VANUATU

VANUATU.

Espiritu Santo island.
Third stamp in a set of 15, issued on 30.07.1980 (issue in French language).
Face value: 15 New Hebrides francs.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 576.
- Scott No. 282a.
- StampWorld No. 16.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 289F.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 585.

Espiritu Santo, commonly known as Santo, is the largest island in Vanuatu. Its area is 3,955.5 km² (1,527.2 sq mi). The highest peak on the island, and Vanuatu, is Mount Tabwemasana at 1,879 m (6,165 ft). The first Europeans to set foot on the island were the members of a Spanish expedition led by the Portuguese Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, who landed in 1606 and named it Austrialia del Espíritu Santo. It was not visited again by Europeans until Louis de Bougainville arrived there in 1768 and James Cook in 1774. Between May and August 1980, the island was the scene of a rebellion during the transfer of power from the colonial condiminium of New Hebrides to the new state of Vanuatu, and was proclaimed independent as the Republic of Vemerana by the Negriamel Movement. After independence, Vanuatu requested the help of Papua New Guinea, whose army invaded and conquered Espiritu Santo, which was integrated into Vanuatu.

LAOS

LAOS / ລາວ (French Union).

First definitive issue.
Mekong River.
First stamp in a set of 6. issued on 13.11.1951.
Face value: 0.10 French Indochinese piastre.
Printing: Recess.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 1.
- Scott No. 1.
- StampWorld No. 1.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1.

In 1893, the three territories of the former kingdom of Lang Xang (Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champasak) came under a French protectorate and were united to form what is now known as Laos. After a brief Japanese occupation during World War II, the country declared its independence in 1945, but the French reasserted their control and only in 1950 did Laos gain semi-autonomy as an "associated state" within the French Union. The definitive independence of the country was declared on December 2, 1975, after a bloody war. This stamp belongs to the first issue of Laos as part of the French Union.

The Mekong River is the longest in Southeast Asia, its estimated length is 4,350 km (2,730 mi) and flows through the lands of China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, countries in which it receives different names. Its sources are in the Himalayas, and it runs from north to south to its mouth in the South China Sea. Along the river are important cities, such as Luang Prabang and Vientiane, in Laos, and Phnom Penh, in Cambodia. In Laos it marks a large part of the borders with Myanmar and Thailand.

LIECHTENSTEIN

LIECHTENSTEIN.

Landscapes. Rhine embankment.
Second stamp in a set of 5, issued on 23.07.1959.
Face value: 20 rappen of Swiss franc.
Design: Josef Seger (Austria, 1908-1998).
Engraving: Courvoisier S.A.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 4,682,331 copies.
Size: 36 x 26 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 385.
- Scott No. 337.
- StampWorld No. 386.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 381.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 344.
- Zumstein No. 327.

The river Rhine forms the western border of Liechtenstein with Switzerland. In 1892, Switzerland and Austria-Hungary signed a treaty on the regulation of the river to avoid the numerous floods that used to cause, reducing its course by means of two cuts to increase the slope, raise the flow and avoid the deposition of sediments. The task, which also involved the canalization of the Rhine and the construction of embankments, known as Rheinregulierung (Regulation of the Rhine) or Rheinkorrektion (Correction of the Rhine) was partially finished in 1910, and completely in 1943, when the construction of the Canal of Liechtenstein, almost 25 km (about 15 mi) long, was completed.

JAMAICA

JAMAICA.

Definitive stamps.
Stylized map of Jamaica island and national flag.
Fifth stamp in a set of 16, issued on 04.05.1964.
Face value: 3 pence.
Printing: Photogravure.
Size: 29 x 25 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 223.
- Scott No. 221.
- StampWorld No. 226.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 221.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 228.

This stamp belongs to the first definitive set issued by Jamaica after its independence from the United Kingdom, proclaimed on August 6, 1962.

YUGOSLAVIA (Croatia)

YUGOSLAVIA (Croatia) / JUGOSLAVIJA (Hrvatska).

Tourism. Coast and mountains of Omiš.
Stamp issued on 15.05.1973.
Face value: 0.35 Yugoslav dinar.
Printing: Recess.
Size: 23 x 26 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 1516.
- Scott No. 1067.
- StampWorld No. 1544.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1646.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1393.

