Australia versus... the rest of the world

Postcard

Both postcards show how enormous Australia is compared to the rest of the World. It could swallow Europe completely!

Stamps

Five stamps to commemorate 100 years since WWI. Five stamps that marks Australia's involvement in the first months of war. Australia will issue similar series of stamps in 2015-2018.

Australia, although a Federation since 1901, was still a member of the British Empire. This meant that when Britain declared war on 4 August 1914 Australia also found herself at war.

The Australian people reacted to the outbreak of war in an unprecedented manner of enthusiasm. They had a natural, strong sense of patriotism and loyalty to their 'mother country.' With ninety percent of Australians having a British background.

Volunteers rushed to enlist for an exciting war which was expected to be over by Christmas. From a population of fewer than five million, more than 400,000 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner.

Thanks Steve, you little ripper!

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Podgorica, capital of Montenegro

Postcard

Podgorica is the capital and, with a population of about 160,000, largest city of Montenegro. The 140 metres long Millennium bridge spans the Morača River.

Stamp

A stamp to commemorate the ‘Joy of Europe 2013’ children festival that was held in Belgrade. 

Thank you very much Chris!

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Church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters | Andorra

Postcard

The church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters is a church located in Engolasters,  Andorra. In the background you see  Andorra la Vella, the capital of Andorra. Located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain.

Stamp

2014 Europa stamp, this year theme is musical instruments: the bagpipe (La Buna).

Postal services in Andorra are unique in the way that they are not operated by the Principality itself, but by its two larger neighboring countries Spain and France. 

Spanish post boxes are red and French ones are yellow. Both postal administrations issue their own postage stamps for use in Andorra.

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Isle of Palms South Carolina

Postcard

The Isle of Palms is a 7-mile long and 1 mile wide Atlantic barrier island. Barrier islands are found on coastlines all over the world, but are most noticeable along the eastern coast of North America. Barrier islands are long, narrow, offshore deposits of sand or sediments that parallel the coast line. 

Stamp

Two USA Forever stamps: cycling.

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A postcard from the British West Indies: Anguilla

Postcard

Anguilla, a British overseas territory, is an island in the Carribean. It is located less than ten miles north of St. Martin and 200 miles east of Puerto Rico. The main island is very small with only 35 square miles to live on and 13,500 inhabitants.

Did you know this tiny island had a revolution in 1967? You can read all about it here. A really fascinating story. Today the separation from St Kits and Nevis is commemorated every May 30th on Anguilla Day, a National Holiday.

Stamp

Issued 2007. Part of a set of 60 stamps celebrating 40th anniversary of the Anguillan revolution. Reverend Leonard Carty was one of the revolution leaders. 

Totally unexpected, thx Pat!

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Terceira Island | Azores

Postcard

Terceira is an island in the Azores archipelago, located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Terceira is the third largest island after São Miguel and Pico.  Terceira was discovered as third island of the Azores and that is why its named Terceira: meaning ‘the third’ in Portuguese.

Stamp

Issued 2011 as part of a set of 8 stamps: Centenary of the Museo Nacional de Arte.

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The Maldives

Postcard

Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean. The chain of 1190 little coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean that forms the archipelago of the Maldives is 80 -120 km wide. Only 201 islands are inhabited by the local people, and 83 islands are developed exclusively as tourist resorts, while the rest are uninhabited.

 

“Maldives has deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and palm trees. It is also a place full of character, where its people have long spent their days languishing in the very essence of idyll living.“

Stamp

The stamp is a bit of a mystery. Couldn’t find much about it. You can read more about this here.

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The Åland Islands

Postcard

The Åland archipelago consists of 6,700 islands situated in the Baltic Sea, midway between Sweden and Finland. Only 60 are inhabited. Although the people of Åland speak Swedish, this autonomous territory is part of Finland.

 

Stamp

Europa stamp 2013 themed the Postman Van. 

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Sibuan Island | Malaysia

Postcard

Sibuan Island is part of the Semporna Islands Park located off the coast of Borneo. There are no resorts on the islands, and also no public facilities. It is a popular location for diving and snorkeling. Sibuan Island is locally known as 'Battleship Island' for its distinctive shape.

Stamp

Part of a set of six stamps about horse-riding: Unit Berkuda PSP PDRM. The mounted police unit of Malaysia. 

