A beach from Dominican Republic

 

Postcard

Once ruled by Spain, the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a former French colony.

The Caribbean nation is a major tourist destination. The Dominican Republic has over 200 miles of spectacular beaches along the coastline of the island that stretches for over 800 miles. 

Stamp

IX Congreso de Botanica 2006

Aloha from Hawai'i

Postcard

Aloha is a Hawaiian symbol. Aloha is the most Hawaiian word and in the Hawaiian language, it can mean hello or goodbye. Hawaii is the name of the entire state of Hawaii, as well as of the Big Island.

With 428 km of coastline, the Big Island of Hawaii is home to over one hundred diverse beaches.

Stamps

Ivory Coast | Cote D'Ivoire

Postcard

Ivory Coast is a West African state bordering Ghana in the east, Burkina Faso, Mali in the north, and Guinea and Liberia in the east. To the south lies the Atlantic Ocean.

The first Europeans to visit the area where the Portuguese and later other Europeans followed. Formal French colonial rule was introduced in the 1880s. In 1904, Ivory Coast became part of French West Africa until 1960 when the country regained independence from France.

The current population estimate is approximately 16 million. Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Ivory Coast, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro.

      Stamp

Bulgarian Churches

Postcard

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has its origin in the flourishing Christian communities and churches, set up in the Balkans as early as the first centuries of the Christian era. 

About 6.7 million Bulgarians, 85 percent of the population, are officially registered as belonging to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. 

Stamp

From a set of 6 stamps about historical sites and fountains (1999).

Sumrema Girl from Southern Ethiopia

Postcard

Ethiopia is a land locked country located in the Horn of Africa. Its is the second-most populated nation on the African continent, with over 91,000,000 inhabitants. Ethiopia is one of the oldest sites of human existence.

It is estimated that the Omo Valley is home to over 200,000 tribal people. Suri, also known as the Surma people live in the southwestern plains of Ethiopia.

Stamps

The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa.

From a set of 23! stamps, all picturing a Golden-backed Woodpecker.

Bridges over the River Liffey, Dublin

Postcard

The River Liffey flows through the center of Dublin. The River has many bridges, but some are more famous than others.

In the front you see Ha’penny Bridge. Probably the most famous bridge in Ireland, the Ha’penny Bridge was the first pedestrian bridge built to cross the Liffey. It is so called because of the toll of a half penny to cross the bridge. The name of the bridge changed to Liffey Bridge, which remains the bridge's official name to this day.

Stamp

A Pike.

The Non-Aligned Movement Monument from Guyana

Postcard

Guyana is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America. Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966. It is the only country in South America where English is the official language. 

The monument commemorates the 1972 Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned countries when it was held in Guyana in 1972. The monument was unveiled in honor of the founders of the Non - Aligned Movement: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, President Nehru of India and President Tito of Yugoslavia; the leaders who initiated the conference of Afro- Asian countries. 

Stamp

The Scarlet Ibis inhabits tropicalSouth America and islands of the Caribbean. 

Second Line Jazz Band, New Orleans

Postcard

The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. French Quarter architecture is a mix of Spanish, French, Creole and American styles. Plastered walls and single chimneys reflect laws enacted after fire virtually destroyed the city in 1788 and 1794. Cast iron balconies were added to many masonry buildings after 1850, when Baroness Pontalba included them on her fashionable row houses near Jackson Square.

New Orleans jazz musicians perform on street corners. At funerals and celebrations alike, the audience frequently joins in to “ second line” , dancing as they follow the jazz band through the streets.

Stamp

Two out a set of four Christmas stamps 2012.

Welcome to the... Bahamas

Postcard

“It’s quite literally heaven on Earth here. Just take one look at any of our breathtaking beaches, said to be sandier than most beaches in the region. Miles of pink or pure white powdery sand. Endless crystal-clear turquoise waves rolling onto the shore. And when you step into the ocean, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how clear the water is. You’ll see everything. Even your toes.”

The Bahamas is a country consisting of more than 3,000 islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, north of Cuba and Hispaniola.

Stamp

From a set of 16 stamps about Bahamas marine life (2012): the Bonefish.

