Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

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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.

Palio di Siena | Italy

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The Palio di Siena, known locally simply as Il Palio, is a horse race that is held twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards.

The race itself, in which the jockeys ride bareback, circles the Piazza del Campo, on which a thick layer of earth has been laid. The race is run for three laps of the piazza and usually lasts no more than 90 seconds.

Thanks you very much Luca and Raffaella!

Masai Tribe | Tanzania

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The life of this pastoral nomadic tribe revolves around their cattle, off whose milk and blood they almost entirely live.

Mother and Child | The Gambia

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Gambia is one of the smallest countries in Africa: A long narrow strip of land at almost 500 kilometers in length and 50 kilometers in width. The country is surrounded by Senegal.


Carrying on the head is a common practice in many parts of the world. People have carried burdens balanced on top of the head since ancient times, usually to do daily work.

breaking news: a postcard from Equatorial Guinea!

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Not often these days I receive a postcard from a country new to my collection. But today a postcard from Equatorial Guinea found its way to my mailbox. Already sent in March!

Equatorial Guinea is a small country in West Africa with 1,2 million inhabitants. The country is divided into two parts, the mainland and the islands. The country's capital, Malabo is located on Bioko Island. Equatorial Guinea  is a former Spanish colony, bordering Cameroon and Gabon.

Did you know that it is the richest country per capita in Africa? But because the wealth is distributed extremely unevenly only few people have benefited from the oil riches. As a result, less than half of the population has access to clean drinking water and 20% of children die before reaching the age of five.

Maskarada Festival | Bonaire

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A group of people get on the streets and dance with colourful costumes and masks to welcome the new year. It is tradition that the Maskarada begin on New Year’s Day serenading and entertaining Bonaire’s Lt. Governor. After that, they will have two full days of visiting families in various neighborhoods of Bonaire.

They are fully costumed, so no one knows their identities. Not a word is spoken. That is, until the end of the day, when they are finally un-masked, and we learn just who has been entertaining us all day!

It is most likely that this traditon had African roots and was brought to the island by slaves. It reminded me of this postcard from Belize about Joncunu.

Easter carnival | Nigeria

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A colourful carnival is held each year in Lagos, Nigeria, at Easter time featuring fabulous costumes and street parties.

Pottery from Burundi

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Burundi is famous for its pottery. The Natives of Burundi, the Batwa are the ones which are expert in pottery. The pottery are called inkono.

The potters make pots for cooking and recipients to grow plants. The pots are also used to preserve food. In Burundi, there is always food in the house for a visitor.

What would he think about all this? Ataturk | Turkey

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Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was a Turkish army officer, revolutionary, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey.

A military coup is underway in Turkey against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. How will this end?

Portrait of an Afghan Girl

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Afghan Girl is a 1984 photographic portrait by journalist Steve McCurry which appeared on the June 1985 cover of National Geographic.

The women pictured is Sharbat Gula (born ca. 1972), an Afghan woman who was living as a refugee in Pakistan during the time of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan when she was photographed.

Traditional dancers of Papua New Guinea

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New Guinea is the world's second-largest island, after Greenland. Papua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern part the island. The other half belongs to Indonesia. PNG is an archipelago of about 600 islands and 7 million inhabitants.

 

PNG has been an independent country since 1975 and is one of the 53 members of the Commonwealth. So the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. She is represented by a Governor-General.

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2015 XV Pacific Games - Port Moresby PNG

Konedobu is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.

thx SL!

Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba | Togo

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Koutammakou is the name of a wide semi mountainous area in North-East Togo, along the Beninese border. The area is home to the Batammariba whose remarkable mud tower-houses (Takienta) have come to be seen as a symbol of Togo.

 

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The stamp on the right depicts the cathedral of Lomé, the capital and largest city of Togo.

A group of Yao initiates in Malawi

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Malawi is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa with about 15 million inhabitants. The country is bordered by Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania. The Yao are one of the three major ethnic groups in Malawi. The Yao is are primarily subsistence farmers, growing crops in the savannahs surrounding the lake.

 

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A 2014 Christmas stamp and a stamp part of a set of stamps depicting the Big Five of Africa. 

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. 

Porto Novo, the capital of Benin

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Porto-Novo is the official capital and second largest city of the West African nation of Benin. The “Big Mosque” of Porto-Novo is actually a replica of a Catholic Church in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil.

 

On the bottom left you see what appears to be Voodoo ceremony. Benin is the birthplace of the Voodoo cult. From where it spread over the whole world due to slave trade, to Northern and Southern America and the Caribbeans where it has found its own interpretations.

Masaai | Kenya

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The Maasai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley.

 

Between the ages of about 14 and 30, young men are traditionally known as morans. During this life stage they live in isolation in the bush, learning tribal customs and developing strength, courage, and endurance. 

Valley of a Thousand Hills | South Africa

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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.

King Mswati III of Swaziland

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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.

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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!

Les Antilles Françaises | Guadeloupe

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The Antilles is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. There are Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles, Windward Islands and Leeward Islands (eg Guadeloupe). They all make up The Antilles.

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Atlantic Puffin. Part of sheet with four different bird-stamps, issued 2012.

The ROC code on the postmark, however hardly visible, reads 37752A. ROC stands for ‘Référentiel des Organisations du Courrier’. The geographical locations are not mentioned on the postmark, only the ROC code. 37752A refers to Pôle Caraïbes, the airport of Guadeloupe. 

Thx Olga!

From the heart of Africa: Burundi

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Thank you David for sending this postcard from Burundi! The kid on this postcard is probably just enjoying a swim but the picture reminded me of the messages about the floods in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura.

 

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Batteurs royaux et danseurs du Burundi. A group of traditional musicians from Burundi and dancers that perform complex percussion music. Their performances are a part of ceremonies such as the coronation of a new king.