Omiš (Almissa, in Latin and Italian) is a town of Dalmatia, of about 6,600 inhabitants, located on the coast of the Adriatic Sea and, exactly, at the mouth of the Cetina river, 25 km (15.5 mi) southeast of the city of Split. It is protected by the eastern foothills of the Mosor Mountain, belonging to Dinaric Alps, on whose steep rocky slopes the fortress of Mirabella was built. The town, of very ancient origins, is historically known for having been a refuge for pirates, who were characterized by their attacks against the papal galleys and the merchant ships of the powerful Venice, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Split, which was the reason for frequent wars and successive agreements, which often ended with the payment of tributes to Omiš to ensure peaceful navigation. Currently the town and its surroundings are an important tourist destination.

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA / SUID-AFRIKA.

Opening of Hendrik Verwoerd Dam (now, Gariep Dam and Gariep Dam Reservoir).
Third stamp in a set of 3, issued on 04.03.1972.
Face value: 10 cents of South African rand.
Design: C. Bridgeford.
Printing: Photogravure.
Size: 61 x 24 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 411.
- Scott No. 370.
- South African Stamp No. 314.
- StampWorld No. 410.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 309.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 334.

This dam, whose construction began in 1965 and was opening in 1971, is located near the town of Norvalspont, bordering the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces. Was originally named the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam after Hendrik Verwoerd (whose profile appears on the stamp), the Prime Minister when the country changed from the Union of South Africa to the Republic of South Africa (in 1961), but the name was officially changed to Gariep Dam on 4 October 1996. The dam is on the Orange River, in a gorge at the entrance to the Ruigte Valley some 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Norvalspont. The structure is 88 m (289 ft) high and 914 m (2,999 ft) long, and the reservoir capacity is 5,340,000 megaliters (5,340 hm³). Gariep is original name of the Orange River in Khoekhoe language.

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA.

Navigators.
George Bass, navigator and explorer (1771-1803).
Fifth stamp in a set of 6, issued on 14.02.1966.
Face value: 2 Australian dollars.
Printing: Recess.
Engraving and printed by Note Printing Branch, Craigieburn (Voctoria) Australia.
Print: 12,609,100 copies.
Size: 24 x 29 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 378.
- Scott No. 416.
- Seven Seas No. 440.
- StampWorld No. 377.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 402.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 339.

George Bass, British surgeon, navigator and explorer, was born in Aswarby (Lincolnshire) on January 30, 1771 and disappeared at sea, off the coast of eastern Australia, in February 1803. Enlisted in the Royal Navy as a surgeon, he arrived in Sydney (New South Wales) on September 7, 1795. In October of the same year he set sail accompanied by Matthew Flinders, to explore coasts beyond those discovered by the colonists, the following year he explored more remote areas and in 1797 he came with Flinders to the strait that bears his name, between South Australia and present-day Tasmania, which he circumnavigated in 1798 and confirmed that it was an island. In January 1803 he undertook a journey from Sydney to New Zealand to locate fishing areas, but nothing was heard from him again.

FERNANDO POO

FERNANDO POO (now Bioko, Equatorial Guinea).

25th anniversary of the accession of General Franco to the Head of State, 1936-1961.
Maps of Fernando Poo and Annobón islands.
First stamp in a set of 4, issued on 01.10.1961.
Face value: 25 cents of Spanish peseta.
Printing: Photogravure.
Printed by F.N.M.T. (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre), Madrid.
Issue: 444,041 copies.
Size: 35 x 41 mm.

Catalogues
- Edifil No. 199.
- Michel No. 195.
- Scott No. 192.
- StampWorld No. 214.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 240.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 191.

The island of Fernando Poo (currently Bioko, in Equatorial Guinea) was a colony, from 1926, and later (from 1959 to 1968) a Spanish province in Africa, which included the island of Annobón. The surface of the island is 2017 km² (779 sq mi), and that of Annobón (or Pagalu), 17 km² (6.5 sq mi). Bioko's maximum height is the volcano Basilé, 3,011 m (9,878 ft), and that of Annobón, Mount Mazafin, 831 m (2,726 ft).

