Picture Postcard Paradise... Angola

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Angola is a country in Southern Africa bordered by Namibia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. Luanda is the capital city.

Mussulo is a peninsula located south of Luanda, a sandbar about 30km long formed by sediment from the river Kwanza. It looks like a tropical paradise to me. An ideal place for rest and relaxation. The calm waters of the bay favors the practice of water sports like diving, windsurfing and snorkeling.

 

Thank you so much www.eco-tur.com

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A machine label. The currency of Angola is the Kwanza (Kz).

The Gulf of Morbihan

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The Gulf of Morbihan is a natural harbour in the south of Brittany, France. The Gulf is an inland sea about 10 miles long by 6 miles wide and dotted with picturesque islands, about 40 in total. Many of these small islands are private property.

 

The two largest, Île aux Moines and Île d'Arz are public, each with a tiny car-free village, once of fishermen but now over-run with tourists.

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Part of a mini sheet with 4 stamps about the four ‘Chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle’. In medieval times Via Turonensis (Way of Tours) was the most westerly of the four traditional pilgrim routes.

Sanday, one of the Orkney Islands

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Sanday is one of the larger inhabited outer islands of Orkney.  There are around 70 islands and islets in the Orkney archipelago, which is situated about 6.2 miles (10 km) from the Scottish mainland. The island has a population of around 550.

 

Sanday island is dominated by sand dunes (hence its name) and unspoilt beaches. Start Point lighthouse is the island’s distinctive lighthouse with black and white vertical stripes, built over 200 years ago.

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The stamp is issued by Universal Mail, a private or alternative mail provider. The stamps can be used only to send postcards to any destination outside of the UK. This one depicts Loch Ness together with Scottish flag. 

Wooden Churches in Slovakia

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Wooden churches of the Slovak Carpathians Mountain Area is the name of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of nine wooden churches in Slovakia. The churches, built between the 16th and 18th centuries, are located in eight different locations in Slovakia.

In addition to these churches there are about 50 more wooden churches in the territory of present-day Slovakia. None of the listed churched are on this postcard.

Wooden Tserkva of Smolnik

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Smolnik is a village located in south-eastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine.

Wooden Tserkvas of Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine are a group of wooden Orthodox (and some Eastern Catholic) churches located in Poland and Ukraine, built of horizontal wooden logs between the 16th and 19th centuries. The churches were inscribed in 2013 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.  

Saint Mary's Monastery, Croatia

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Saint Mary's is a 12th century Benedictine Monastery located on an isolated little island in Mljet National Park in Croatia. Actually it is an island in a lake on another island.

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Part of a set of 4 self-adhesive stamps (for international use) about Croatian undersea world (issued 2014). This stamp depicts Yellow-tube sponge.  

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. 

The Island of Ameland and Lighthouse

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Ameland is one of the West Frisian Islands off the north coast of the Netherlands. The island has a population of 3,500.

The 55 metres high lighthouse on the island was built in 1880 but since 2005 the lighthouse is not in use anymore.

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The stamp is part of a souvenir sheet about having fun on the beach (issued 2007).

The Island of Hooge

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The Halligen are ten small German islands without protective dikes. The islands are to be found in the Schleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer National Park (Unesco WHS).  Hooge is one of these islands.

Unlike the other Hallig islands, Hooge is surrounded by a high stone dyke, which nevertheless fails to prevent it from being inundated by the North Sea during the winter months. During these periods of submersion, only the island's warfts are visible: man-made hills on which the houses of Hooge's inhabitants are located. Hallig Hooge has 10 of these warfts and about 120 inhabitants.

Robben Island, South Africa

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Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. During the apartheid years Robben Island was used to isolate opponents of apartheid and to crush their morale. Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of the 27 years he was imprisoned on the island.

 

Since 1997 Robben Island has been a museum acting as a focal point of South African heritage. The island was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999.

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In 2010 South Africa issued 13 stamps about crafts. This stamp depicts Zulu Neckpieces. 

Ischigualasto Provincial Park in Argentina

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Ischigualasto Provincial Park is located in the north-east of the San Juan Province of Argentina. El Submarino is a number of rocks that look like a submarine when viewed from a certain angle. Since 2000 Ischigualasto is an Unesco World Heritage Site, together with neighboring Talampaya National Park. 

Thx Ruben!