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Lord Howe Island | Australia

Postcard

A remarkable example of isolated oceanic islands, born of volcanic activity more than 2,000 m under the sea, these islands boast a spectacular topography and are home to numerous endemic species, especially birds. An island paradise located 660 km off the east coast of Australia.

The Lord Howe Island Group is World Heritage Site.

 

Stamp

Pre paid postage.

Thx Steve!

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La Digue Island | Seychelles

Postcard

The Republic of Seychelles comprises more than 115 islands, located between 500 and 1,600 km from the east coast of Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar. Nearby islands include the Maldives, Mauritius, and Réunion. The majority of the islands in the Seychelles archipelago are virtually untouched tropical paradises.

La Digue is the third largest inhabited island of the Seychelles with a population of about 2,000. It is a granite island with stunning granite cliffs and rock formations that extent into the sea.

Stamp

White-lined Goatfish. Part of a set of four fish stamps, issued 2010.

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The Sixty Dome Mosque in Bagerhat | Bangladesh

Postcard

The Sixty Dome Mosque is a mosque in Bangladesh, located in the formerly lost city of Bagerhat. The city was founded by Khan Jahan, an Islamic warrior and preacher probably of Turkish origin. The construction of the mosque was started in 1442.

 

Stamps

The Black-capped Kingfisher (left) and the Malayan Night Heron, issued 2011 as part of a set of 12 bird stamps. 

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Volcanoes National Park Rwanda

Postcard

Rwanda is a country in central and east Africa, bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  

 

Volcanoes National Park is located in northwestern Rwanda. The national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla and is home to five volcanoes, hence its name. The park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey.

Rwanda is home to one third of the world remaining mountain gorillas. Today there are less than 900, their biggest threats come from deforestation and the region’s growing population.

Stamp

In 2010 Rwanda issued a set of four stamps about ‘folklore’.

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Lemurs of the Nahampoana Reserve, Madagascar

Postcard

Nahampoana Reserve covers 67 hectares of rainforest near the south-east coast of Madagascar. The reserve is home to many endemic species like different kinds of lemurs, THE symbol of Madagascar.

 

Lemurs are a group of primates unique to Madagascar, exhibiting huge variation in size and appearance. The smallest, mouse lemurs, can be as small as one’s thumb. On the other end, there were grass-grazing lemur species that are estimated to have weighed over 400 pounds, but were driven extinct by the local people.

There are almost 100 existing species of lemurs. They get their name from the Latin word “lemures” meaning ghosts of spirits,

Stamp

Jean Laborde (1805 – 1878) was an adventurer and early industrialist in Madagascar.

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Red Colobus Monkey at Jazani Forest, Zanzibar

Postcard

The Zanzibar Red Colobus  is a species of Red Colobus monkey endemic to Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, off the coast of Tanzania.

The largest and most significant area of protection and habitat for the monkey is in Jozani forest located on the island of Zanzibar.

Stamps

(left) World of the Disnosaurs (1994)

(right) Youth and sports, issued 2009, part of a set of 11 stamps.

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Valley of a Thousand Hills | South Africa

Postcard

The breathtaking Valley of a Thousand Hills is located in South Africa's province of KwaZulu-Natal - the Kingdom of the Zulu.

The area is named after the thousands of hills which tumble down to the mighty Umgeni River, which flows from the distant Drakensberg (dragons mountain) Mountains to the Indian Ocean. The valley has been home to the Zulu people for centuries, with many continuing to practice and live their unique traditional lifestyle.

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King Mswati III of Swaziland

Postcard

The Kingdom of Swaziland is a landlocked country, located between South Africa and Mozambique. Makhosetive was crowned Mswati III - King of Swaziland on 25th April 1986 at the age of 18. He thus became the youngest ruling monarch in the world.

Mswati III of Swaziland was born on the 19th April 1968 as the second of 67 sons of the elderly King Sobhuza II, and the only child of Queen Ntombi Tfwala, one of the kings 70 wives. Mswati III currently has 27 children from his first 13 wives and wives-to-be.

Stamps

Butterflies of Swaziland, issue 1992 as part of a set of 12 stamps (definitives).

The tree stamp is part of a set of 13, issued in 2007 (definitives).

Mind the great airmail sticker!