The island was populated between the 5th and 6th centuries by Bubi people from the mainland. In 1472 the Portuguese navigator Fernão do Pó (whose name was imposed, in Spanish, on the island) arrived, and in 1641 the Dutch West IndiaCompany centralized the slave trade from the Gulf of Guinea there. This trade passed into the hands of the Portuguese in 1648. In 1778 Portugal ceded the Guinean islands to Spain. At the end of the 19th century, Spain established a colonial government, under which there were serious clashes with the Bubi tribes, which did not end until 1910.

PHILIPPINES

PHILIPPINES / PILIPINAS.

World Tourist Conference, Manila.
Maria Cristina Falls (Talon ng Maria Cristina).
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 18.11.1959.
Face value: 30 cents of Philippine peso.
Printing: Photogravure.
Size: 30 x 45 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 643.
- Scott No. 808.
- StampWorld No. 649.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 838.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 491.

Maria Cristina Falls (also known as Twin Falls) is a waterfall of the Agus River in the municipality of Iligan, north of the island of Mindanao. They are 98 m (320 ft) high and their water flow, of about 130 m³ (4,591 cu ft) per second, is used by the Agus VI hydroelectric plant.

BARBADOS

BARBADOS.

1st anniversary of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA).
Partial map of the Caribbean Sea with the member countries of the Association highlighted.
First stamp in a set of 4, issued on 06.05.1969.
Face value: 5 cents of Barbadian dollar.
Printing: Photogravure,
Print: 273,076 copies.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 285.
- Scott No. 316.
- StampWorld No. 286.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 386.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 293.

The CARIFTA was organized on May 1, 1968, to provide a continued economic linkage between the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean. The 12 countries that made up the Association were: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Honduras (now Belize, which joined in May 1971), Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. The Association's Secretariat was based in Georgetown (Guyana). The CARIFTA was officially dissolved on May 1, 1974, and its members were integrated into the Caribbean Community (CARICOM or CC).

ASCENSION ISLAND

ASCENSION ISLAND.

Volcanic formations.
Flank of Sisters, Sisters Red Hill and Broken Tooth.
First stamp in a set of 5, issued on 04.09.1978.
Face value: 3 Saint Helena pence.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 232.
- Scott No. 230.
- StampWorld No. 232.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 236.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 233.

Ascension is an isolated volcanic island located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about 1,600 km (1,000 mi) from the coast of Africa and 2,300 km (1,400 mi) from the coast of Brazil. It was formed by the eruption of an underwater volcano about a million years ago. Its area is 88 km² (34 sq mi) and its highest elevation is 859 m (2,818 ft). The first European to see the island was the Portuguese navigator of Galician origin João da Nova on May 21, 1501, Ascension Day, and he named it Ilha da Ascensão; the first organized settlements did not take place until 1815, when the British used it as a garrison. The volcanic formations seen on the stamp are located in the north of the island.

BELGIUM

BELGIUM / BELGIQUE - BELGIË.

The struggle against Tuberculosis. Cities and landscapes.
Rock Bayard near Dinant beside the river De Maas.
Second stamp in a set of 6, issued on 02.12.1929.
Face value: 25 + 15 cents of Belgian franc.
Printing: Recess.
Print: 549,449 copies.

Catalogues
- AFA No. 276.
- COB No. 294.
- Michel No. 271.
- Scott No. B94.
- StampWorld No. 276.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 553.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 294.

Dinant is a French-speaking city of about 13,600 inhabitants in the province of Namur (Wallonia), in the Upper Meuse valley. Its settlement has prehistoric origins, and was inhabited by Celts and colonized by Roman troops in 52 BC. It was severely punished by the German army during the First World War and, again, in the Second World War, when it was bombed and partially set on fire.

The Rock Bayard (Rocher Bayard) is a curious 40 m (131.2 ft) tall rocky spire that, according to legend, was formed by a kick from the legendary horse Bayard while fleeing Charlemagne.

The river Meuse (in Dutch, Maas; in wallon, Moûse) is 925 km (575 mi) long. It crosses territories of France, Belgium and the Netherlands. It forms at an altitude of 409 m (1,342 ft) in the French department of Haute-Marne and empties into the North Sea, in the South Holland.

URUGUAY

URUGUAY.

150th anniversary of the Topography Directorate, 1831-1981. 
Stylized map of Uruguay.
Stamp issued on 03.12.1981.
Face value: 2 Uruguayan new pesos.
Design: Rubens Barragán.
Printing: Offeset lithography.
Printed by Imprenta Nacional, Montevideo.
Print: 100,000 copies.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 1635.
- Scott No. 1116.
- StampWorld No. 1634.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1793.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1095.