Bonefishes, Albula vulpes, prefer reefs, shallows, estuaries, bays, grass flats, and other brackish areas. They are found worldwide in subtropical warm seas.

Ngo Mon of Hue, Vietnam

Postcard

The city of Hue served as the administrative centre of southern Vietnam (Dang Trong) in the 17th century and again in the 18th century.

Ngo Mon was constructed in 1833 during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang. Ngo Mon is the gate and leads to the Imperial Palace. It was the observation point for the Emperor to review his troops and for ceremonial use.

Stamps

A label.

Hwaseong Fortress from South Korea

Postcard

What is today a designated UNESCO World Heritage site was the main line of military defense for Suwon city in the late-18th century. Hwaseong Fortress is located just 30 kilometers south of the nation’s capital, and it can be said that none of South Korea's other fortresses have been preserved or restored to Hwaseong’s level.

The walls of Hwaseong Fortress run for over five kilometers and it’s full of wonderfully preserved architectural features including floodgates, observation towers, gates (even secret gates), and bastions.

Stamps

From a set of four stamps about Daejoyeong of the Balhae Kingdom (2011).

A postcard from the West Indies: Curacao

Postcard

“Un-drenched beaches, Clear Turquoise Ocean, and Unbelievable weather are just some of the few trademarks that make Curacao a true paradise to live in.”

Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea. The historic centre of the city consists of two quarters: Punda and Otrobanda. The original name of Punda was “ de punt”  in Dutch. Otrobanda, which was founded in 1707, is the newer section of the city and is considered to be the cultural center of Willemstad. Its name originated from the Papiamentu otro banda, which means "the other side."

Stamp

A blue and yellow Cherubfish with two stars of the Curacao flag.

Taraweeh prayers from The Holy Mosque | المسجد الحرام , Mecca

Postcard

The Holy Mosque,  also known as Al-Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the holiest mosque in the world and the primary destination of the Hajj pilgrimage. The mosque complex covers an area of 356,800 square meters and can accommodate up to 820,000 worshippers during the Hajj.

When the month of Ramadan begins, Muslims enter into a period of discipline and worship:  fasting during the day, and praying throughout the day and night.  During Ramadan, special evening prayers are conducted during which long portions of the Qur'an are recited.  These special prayers are known as Taraweeh.

Stamps

To document the celebration of the National Day for the current year 1433-2012. According to Islamic calendar it is the year 1433.

Islas de la Bahía | Bay Islands, Honduras

Postcard

"Honduras is filled with natural treasures – biosphere reserves, national parks, wildlife refuges – but most travelers come here for the mother lode: scuba diving on the Bay Islands. The three Islas de la Bahía – Roatán, Utila and Guanaja – lie along the southern end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-longest coral reef in the world.

Beneath the clear turquoise waters is a trove of unbelievable riches: vibrant coral, massive sponges, multicolored fish and large pelagic species, like manta rays, sea turtles and whale sharks."

Stamp

Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Ramlet Al Bayda beach, Beirut

Postcard

Ramlet Al Bayda is a public beach in Beirut, Lebanon. The beach is situated along the southern end of the Corniche Beirut promenade.

Stamp

A 2012 Christmas stamp.

Stavrovouni Monastery from Larnaca, Cyprus

Postcard

Stavrovouni is a hill in Cyprus, on top of which stands a Greek Orthodox Monastery. The monastery was constructed on the peak of the mountain of the same name in the District of Larnaca. Stavrovouni , as the name already says , is dedicated to the Holy Cross ; it can be derived from two words 'stavros '(cross) and 'vouno' (mountain).

Stamp

From a set of four stamps about London olympics 2012.

Gali Ali Beg Waterfall in the Iraq Kurdistan Region

Postcard

The Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region in federal Iraq. It borders Syria to the west, Iran to the east, and Turkey to the north.

The three northern provinces of Iraq blossomed into a quasi-independent state in the 21 years since the U.S. placed a protective umbrella - the 'no-fly zone' - over the region to stop a genocidal anti-Kurdish campaign waged by Saddam Hussein.  The area is Administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Turkey, Iran and Syria - all of which have sizeable Kurdish minorities they do not want to become autonomous - are viewing the KRG's progress with considerable concern. They fear full independence for Iraqi Kurdistan would set off a chain reaction in the region.

