Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname

Postcard

Suriname is a country in the northern part of South America. It is bordered by French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south. Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname. The historic inner city of Paramaribo has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002.

 

One of the city’s most notable buildings is the 17th-century Fort Zeelandia, built to protect the Dutch West India Company from European rivals.

Stamps

This turtle stamp is part of a set of 12 stamps issued 2007, picturing reptiles.

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Yakushima Island, Japan's first Unesco site

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Yakushima is a round-shaped, subtropical island. 

It is covered by an extensive cedar forest that contains some of Japan's oldest living trees. Ooko-no-taki' is the tallest waterfall with the largest amount of water in Yakushima.

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Mayreau Island, St Vincent & Grenadines

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The Grenadine Islands chain is part of St Vincent, located south of St Lucia and west of Barbados. The more than 30 islands lie south of Saint Vincent and stretch nearly 50 miles towards Grenada.

Mayreau is the smallest inhabited island in the Grenadines with just 300 residents. Mayreau has several long sandy beaches, the best of which is Salt Whistle Bay.

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Longis Bay, Alderney

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Alderney, the third largest of the Channel Islands, is located just 8 miles off the Normandy coast of France, and is the nearest to the mainland of Britain. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. Alderney is some five kilometers (3.5 mi) long and three kilometers (1.5 mi) at its widest point, with a population of only 2,400.

Longis Bay is on the south-east coast and has a wide, half-mile sandy beach. It is protected from winds by a long wall built during the German Occupation.

Stamps

Alderney issues its own stamps.

(left) Corals and Anemones definitives, issued 2006.

(right) In 2011 Alderney issued a set of six stamps picturing Alderney Hawkmoths. 

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Iolani Palace, the island of O'ahu, Hawaii

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Iolani Palace was the official residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s last two monarchs from 1882 to 1893: King Kalakaua and his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani.

In 1893, a provisional U.S. government was established after opposition forces overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy. The Hawaiian Islands were eventually annexed as a United States Territory in 1898. Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959.

Iolani Palace is the only palace in the USA.

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Global USA forever stamp 2013.

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The Eiffel Tower, Paris

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Paris, the capital and largest city of France. There is not much change you haven’t heard of the French capital's most beloved landmark: the Eiffel Tower. More than 7 million people visit this iconic tower every year. More than 250 million people since its opening in 1889.

The tower rises 300 meters tall and when it was completed at the end of the 19th century it was the tallest structure in the world. The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889, held in celebration of the French Revolution in 1789. The man behind the Eiffel Tower was Gustave Eiffel.

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St Peter Port, capital of Guernsey

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The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. With its cobbled streets and picturesque seafront marina, it is easy to see why St Peter Port is considered one of Europe's prettiest harbour towns.

 

Stamps

A 2012 Europa stamp, themed “visit”. Vazon Bay, Guernsey's largest beach which stretches over two miles and faces west to the Atlantic with nothing lying between it and the coast of Canada. 

The other stamp depicts a great bindweed flower, issued 2008 as part of a larger set, all picturing flowers. 

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Old Town of Stockholm, Sweden

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Stockholm is the capital and most populous city of Sweden, spreading out over 14 islands in Lake Mälaren and looks out to the Baltic Sea to the east.

Old Town (Gamla Stan) is the Stockholm’s original city centre. It dates back to the 13th century but most buildings are from the 17- and 1800s. It’s a labyrinth of charming cobbled streets, alleyways, faded mustard and rust coloured town houses and meeting squares reflecting north German architecture.

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Reykjavik, capital of Iceland

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Reykjavík is the capital  Iceland and the largest city with a population of 120,000. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe, with less than three inhabitants per square kilometer. Despite the name, “ice” only covers about 10% of the land, but still represents the largest glaciers left in Europe. 

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Europa stamp 2013.

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Copenhagen, capital of Denmark

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Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and its most populous city, with over 1.2 million inhabitants. 

Nyhavn (New Harbour) was originally a busy commercial port where ships from all over the world would dock. The area was packed with sailors, ladies of pleasure, pubs and beerhouses. Today the beautiful old houses have been renovated and classy restaurants dominate the old port. Nyhavn is filled with people enjoying the relaxed atmosphere by the canal, jazz music and great food. 

Did you know that famous fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen used to live in Nyhavn?

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Europa stamp 2013.

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Riga, capital of Latvia

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Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltic Sea region.

Riga was founded in 1201 and its historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Latvian Fairytales, 2009 issue. 

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Basilica of St. Nicholas, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, although Amsterdam is not the seat of the Dutch government which is The Hague.

The city has the highest museum density in the world and is home to cultural highlights, such as the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, Hermitage Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum with Rembrandt’s world-famous Nightwatch. Other well known places of interest in Amsterdam are the Palace on the Dam, the Artis Zoo, Jewish Historical Museum and the Rembrandt House.

The Basilica of St. Nicholas is a Catholic church located in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam.

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The Black-tailed Godwit is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird.

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Greetings from Budapest, Hungary: Buda Castle

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Budapest is the capital and the largest city of Hungary. The imposing Buda Castle overlooks the city from its elevated position atop Várhegy (Castle Hill), rising 48 meters above the Danube river. This was the residence of Hungarian kings. The fortification system and palace, built in the 13th century following the Mongol invasion, was destroyed and rebuilt many times.

 

Stamps

(left) In 2000 Hungary Post (Magyar Posta) issued a large set of definitives, picturing antique chairs.

