Bogotá the capital of Colombia

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Bogotá is the capital and, with over 6 million inhabitants, largest city of Colombia. It is a city of contrasts with highrise buildings standing next to colonial churches. A mixture of influences, Spanish, English and Indian. Barrio La Candelaria is the historical and cultural heart of the city, the ‘Old City’ of Bogotá .

Stamp

A stamp to celebrate participation of Colombia in the World Cup 2014. Tomorrow Colombia vs Uruguay. Colombia is in great shape and Uruguay just lost his star player! Will they go through to the quarter finals?

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Tehran | تهران the capital of Iran

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Tehran is the capital city of Iran. With a population of around 9 million and more than 14 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is Iran's largest city and urban area, and the largest city in Western Asia.

 

Stamps

In 2013 Iran issued 7 stamps depicting bridges. 

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The Rockhoppers of Tristan da Cunha

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Tristan da Cunha is an active volcanic island with rare wildlife and home to 266 British Citizens
living in the world's most isolated settlement of ‘Edinburgh of the Seven Seas’. The island was first discovered in 1506 by the the Portuguese sailor Tristão da Cunha.

The island is part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha—a territory of the United Kingdom. The nearest speck of land, St. Helena, is a whopping 2,430 km away, and it's over 2,816 km to the nearest continent, Africa. Making Tristan da Cunha the most remote inhabited island in the world.  

More than 99% of northern rockhopper penguins breed on Tristan da Cunha and neighboring Gough Island.

Stamps

Two William and Kate wedding stamps and a WWF stamp in the middle. 

Thx Ruben!

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Les Îles du Salut | French Guiana

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The Îles du Salut are a group of small islands of volcanic origin about 11 km off the coast of French Guiana. The islands were part of a penal colony from 1852 onwards for only the worst criminals of France. The main part of the penal colony was a labor camp stretched along the border with Dutch Guiana, which today is Surinam. 

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Being a French overseas department, French Guiana uses French stamps. The number on the postmark (25926A) is the code for Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, a place located near the border with Suriname.

Thank you so much Cheryll!

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Surfing a big wave in Micronesia

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The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is an independent sovereign island nation consisting of four states (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae) that are spread across the Western Pacific Ocean. 

 

The 607-island nation that is the Federated States of Micronesia is one of the most remote and beautiful places on earth. The FSM sits in the heart of the Caroline Islands Archipelago, a vast seascape that extends from Palau in the west to Kiribati in the east.

Stamps

The stamp on the right is a printed one in the style of the postcard. The stamps on the left are ‘real’ stamps. 

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A map of the Mariana Islands

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The remote islands on this postcard are part of two administrative units, Guam, a US territory, and the Northern Mariana Islands which make up a Commonwealth of the United States. The islands were named after Spanish Queen Mariana of Austria in the 17th century, when Spain started the colonization of the archipelago.

The island chain geographically consists of two subgroups, a northern group of ten volcanic main islands, all are currently uninhabited; and a southern group of five coralline limestone islands: Rota, Guam, Aguijan, Tinian and Saipan, all inhabited except Aguijan.

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Guam uses US stamps. 

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The map of South Africa

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Actually it is the map of Southern Africa. But being sent from South Africa let’s focus on that country.

South Africa is located at the southern tip of the African continent. The country is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. It is a vast country with widely varying landscapes and has 11 official languages, as well as an equally diverse population of about 52 million.

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Issued 2012 as part of a set of 5 stamps picturing Baby Big Five animals. 

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A map of Lebanon

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Lebanon is located in the Middle East and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Syria and Israel.
Beirut is the capital city and a major port. Tripoli is Lebanon's second largest city. Lebanon is a small country with a varied landscape consisting of beaches, mountains, valleys, forests and woodlands.

 

There are a number of World Heritage sites in Lebanon: the Phoenician cities of Byblos, Baalbek and Tyre, Qadisha Valley, known for its early Christian monasteries, and the Islamic city of Anjar built in the eighth century.

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From a set of stamps celebrating Lebanon’s cultural heritage: Lebanese singer and actress Sabah (1927).

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The map of Belize

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Belize is a country in Central America. With a population of only 340,000 it has the lowest population density in Central America. It is the only country in the area that has English as its official language. Belize is bordered on the north by Mexico, to the south and west by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. 

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Mount Kazbek and Gergeti Trinity Church | Georgia

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Mount Kazbek is one of the highest peaks of the Caucasus, a dormant stratovolcano with a height of 5,047 meters.

If you look very closely you can see Gergeti Trinity Church on this postcard. The church is situated on the right bank of the river Chkheri, at an elevation of 2170 meters, under Mount Kazbek.