Erbil is a rich agricultural region and boasts some of the most ancient tourism sites in Iraq, along with beautiful mountains and waterfalls, like the Guli Ali Beg.

Los Portales de Toluca, Mexico

Postcard

Toluca or Toluca de Lerdo is the capital of the State of Mexico. After the creation of the State of Mexico in 1825, the state capital moved to different cities several times. Until in 1830, Toluca was finally designated as the constitutional capital of the State of Mexico. In 1832, the building of "Los Portales" was started in downtown Toluca.

Stamp

Saint Sava Temple | Храм Светог Саве from Serbia



Postcard

The Temple of Saint Sava is an Orthodox church which is dedicated to Saint Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The church is built on the Vračar plateau, on the location where it is believed the remains of St. Sava were burned in 1595 by the Ottoman Empire's Sinan Pasha.

Stamp

A label.

The Islands of Brijuni, Croatia

Postcard

The Brijuni Islands are a group of fourteen small islands in the Croatian part of the northern Adriatic Sea. the islands are a holiday resort and a Croatian National Park.

“Today, the islands are a holiday destination once again with strangest offer on the whole of the Adriatic coast. Where else you can find fossilized dinosaur footprints, giant greenhouses, pigeon aviary, donkeys, ostriches, deer’s, squirrels and hares and other animals freely loose, well tanned parks full of Roman ruins, among them one of the most fascinating Roman villas in Verige bay, beautiful sunsets, old Mediterranean holm oak trees or pine trees and pleasant shingle beaches in the same time?”

Stamps

From a large set of stamps about Croatian Ethnographic Heritage.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Postcard

Hawaii is a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959. It is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. The capital is Honolulu, located on the island of Oahu.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses two active volcanoes: Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive volcano.

Stamps

Kyrenia Harbour from Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Postcard

Northern Cyprus, is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus. Recognized only by Turkey, Northern Cyprus is considered by the international community to be occupied territory. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot populations culminated in 1974 with a coup d'état, an attempt to annex the island to Greece, and an invasion by Turkey in response.

The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarized zone, patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), that was established in 1974 following the Turkish invasion.

Located in the beautiful and richly historic town of Kyrenia in northern Cyprus, Kyrenia Harbour is a small but charming place. The harbour is filled with yachts and boats.

Stamp

From a set of stamps about Turkish Cypriot Artists (issued 2011).

Bula! from Fiji Islands

Postcard

Set in the tropical South Pacific. The Fiji islands are surely the essence of a tropical island paradise. White Sandy beaches, swaying coconut trees and pristine oceans. The country comprises an archipelago of more than 332 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited. The majority of Fiji's islands were formed through volcanic activity started around 150 million years ago.

Bula, like the Italian prego or the Hawaiian aloha, is a word in the Fijian language that is now imbued with a variety of meanings, each of which depend on the given the situation. The word (pronounced as boolah) literally means “life” and is most commonly used as a greeting, meaning “hello!”.

Stamp

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers: St Johns Ambulance.

With nearly 300,000 members in 42 countries, St John Ambulance has diversified to meet local community needs around the world. In addition to first aid activities, it has developed ophthalmic and dental care, primary health care, youth programmes, relief work and disaster planning.

Peggy's Cove - Nova Scotia

Postcard

Peggy’s Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margaret’s Bay in Nova Scotia.

According to legend, Peggy's Cove was named after the only survivor of a schooner that ran aground and sank in 1800... a woman named Margaret. Local folk called her "Peggy" and her home came to be known as Peggy's Cove. The original lighthouse was built in 1868.

Stamp

From a set of four stamps about Canadian baby wildlife: Moose calves.

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria - Australia

Postcard

The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia.

You won't see 12 of these rock formations all at once, as they say some may be hidden from view from any of the vantage points. But, more importantly, there are no longer 12 rock formations, because a few have been eroded away by the action of wind and waves.

Stamp

From a set of 5 stamps about Australian Bush Babies: the Kangaroo (issues 2011).