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

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Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, on the east bank of the Río de la Plata, only 50km from Buenos Aires by ferry. It is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay, founded by the Portuguese in 1680. The city was of strategic importance in resisting the Spanish.

Its historic quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps
The stamp is part of a set of four stamps about insects. This one depicts ‘bicho torito’ or ‘little bull bug’ in English.

The other stamp depicts a sculpture made by Octavio Podesta (1929 - ) a famous artist from Uruguay. 

Thx Ruben! 

Bujumbura, capital of Burundi

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The Republic of Burundi is a small landlocked country in east central Africa, bordering Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

 

Bujumbura is the capital and largest city of Burundi. The city is located at the north-eastern corner of Lake Tanganyika. Bujumbura has a population of about 330,000.

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In 2012 Burundi issued a mini-sheet of stamps with birds on the red list. Hyacinth Macaw and Military Macaw are both endangered species of parrots.

Monte Carlo | Monaco

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Monaco is a tiny country hidden amongst the south of France, the second smallest country after Vatican city. With only 32,000 inhabitants.  

The small picture on the left shows the Monte Carlo casino. Did you know that if you happen to be a local, the Monte Carlo Casino is a no-go area?. The citizens of Monaco are prohibited from playing here. In fact, you’ll be asked to show your passport at the door.

The small picture on the right is the Prince's Palace of Monaco, the official residence of the Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert II.  

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Monaco is one of the 14 members of SEPAC (Small European Postal Administrations Cooperations). The 2014 Sepac issues have a common theme “flowers”. Monaco’s issue depicts the Protea, a typical flower of …South Africa. Well, Charlene, Princess of Monaco is of South African origin.

Isle of Man Heritage Railways

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A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram. It is one of the earliest forms of public transport. The Douglas Horse Trams have been in existence on the Isle of Man since 1876.

The Manx Electric Railway was built between 1893 and 1899 and connects the Island’s capital, Douglas, with Laxey in the east and Ramsey in the north. Two of the trams in use are the oldest regularly operated tram cars in the world.

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It looks as like originally two stamps were attached. 

Vaduz, capital of Liechtenstein

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This card depicts many interesting sites in Liechtenstein: Castle of Vaduz, Townhall, view on city of Vaduz, Gutenberg Castle in Balzers and Government building.

 

Vaduz is the capital of the principality of Liechtenstein and the seat of the national parliament. The city has about 5,100 inhabitants but it is not the largest: neighboring Schaan has a larger population.

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Part of a set of 9 stamps issued in 2000 picturing villages in Liechtenstein. Schaan is the largest city of Liechtenstein by population (just under 6,000) and area. 

Horse herders in Mongolia

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Mongolia is known as the land of the horse, and Mongols have a reputation for being the best horsemen on Earth. Nowhere are horses more central to daily life than in Mongolia. Horses are still widely used for travel, herding, hunting, and sport. Even in the twenty-first century, Mongolia remains a horse-based culture.

The lives of the Mongolian horse herders revolve around their animals. Catching and riding the wild horses is a difficult task!

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Galileo Galilei (1564 –1642) was an Italian physicist, mathematician, engineer, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the scientific revolution.

In 2014 Mongolia issued a set of 6 stamps with famous scientists.

Mangyongdae Native House, North Korea

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Mangyongdae is located in the outskirts of Pyongyang, the capital of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Mangyongdae Native House is the birthplace of Kim Il-Sung (1912–1994), the leader of North Korea, from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994.

Erbil | ھەولێر Capital of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq

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Erbil (also known as Arbil, Irbil or Hewlêr) is the largest city and capital of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. Until recently one of the more peaceful regions in Iraq.

(Reuters) - The British government told its citizens to leave parts of Iraqi Kurdistan, including the regional capital Arbil, on Friday as the sweeping advance of Islamist militants brought them closer to Kurdish territory.

The government said the security situation could deteriorate quickly after fighting in the last two days to the southwest of Arbil, where many Western oil workers and executives are based, so British citizens in the regional capital of 1.5 million people should leave immediately.

This follows attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on towns to the Southwest of Erbil (Arbil) on 6-7 August.

Thx Steve!

Australia versus... the rest of the world

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

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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!

Podgorica, capital of Montenegro

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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.

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

Thank you very much Chris!

Church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters | Andorra

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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.

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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.

Isle of Palms South Carolina

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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. 

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Two USA Forever stamps: cycling.