Stamps

In 2013 Georgia issued a set of four stamps themed Cultural Heritage of Georgia. 

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Kakadu National Park | Australia

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Kakadu National Park is Australia’s largest national park. It extends from the coast and estuaries in the north of Australia through floodplains, billabongs and lowlands to rocky ridges and stone country in the south. The name Kakadu is the result of the European interpretation of a local Aboriginal floodplain language, called Gagudju.

Im not 100% sure but I think the waterfall showing is Twin Falls.

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Postage pre-paid Australia, for posting in Australia and delivery worldwide. Very convenient but less exciting than real stamps.  

Thx Steve!

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Jordan, ancient city of Petra | البتراء

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Petra is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges.

It is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved.

The city is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. It is inscribed on the Unesco Whs list.

Stamps

Part of a large set of definitive’s, all depicting Hadrian's triumphal arch in Jerash, a city in Jordan (1996/1997 issues). 

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My Son Sanctuary Viet Nam

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Mỹ Sơn is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa. The temples are dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva.

The Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary is a large complex of religious monuments originally consisting of more than 70 structures of which 25 remain today. My Son was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

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The Đàn goong. In 2013 Viet Nam Issued a set of three stamps about traditional musical instruments. 

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Aerial view of Parika Essuquibo | Guyana

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The Essequibo River is the largest river in Guyana and Parika is a port township located near this river. It is popular for its ferry service to and from the Essequibo Islands.

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Issued in 2009: "60 Years of the Commonwealth". There are 53 member countries of the Commonwealth, Guyana joined in 1966.

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Blanche Marie Falls | Suriname

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The impressive Blanche Marie Falls are located more than 300 km southwest of Paramaribo, capital of Suriname. It is one of the largest waterfalls in Suriname.

 

The Blanche Marie falls were rediscovered in 1897 by former district commissioner of Nickerie: Lieutenant Van Drimmelen. He named the falls after his wife: Mary White.

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The Gray-breasted Sabrewing, a species of hummingbird that can be found in Suriname.

Thx Cheryll!

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Puffins Island | Iceland

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The Puffin stamp on the last post inspired me to show this card from Iceland that I received last year. The charismatic puffins arrive in Iceland in April and depart at the end of August. Near Reykjavik you can find two puffin islands, Akurey and Lundey.

 

The islands serves as a haven for seabirds including thousands of Puffins. Frequent sightseeing tours from nearby Sundahöfn harbor travel here by boat, as puffins and other seabirds have become a major tourist attraction in Iceland.

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Europa stamp 2013.

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Les Antilles Françaises | Guadeloupe

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The Antilles is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. There are Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles, Windward Islands and Leeward Islands (eg Guadeloupe). They all make up The Antilles.

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Atlantic Puffin. Part of sheet with four different bird-stamps, issued 2012.

The ROC code on the postmark, however hardly visible, reads 37752A. ROC stands for ‘Référentiel des Organisations du Courrier’. The geographical locations are not mentioned on the postmark, only the ROC code. 37752A refers to Pôle Caraïbes, the airport of Guadeloupe. 

Thx Olga!

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Fintassa Falls | Guam

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Fintassa Falls is located on the island of Guam, the southernmost and largest island in the Mariana island chain.

The island of Guam is located in the western Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Papua New Guinea and Japan. It is an unincorporated territory of the United States, just like American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

Stamps

A forever stamp honoring the late '60s rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix as part of USA Music Icons series.

Part of the Black Heritage series, Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American Woman Elected to Congress in 1972.

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The city of Luang Prabang | Laos

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Luang Prabang, meaning "Royal Buddha Image”, is a city located in north central Laos. The city is well known for its numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. It was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1995.

Stamps

(left) Laos issued in 2010 a set of three stamps depicting "Rural Life in Laos". The 6000K stamp depicts artisans (craftsman or skilled manual worker).

(right) Part of a set of four stamps, issued 2007, depicting gold jewelry.

Thx Pat!

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Yerevan, the capital of Armenia

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Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia. It is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Being a former Soviet Republic it gained its independence in 1991.

The city is located in the Ararat Valley, the mountain that you can see in the background. Mount Ararat, with an elevation of 5,165 meters, is the highest mountain in Turkey but it is still an important national symbol of Armenia. Ararat was a part of Armenia until 1915 when Turkey took over that part of Armenia. 

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(left) In 2013 issued a set of seven stamps with characters of the Armenian alphabet.

(right) Endangered animals, issued in 2009 as a set of two stamps. 

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