(right) In 2013 Magyar Posta issued 5 stamps picturing indigenous animals. This stamp pictures the European Lynx. 

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Belgrade, Capital of Serbia, view from the river Sava

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Belgrade is the capital of Serbia. With approximately 1.6 million residents it is the largest city. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The Sava river is flowing through Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and along the Bosnia-Herzegovina border.

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Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Canada

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Ottawa is the capital of Canada. The city is situated on the south bank of the Ottawa River, and contains the mouths of the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States. It remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating. It is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, and in 2007 it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps

The two corner stamps are from an 2013 issue “ Canadian Pride”. The stamp in the middle is a Queen Elizabeth II definitive. 

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Public Transport in Cyprus

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At least until the late 1980s, villages in parts of Cyprus were served by old Bedford buses. Nowadays still in use for weddings or events.

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London olympics 2012.

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Arc de Triomphe.... from Moldova

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Chișinău is the capital and largest city of the Republic Moldova. Built of white stone this triumphal arch is similar in design to Paris’ Arc de Triomphe but much smaller. The triumphal arch was built in 1841 as a gift from the Russian Tsar Nikolai I. It is a symbol of the victory of Russia over Turkey in the war of 1806-1812 and the liberation of the territory between the Dniester and Prut rivers.

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In 2013 Moldova isseud two Europa stamps themed “postal vehicles”.

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Mansouri Great Mosque, Tripoli, Lebanon

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The Great Mosque of Tripoli was built around the year 1300. The Mansouri Mosque was named after the Mamluk sultan al-Mansur Qalawun, who conquered Tripoli from the Crusaders in 1289.

Mamlūk, also spelled Mameluke, are slave warriors of medieval Islam who overthrew their masters, defeated the Mongols and the Crusaders and established a dynasty that lasted three hundred years.

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Lebanese singer Nouhad Wadi Haddad, known as Fayrouz (1935), the Jewel of Lebanon.

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Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan

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Kyrgyzstan, is a landlocked republic in the eastern part of Central Asia which is bordered in the north by Kazakhstan, in the east by China, in the south by China and Tajikistan, and in the west by Uzbekistan. Bishkek is the capital and largest city. Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country,  more than half of Kyrgyzstan lies at an elevation higher than 2,500 m.

Ala-Too Square is Bishkek`s square located in the heart of the city, where all the important urban agencies and organizations are concentrated: the Government House, the city council, universities, business centers.

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2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.

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Peel Castle, Isle of Man

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The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The Isle of Man is home to about 80,000 people.

Peel Castle is situated on St Patrick’s Isle. Originally a place of worship before becoming the fort of Magnus Barefoot – an 11th century Viking King of Mann.

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A label.

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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque | جامع الشيخ زايد الكبير , Abu Dhabi

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The majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This architectural work of art is one of the world’s largest mosques, with a capacity for an astonishing 41,000 worshippers. It features 82 domes, over a 1,000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world's largest hand knotted carpet. The mosque was initiated by the late President of UAE, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. 

 

Stamps

Joint stamp set commemorating Arab Postal Day 2008, which highlights cooperation and communication among Arab States in the field of postal services.

Thx Salah, his blog: http://asdfpostcrossing.blogspot.nl/

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Temple of Heaven | 天坛: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing

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The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings.

Built in 1420, the complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.

The Temple of Heaven is a UNESCO WHS site.

 

Stamps

(left) Xinjiang Ground Jay

(right) The stamp is one out of a set of eight stamps about fish that live only in the South China Sea. 

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A postcard from... the Marshall Islands

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The Marshall Islands covers nearly a million square miles of picturesque islands, thriving coral atolls, and crystal clear blue waters. Located in the northern Pacific Ocean, the islands share maritime boundaries with the Federated States of Micronesia to the west, Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the south-east, and Nauru to the south.

Bikini Atoll is one of the 29 atolls and five islands that compose the Marshall Islands. In 1946, Bikini Atoll was the first site in the Marshall Islands used for nuclear-weapon testing by the United States.

  

Marshall Islanders are known throughout the Pacific and the world for their friendly and peaceful nature. A large part of the Marshallese culture is reflected in their traditional handicrafts (Amimono). These handicrafts are very unique and are produced by some of the finest weavers in the Pacific. Handicrafts are an important part of the economy of Marshall Islands.

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In January 2012, the Marshall Islands Postal Service issued seven stamps featuring Marine Animals. This one pictures a Long-nosed Butterflyfish.

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A city for everyone: Parakou, Benin

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Benin is a country in West Africa. The postcard is sent from Parakou, the largest city in eastern Benin. The word Parakou means ‘a city for everyone’ and is derived from a local tribal word.

Some of the industries that are the foundation of Parakou’s economy are the cotton, textile and peanut oil industries.

Throughout Benin there are many open-air markets where people sell all kinds of goods, fruits and vegetables.

 

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The Zinkaka monkey, a severely endangered endemic species from South Benin.

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Japan's highest mountain: Mount Fuji | 富士山

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Mount Fuji is with 3,776 meters Japan's highest mountain is located outside Tokyo on the island of Honshu. The nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshiped as a sacred mountain throughout the centuries. Mount Fuji is an active volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708.

The nickname of Mount Fuji is Konohana-Sakuahime which means "causing the blossom to bloom brightly," which referring to pink cherry blossoms which frame the snow-white mountain in the spring season.

In June 2010 Mt. Fuji was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

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Hanshin Koshien Stadium. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on August 1, 1924.

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