Former island of Schokland | Netherlands

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Schokland is a former island in the Dutch Zuiderzee. The island was an attractive settlement area in the Middle Ages, but by the 19th century it was under continuous threat of flooding due to the rise in sea level. A major flood in 1825 brought massive destruction, and in 1859 the government decided to end permanent settlement on Schokland. 

 

Schokland and surroundings is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995.

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Classic cars from the Louwman museum: Spyker. The Louwman Museum in The Hague exhibits one of the oldest private collections in the world. 

1816 - 2016 celebrations | Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

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Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are a small group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, near Canada’s Newfoundland. The archipelago is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France. The only place you can see Canada from France! 

The islands have quit a turbulent history, ending up in deportation of the inhabitants in 1794, leaving the islands deserted until 1816. In 2016 SP&M celebrates the returning of inhabitants to the islands 200 years ago. Today the islands of SP&M have about 6,500 inhabitants.

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French stamp with SP&M overprint.

Thank you so much for sending!

City of Berat | Albania

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Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. Together with city of Gjirokastra inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Both rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period.

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The 190th Anniversary of the First Locomotive. Part of a set of four stamps, issued 2015.

Hanseatic City of Cologne (Köln) | Germany

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The Hanseatic League, also called Hanse was founded by north German towns and German merchant communities abroad to protect their mutual trading interests. The league dominated commercial activity in northern Europe from the 13th to the 15th century.

 

Together with Lübeck, Bremen and Hamburg, Cologne was one of the most important cities in the league.

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200 Years of The Card Game “Skat”

Skat originated in the German town of Altenburg. Its existence was first recorded 200 years ago, and it is Germany’s most popular card game. 

Kasbah of Aït Benhaddou | Morocco

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Aït Benhaddou is a fortified city located in the Ounila Valley, Ouarzazate province in Morocco. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987.

Sunrise over Wizard Island | USA

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Wizard Island was created after a violent eruption of Mount Mazama, a large stratovolcano, approximately 7,700 years ago. The top of the island rises about 230 m above the surface of the lake.

The island is part of Crater Lake National Park, a United States National Park located in southern Oregon.

Historical architecture in Paramaribo | Suriname

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Paramaribo is a three hundred-year-old colonial town with many wooden buildings in the old center.

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Dominated by rain forest, Suriname contains many flowers but is most famous for water lilies and orchids.

Thx David!

Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia

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Ulaanbaatar is the capital and, with 1.3 million inhabitants, the largest city of Mongolia. The city is home to 40% of the country’s population. No bigger contrast possible between the city dwellers and the (semi) nomadic life of the other 60%.  

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Yurts have existed for thousands of years in Central Asia, in virtually the same form as they exist today. They are ideal dwellings for the nomadic cultures of the Central Asian steppe. 

The dogs that saved Macquarie Island | Australia

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Macquarie Island is located halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. The island is a long, thin strip, 34km long and about 5km wide. One of the few points of land in that part of the planet where native birds and other wildlife can breed.

Since humans visited the island in the early 1800’s, the island got infested by all kind of rabbits and rodents. Introducing cats to the island wasn’t a good idea when the growing cat population became a problem itself. In the early 1980s myxomatosis was introduced and it helped for a while.

In 2007 a new approach was launched. It involved killing most of the rabbits with baits dropped from helicopters, then bringing in detection dogs to eliminate any survivors. On 8 April 2014 Macquarie Island was officially declared pest-free after seven years of conservation efforts.

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The vital role played by dogs in eradicating rabbits and rodents from Macquarie Island has been commemorated in a special stamp series.

Kangaroo Island | Australia

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Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. The island is located about 13km off the coast near Adelaide. It is known for its spectacular landscapes and amazing diversity of wildlife. So you will find not only kangaroos.

Remarkable rocks are one of the signature landmarks on the island. It took millions of years for rain, wind, and pounding waves to create these granite boulders which are now part of the Flinders Chase National Park.

 

Located on Kangaroo Island, Seal Bay has been home to an Australian sea lion population for thousands of years.

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Part of a series of (I guess 26) alphabet stamps.   

thx Steve!

Eldred Rock Lighthouse | Alaska USA

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Eldred Rock Lighthouse is the oldest original lighthouse in Alaska. First lit on June 1, 1906 and one of the remotest lighthouses in North America, the Eldred Rock Lighthouse was built after some disastrous shipwrecks. Especially during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush, when the Lynn Canal was full of steamships bringing miners to the Yukon.

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75th anniversary forever stamp.  For 75 years, Batman has protected Gotham City from the forces of evil. Since his debut, he has become one of the most iconic super heroes in history.

Poda Island | Thailand

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Poda Island (Koh Poda) is a small limestone island with beautiful white coral sand beaches and crystal clear water. The circular island is no more than a kilometer in diameter, covered in palm trees and almost entirely encircled by a soft white sand beach. Koh Poda is the largest of all the four islets in Poda Group Islands.

