Struve Geodetic Arc | Estonia

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The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through ten countries and over 2,820 km. This helped to calculate the exact size and shape of the planet and marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. 

The Struve is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites since 2005.

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Vormsi Island | Estonia

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Vormsi is the fourth largest island of Estonia, after Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Muhu. Vormsi is located between Hiiumaa and the mainland. The island has approximately 400 permanent inhabitants.

Estonia used to have a quite substantial Swedish minority. These people, who settled on the West coast of Estonia and on many islands, came during 13th–14th century from Southern Finland and spoke Swedish; they were called the coastal Swedes.

Vormsi island was almost entirely Swedish speaking until World War II. But in 1943 during the Nazi occupation the coastal Swedes were forced to return to Sweden, after hundreds of years of living overseas. 

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Hanseatic League member Tallinn | Estonia

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Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. The origins of the city date back to the 13th century.

The Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn is an exceptionally complete and well-preserved medieval northern European trading city on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

The city developed as a significant centre of the Hanseatic League during the major period of activity of this great trading organization in the 13th-16th centuries.

 

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The Estonian Island of Saaremaa

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Saaremaa, meaning "isle's land", is the largest island in Estonia. On the right you see the medieval Kuressaare Castle. The windmill is part of a group of five windmills, all located on the top of Windmill Mountain.

 

Stamps

Two stamps about very poisonous and potentially deadly mushrooms. On the left the deadly Amanita Virosa, commonly known as the European destroying angel. 

On the right the Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the dead cap. 

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Hiiumaa Island and Lighthouse | Estonia

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Hiiumaa is Estonias second largest island. Formed 455 million years ago as a result of a meteorite explosion Hiiumaa is one of the oldest islands in the world.

Hiiumaa has an airport with flights to Tallinn but in winter the island can also be reached via an ice-road from the mainland. 

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2014 issue, 100 Years Herdbook of the Estonian Native Breed Cattle. You have to feel this stamp! It is printed onto gummed stamp paper with the flock technique giving the stamp a soft, smooth textured feel to the surface.

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Kihnu Island and Lighthouse

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Kihnu is an island in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Estonia. With an area of 20 km² it is the largest island in the Gulf of Riga. About 650 people live on Kihnu. 

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Postcard from Estonia

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Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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Friedebert Tuglas was a writer, critic and translator, who had a leading role in the literary life of the country. He took part in the Russian Revolution of 1905 and since 1906 lived as a political refugee in Finland, Paris, St. Petersburg, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland; since 1917 in Tartu and from 1944 in Tallinn.

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