Puerte del Conde | Dominican Republic

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La Puerta del Conde (meaning The Count’s Gate) is located in Santo Domigo, capital of the Dominican Republic. The construction of this gate started in 1543 and is named for the Count of Peñalba, who led the successful defense of Santo Domingo against an invading force of 13,000 British troops in 1655.

 

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(left) Juan Pablo Duarte Díez (1813-1876), one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. 

(right) Manuel Simó (1916-1988), the Republic’s most important 20th century composer.

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The Twin Island Country: Trinidad and Tobago

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Named for the tobacco cultivated by the original Carib population, Tobago existed separately from Trinidad for centuries. While the explorer Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1498, he did not land and no attempts were made to colonize Tobago.

In 1889, during a period of economic decline, Britain annexed the smaller Tobago to Trinidad as an administrative ward. The islands achieved independence from England in 1962 and became the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in 1976.

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The Twin Island Country, Trinidad and Tobago

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After discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1498 the the island remained under Spanish rule until the end of the 18th century. The British captured it in 1797 and in 1889, they joined the smaller Tobago to Trinidad as an administrative ward. The islands achieved independence from England in 1962 and became the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in 1976.

 

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100th anniversary of Syrian/Lebanese Presence in Trinidad and Tobago. The stamp is part of a set of four, issued 2010.

Early 1900’s many immigrants from greater Syria (comprising present day Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon) escaped religious persecution and economic hardship in their native countries. They started out as guest workers but today it is a thriving community. 

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Marigot Bay | St Lucia

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Marigot Bay is located just south of Castries, the capital of St Lucia. 

“Sheltered by towering palms and the surrounding hills, the narrow inlet is said to have once hidden the entire British fleet from French pursuers. 

Yachts play the same trick these days – the bay is a popular place to drop anchor and hide away for a few nights.” 

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The flag of Jamaica

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Jamaica is located about 150 kilometers south of Cuba and 200 kilometers west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

 

The flag of Jamaica was first raised on August 6, 1962, Jamaican Independence Day. A diagonal yellow cross divides the Jamaican flag into four black and green triangles.

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Jamaican legend Bob Marley (1945 – 1981). 

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Kilimanjaro Safari | Tanzania

“Ride off in an open-air vehicle for a tour of a lush African savanna, home to exotic animals.”

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Searching for information about Kilimanjaro Safaris I learned it is also an attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom on the Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It simulates an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa.

The original Kilimanjaro Safari of course can only be found in Tanzania. If you are lucky you can spot elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes, baboons, cheetahs, warthogs,  Saddle-billedstorks, snakes and many other.

Thx one more time Steve!

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Ulusaba, Sir Richard Branson's private game reserve | South Africa

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Ulusaba, meaning “Place of Little Fear”, is Richard Branson's private game reserve in South Africa. This private game reserve borders the Kruger National Park and is home to an abundance of wildlife.

 

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The 19th World Transplant Games were hosted by Durban, South Africa in 2013 from 28th July - 4th August. The organization behind the games promote an active lifestyle for transplant recipients.

Thx Rod!

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Tha National Museum in Khartoum | Sudan

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The National Museum holds many treasures of Sudan’s ancient and medieval past. The double storied building was constructed in 1955, and established as the National Museum of Sudan in 1971.

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A postcard from Senegal

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Senegal is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north.

The back of the card reads “Jeunes circoncis”. Circumcision is an important moment in the life of the young Senegalese boy. This practice existed long before the arrival of Islam in Senegal.

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Centenary of WWI stamp. 

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Bobo Dioulasso railway station | Burkina Faso

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The postcard shows the train station in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in Burkina Faso with a population of about 540,000.

 

SITARAIL on top of the building is short for Société Internationale de Transport Africain par rail.

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The coat of arms of Burkina Faso. A shield based on the national flag. Above the shield the name of the country is shown, while below it is the national motto, Unité, Progrès, Justice.

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A postcard from Niger

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Niger is a landlocked country in Western Africa bordered by Chad, Libya, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Nigeria. Almost 80 percent of the country is covered by the Sahara desert.

The Ténéré, meaning "desert" in Tuareg language, is a region in the south central Sahara. It comprises a vast plain of sand, occupying an area of over 400,000 square kilometers. 

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Kuang Si Falls | Laos

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The Kuang Si Falls is a three tier waterfall near the city of Luang Prabang in Laos. The falls begin in shallow pools atop a steep hillside.

The pools lead to the main fall with a 60 metres cascade. The water collects in numerous turquoise blue pools as it flows downstream. 

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A postcard from Chad

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Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa, bordered by Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger. It is the fifth largest country in Africa in terms of area.

As you can see on this postcard, much of the country is positioned within the hot and dry Sahara Desert, covering Chad with sand and barren scrub land. 

 

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Sauvegarde Du Lac-Tchad

Lake Chad has been a source of freshwater for irrigation projects Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Satellite images show a dramatic decrease in the size of the lake over the past 30 years. Since 1963, the lake has shrunk to nearly a twentieth of its original size, due both to climatic changes and to high demands for agricultural water.

