodes['LOUISIANA'] = 'LA';
	stateCodes['MAINE'] = 'ME';
	stateCodes['MARSHALL ISLANDS'] = 'MH';
	stateCodes['MARYLAND'] = 'MD';
	stateCodes['MASSACHUSETTS'] = 'MA';
	stateCodes['MICHIGAN'] = 'MI';
	stateCodes['MINNESOTA'] = 'MN';
	stateCodes['MISSISSIPPI'] = 'MS';
	stateCodes['MISSOURI'] = 'MO';
	stateCodes['MONTANA'] = 'MT';
	stateCodes['NEBRASKA'] = 'NE';
	stateCodes['NEVADA'] = 'NV';
	stateCodes['NEW HAMPSHIRE'] = 'NH';
	stateCodes['NEW JERSEY'] = 'NJ';
	stateCodes['NEW MEXICO'] = 'NM';
	stateCodes['NEW YORK'] = 'NY';
	stateCodes['NORTH CAROLINA'] = 'NC';
	stateCodes['NORTH DAKOTA'] = 'ND';
	stateCodes['NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS'] = 'MP';
	stateCodes['OHIO'] = 'OH';
	stateCodes['OKLAHOMA'] = 'OK';
	stateCodes['OREGON'] = 'OR';
	stateCodes['PALAU'] = 'PW';
	stateCodes['PENNSYLVANIA'] = 'PA';
	stateCodes['PUERTO RICO'] = 'PR';
	stateCodes['RHODE ISLAND'] = 'RI';
	stateCodes['SOUTH CAROLINA'] = 'SC';
	stateCodes['SOUTH DAKOTA'] = 'SD';
	stateCodes['TENNESSEE'] = 'TN';
	stateCodes['TEXAS'] = 'TX';
	stateCodes['UTAH'] = 'UT';
	stateCodes['VERMONT'] = 'VT';
	stateCodes['VIRGIN ISLANDS'] = 'VI';
	stateCodes['VIRGINIA'] = 'VA';
	stateCodes['WASHINGTON'] = 'WA';
	stateCodes['WEST VIRGINIA'] = 'WV';
	stateCodes['WISCONSIN'] = 'WI';
	stateCodes['WYOMING'] = 'WY';
	stateCodes[''] = '';
	// military states
	stateCodes['-- US MILITARY --'] = '';
	stateCodes['ARMED FORCES AFRICA'] = 'AE';
	stateCodes['ARMED FORCES AMERICAS'] = 'AA';
	stateCodes['ARMED FORCES CANADA'] = 'AE';
	stateCodes['ARMED FORCES EUROPE'] = 'AE';
	stateCodes['ARMED FORCES MIDDLE EAST'] = 'AE';
	stateCodes['ARMED FORCES PACIFIC'] = 'AP';
	stateCodes[''] = '';

	//Canadian provinces
	stateCodes['-- CANADIAN PROVINCES --'] = '';
	stateCodes['ALBERTA'] = 'AB';
	stateCodes['BRITISH COLUMBIA'] = 'BC';
	stateCodes['MANITOBA'] = 'MB';
	stateCodes['NEW BRUNSWICK'] = 'NB';
	stateCodes['NEWFOUNDLAND'] = 'NF';
	stateCodes['NORTHWEST TERRITORIES'] = 'NT';
	stateCodes['NOVA SCOTIA'] = 'NS';
	stateCodes['NUNAVUT'] = 'NU';
	stateCodes['ONTARIO'] = 'ON';
	stateCodes['PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND'] = 'PE';
	stateCodes['QUEBEC'] = 'QC';
	stateCodes['SASKATCHEWAN'] = 'SK';
	stateCodes['YUKON TERRITORY'] = 'YK';

	return(stateCodes);
}