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The stamp is part of a set of 10 definitives ‘Seaside in Thailand’. This stamp depicts Hong Island.

Maiga Island | Malaysia

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Maiga Island is one the eight islands of the Semporna Islands Park. The park is the largest Marine Park, covering 340 sq kilometers of sea and corals reef and 10 sq kilometers of land. It comprises eight islands: Bohey Dulang, Bodgaya, Sebangkat, Selakan, Mantabuan, Sibuan and Maiga. The first two are the remains of an old volcano.

 

Maiga Island is inhabited by a small population of Sea Bajau who live in wooden houses built on stilts in the sea.

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Part of a set of six stamps about horse-riding: Unit Berkuda PSP PDRM. The mounted police unit of Malaysia. Here you see two more stamps from this series: #1 #2

Hanseatic League member Koszalin | Poland

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Koszalin is a city in the north of Poland, located near the Baltic Sea. Dating back to the 12th century, the city has a rich history. Koszalin was a member of the Hanseatic League.

The Hanseatic League was a late-medieval network of economically largely independent long-distance trade merchants which was based on trust, reputation and reciprocal relations. With 180 member cities, the Hanseatic League was a powerful trading confederation for 300 years.

Hanseatic City of Königsberg | Prussia

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Kaliningrad is a seaport city and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. Before WWII Kaliningrad was the East Prussian city of Königsberg. After World War II Königsberg was placed under Soviet administration and renamed Kaliningrad.

During World War II the city of Königsberg was largely destroyed by a British bombing attack and the Soviet offensive. Here you see a picture from the same point of view as on the postcard.

Königsberg joined the Hanseatic League in 1340 and developed into an important port for the south-eastern Baltic region.

t Huys Optenoord in Hanseatic City Doesburg | Netherlands

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Doesburg is a small city in the eastern part of The Netherlands, situated on the right bank of the river IJssel. Doesburg was granted city rights in 1237. Even today the medieval street-pattern is still completely intact. 

The city center has 150 listed monuments, reflecting Doesburg’s rich history. One of these monuments is t Huys Optenoord. Doesburg is one of the seven Dutch ‘Hanzesteden’ (Hanseatic Towns) situated along the river ‘IJssel’. 

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Part of a large series of stamps with flowers and butterflies.

Hanseatic City of Toruń | Poland

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Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The city is located in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. It is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. The old town of Toruń is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In 1280 the city joined the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns.

One of the smallest primates: Philippine Tarsier

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Tarsiers are primates (a group including lemurs, monkeys, apes and humans) found only in the islands of Southeast Asia. 

The Philippine Tarsier can be found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly on the islands of Bohol. It measures only about 85 to 160 mm (3.35 to 6.30 inches) in height, making it one of the smallest primates. 

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Bandera newspaper 25th Anniversary commemorative stamp. 

Common Brushtail Possum | Australia

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Common Brushtail Possums live in urban areas, forests and woodlands all over Australia. These possums were introduced to New Zealand in the 1830s but are considered a pest there. While in Australia it is a protected species.

 

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This stamp commemorates the founding of the first "official" settlement in Victoria at Portland by the Henty family, on the 19 November, 1834. The stamp shows the Leadbeater's Possum, only to be found in Victoria. (issue 1984)

Thx Steve!

Tkon village, Pašman island | Croatia

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Tkon is a typical fishing village and port, located on the island of Pašman, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia.  Pašman is surrounded by the islands Ugljan, Iž, Dugi otok and Kornati. It is the 12th island in Croatian archipelago by land area.

The uninhabited islets surrounding Pašman island are frequented by bottlenose dolphins.

Ngalawa boat on the shore of Pangani river | Tanzania

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Pangani River is located in northeastern Tanzania. Ngalawas are sailingboats (actually canoes) with a double outrigger for stability and a triangular sail. Used for short distance transport of goods or people or serving as a fishing boat.

View from Thethi | Albania

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Theth is a community in northern Albania, located at the centre of the Theth National Park. Surrounded by the Albanian Alps the area has wonderful landscapes with waterfalls, caves and canyons.

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The stamps on the left is part of a series of 4 stamps titled Cultural Heritage Day.

September 29 marks the National Day of Cultural Heritage in Albania. The day to commemorate restorers, architects, researchers, and scientists, folklore handlers and handicraftsmen, who have contributed in shaping and studying Albanian heritage.

The stamp on the right is part of a set of four stamps about antique silver, issued 2011.

Luanda, the Capital of Angola

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Luanda is the capital and largest city in Angola with about 6 million inhabitants. The city is the world's most expensive city for expatriates because of the high cost of rent, imported goods and security.

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This is actually a prepaid postcard. Maianga is one of the six municipalities of the administrative division of the province of Luanda.