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Sheep herding in Greenland

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The world's largest island is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. When you look at this postcard you wouldn’t think that the climate in Greenland is extremely harsh. More than 80% of the island is covered by an ice cap 4km thick in places.   

The card shows sheep herding near Tasiusaq in the most southern part of Greenland. Compared to the rest of the country it has a relatively mild climate.  

 

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(right) Jørgen Brønlund was a Greenlandic polar explorer. He participated in two Danish expeditions to Greenland in the early 20th century. He died in 1907 at age 30. 

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The Staple Diet of Uganda: Matooke

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A staple food is a food that is eaten routinely, and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet in a given population. Matooke is the staple food of Uganda.

Matooke is a variety of starchy banana, commonly referred to as cooking bananas. The fruit is harvested green and then cooked and often mashed or pounded into a meal. In Uganda it is steam-cooked and the mashed meal is one of the national dishes of the country.

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Dr. Livingstone, I presume? | Burundi

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This monument, known as the Livingstone Rock is located just 8 miles outside Bujumbura, capital of Burundi.  

According to www.burundi-tourism.com this rock is to remember the famous meeting between explorer Dr Livingstone and reporter Stanley in 1871. The latter spoke the famous words: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.  

But  others sources state that the famous meeting took place a little earlier that year in Tanzania. Described clearly in Stanley's book "How I Found Livingstone".

Thank you very much Chris!

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Tunis, the Capital of Tunisia

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Tunis is the capital and largest city of Tunisia. The name of the country is derived from the name of its capital. About 650,000 of the 11 million Tunisians live in Tunis.

 

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The stamp shows the lighthouse of the Galite Islands, a rocky group of islands of volcanic origin off the Tunisian coast.

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The Silver Discoverer | New Zealand

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Silver Discoverer is a small, yacht-type cruise ship operated by Silversea Cruises as the third member of its Silversea Expeditions fleet. The ship is deployed in remote regions of the world including Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, the Russian Far East, Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

The card was sent by Rod who travelled with this ship to Australia’s Macquarie Island. But the card has a New Zealand stamp.

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The stamp is part of New Zealand’s Chinese Year of the Goat issue. But it could be the year of the sheep or even the year of the ram. This confusion is caused by Mandarin Chinese character yang: 羊 Its apparent meaning is 'horned animal'.

Thank you very much Rod!

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Aerial view of Christmas Island

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Christmas Island is an Australian Non-self Governing External Territory, located in the Indian Ocean, 360km south of Java and 2600 km North West of Perth. The coastline of 73km comprises mostly sheer rocky cliffs 10 to 20 metres high with a few small coral and rubble beaches. 

The island is well known for its annual Red Crab mass migration.

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All three stamps are part of the Chinese Year of the Goat issue. But it could be the year of the sheep or even the year of the ram. This confusion is caused by Mandarin Chinese character yang: 羊 Its apparent meaning is 'horned animal'.

Thank you so much David!

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Mandø Island, Denmark

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The Wadden Sea is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world, with natural processes undisturbed throughout most of the area. Mandø is one of the Danish Wadden Sea islands. The island has 62 inhabitants.

The Wadden Sea is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites, together with the Dutch and German part. 

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Timphu, Capital of Bhutan

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Bhutan is a landlocked country in South Asia located at the eastern end of the Himalayas. It is bordered by China and India. Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan.

 

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Part of a set of 9 stamps Wild Flowers of Bhutan (issue 2014). 

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Kahuzi-Biega National Park in DR Congo

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Kahuzi-Biega National Park is located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the Rwandan border. The park is named after two dormant volcanoes, Mt. Kahuzi (3,308m) and Mt. Biega (2,790m). One of the last groups of eastern lowland gorillas lives in the park, between 2,100 and 2,400m above sea-level.

In 1980 The Kahuzi-Biega National Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage.

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The President of DR Congo since 2001, Joseph Kabila (1971).

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The Capital of Rwanda: Kigali

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Kigali, with population of more than 1 million, is the capital and largest city of Rwanda.

Spanning several ridges and valleys, Kigali, with its lush hillsides, flowering trees, winding boulevards and bustling streets, is arguably one of the most attractive capital cities in Africa, as well as one of the cleanest and safest.

Thx Chris!

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Omar AL-Mukhtar street in Gaza | Palestine

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Omar Mukhtar Street is Gaza City's main street. The street is named after the leader of the resistance to Italian colonization of Libya. Originally the street was named after Ottoman governor Jamal Pasha but renamed after the end of the Ottoman rule over Palestine in 1917.

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The Palestinian Authority is the semi-official, self-governing Palestinian body established in May 1994 in accordance with the Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The stamp is part of a series of two stamps issued in 2000, commemorating the state visit of Yasir Arafat to Germany.

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Si-o-Se Pol Bridge in Isfahan | Iran

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The Allah-Verdi Khan Bridge is one of of Isfahan's most famous bridges. It is made up of a series of 33 arches, built in 1602 and has a total length of almost 300 metres. The bridge is also known as the Si-o-Se Pol which means 33 Bridge. 

 

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In 2014 Iran issued a series of alphabet stamps. In 2013 Iran issued 7 stamps depicting bridges. The Veresk Bridge in Iran connects the railway between Tehran and the Caspian Sea region. 

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