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St Louis Montfort catholic church in Balaka, Malawi

Postcard

Malawi  is a landlocked country in southeast Africa. It is bordered by Zambia, Tanzania and (for the most part) Mozambique. Once under British rule and known as Nyasaland, the country gained full independence in 1964 and renamed itself Malawi.

St Louis Montfort catholic church is located in Balaka, a district in the Southern Region of Malawi. It is named after Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673 – 1716), a French Roman Catholic priest and Confessor. In 1705 he founded the community of the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, a missionary religious congregation within the Catholic Church. The congregation is made up of priests and brothers who serve both in the native lands and in other countries. 

Stamp

Malawi issued in 2007 a set of 11 definitive butterfly stamps.

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Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic

Postcard

Transnistria or Pridnestrovien Moldavian Republic is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the River Dniester and the eastern Moldovan border with Ukraine.

The total population of the PMR is 550,000, with three major ethnic groups: Moldovans (31.9%), Russians (30.4%) and Ukrainians (28.8%). The capital of the Republic is the city of Tiraspol with a population of 144,000.

Since its declaration of independence in 1990, and especially after the War of Transnistria in 1992, it is governed as Pridnestrovie, a sovereign state with limited recognition. The Republic of Moldova does not recognize the secession and considers the territory to be part of Moldova's autonomous region of Stînga Nistrului ("Left Bank of the Dniester").

This postcard is picturing the building of the Presidential Administration and the Supreme Council of the PMR.

Stamp

Originally a fiscal stamp, but now these are used as a stamp. It is a real PMR stamp but it cannot be used to send mail outside Moldova. 

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Ivory Coast | Cote d'Ivoire

Postcard

Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa, bordered by Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana.

This postcard shows traditional housing in the mountainous region in the west of Ivory Coast.

Stamps

In 2005 Ivory Coast issued a set of four stamps about “Rois et chefs traditionnels”. Traditional leaders still play an important role in Ivory Coast.  

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North Sea Island Borkum

Postcard

Borkum is an island in northwestern Germany, located about 30 kilometres from the mainland. It is the largest of the seven East Frisian islands, located north of the Dutch province of Groningen.

Borkum is part of the Unesco World Heritage site inscribed under the name “Wadden Sea”, the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. 

Stamp

Johann Gottfried Schadow (1764 – 1850) was a German sculptor.

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Senglea Waterfront, Malta

Postcard

The Maltese archipelago is located 100 km south of Sicily and 290 km north of Africa. It comprises three islands: Malta, Goze and Comino. Malta is the largest island and the cultural, commercial and administrative centre. Gozo is the second largest island and is more rural, characterised by fishing, tourism, crafts and agriculture. Comino, the smallest of the trio, has one hotel and is largely uninhabited.

 

Senglea is a fortified city in the east of Malta.

Stamps

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Map of the Faroe Islands

Postcard

The Faroe Islands is located northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway. Since 1948 the Faroe Island­s have been an autonomous country within the King­dom of Denmark. It has its own parlia­­ment and its own flag. It is not, however, a member of the European Union. The population is about 50,000.

 

The archipelago is composed of 18 islands. The capital Tórshavn is located on Streymoy,  the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands.

Stamps

A stamp depicting the island of Kalsoy, one of the Faroe islands, and a matching map-stamp. 

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The Borromean Islands: Isola Bella

Postcard

Isola Bella, meaning 'beautiful island' is one of the Borromean Islands, a group of three small islands and two islets in the Italian part of Lago Maggiore. Isola Bella is only 320 metres long and 400 metres wide.

Until 1632 the island was occupied by a tiny fishing village, but that year Carlo III of the influential House of Borromeo began the construction of a palazzo dedicated to his wife, Isabella D'Adda, from whom the island takes its name. Today Isola Bella is a popular tourist attraction.

Stamps

These stamps are part of the series Donna Nell'Arte (Women in Art), the sixth definitive series of the Italian Republic, which replaced in 1998 the series Castles of Italy.

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A postcard from Bermuda

Postcard

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean, located off the east coast of the United States. So it is not a part of the Caribbean islands, located much more to the south.

The British Overseas Territories are those parts of the former British Empire that have not acquired independence, or have voted to remain British territories. While each has its own internal leadership, they share the British Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

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