The National Topography Directorate (Dirección Nacional de Topografía) of the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works of Uruguay, located in Montevideo, was founded on December 3, 1831 with the creation of a Topographic Commission that was to draw up the first topographic chart of the country and with other objectives in the medium and long term, including carrying out studies, works and reports on surveying for the State, producing and maintaining the basic cartography of the entire country and preserving, guarding and managing basic geographic data of the national territory. From the foundation, a National Archive of Measurement Plans was established.

SOMALIA

SOMALIA / SOOMAALIYA - الصومال. 

Pan-African Telecommunication Circuit.
Simplified map of African continent.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 25.07.1971.
Face value: 2.50 Somali shilling.
Printing: Photogravure.
Printed by Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, Roma.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 175.
- Scott No. 373.
- StampWorld No. 175.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 528.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 133.

The Pan African Telecommunications Network (PANAFTEL) was established by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). In 1968, a team of experts recruited by the ITU, based in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), carried out a preliminary pre-investment survey in the countries of North and East Africa. In 1969, a second team, based in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), began similar work in West and Central Africa. The result of these works was a first telecommunications circuit between different countries, launched in 1971 through a network of cables and satellite dishes. This first attempt evolved in the following years and led to the creation, in 1999, of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) by 40 member states and 19 associated companies.

UNITED STATES

UNITED STATES.

National Parks.
Yellowstone Old Faithful geyser in eruption.
First stamp in a set of 3, issued on 30.07.1934.
Face value: 5 cents.
Printing: Recess.
Print: 30,000,000 copies.
Size: 27 x 40 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 368.
- Scott No. 744.
- StampWorld No. 585.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 743.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 332.

Yellowstone National Park, with an area of 3468.4 sq mi (8,983.2 km²), occupies territories of the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. It was the first national park to be established in the United States, in 1872. The relief of the park includes lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges, and also the Yellowstone caldera, the largest supervolcano in the American continent, currently inactive, but has erupted several times in the last two million years. Thanks to its continuous volcanic activity, Yellowstone is also home to half of the world's geysers and hydrothermal vents. Old Faithful geyser, located in Teton County (Wyoming), received this name in 1870. The eruptions, which last from one and a half to five minutes, can release between 3,700 and 8,400 US gallons (14,000 to 32,000 L) of water boiling at a height of 106 to 185 ft (32 to 56 m). The intervals between eruptions can vary from 60 to 110 minutes.

CYPRUS

CYPRUS / ΚΥΠΡΟΣ - KIBRIS.

First International Congress of Cypriot Studies.
Map of Cyprus island made by Willem Janszoon and Joan Blaeu in 1647.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 07.04.1969.
Face value: 50 mils of Cypriot piastre.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 628,985 copies.
Size: 42 x 29 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 318.
- Scott No. 325.
- StampWold No. 324.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 330.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 310.

Willem Janszoon Blaeu (Uitgeest or Alkmaar, 1571 - Amsterdam, October 21, 1638) was a Dutch cartographer and atlas editor. Disciple of Tycho Brahe, he acquired a basic experience in cosmography and celestial cartography. He opened his own printing press in Amsterdam, where he published practical guides for sailors, including Het Licht Der Zeevaart ("Navigational Light," 1608), based on Brahe's astronomical observations. His most notable works are Nova Orbis terrarum geographica ac hydrogen tabula (1606-1607), who uses the Mercator projection, and Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive Novus Atlas (1647), from which the map represented on the stamp is taken. From 1620s he worke with son Joan Blaeu (Alkmaar, September 23, 1596 - Amsterdam, May 28, 1673), who was a prominent cartographer.

ICELAND

ICELAND / ÍSLAND.

The Mount Herðubreið.
Stamp issued on 09.03.1972.
Face value: 250 Icelandic krónur.
Printing: Recess.
Print: 3,000,000 copies.
Size: 42 x 29 mm.

Catalogues
- AFA No. 461.
- Michel No. 460.
- Scott No. 438.
- StampWorld No. 461.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 491.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 413.

The Mount Herðubreið is a tuya volcano in northern part of Vatnajökull National Park, established in 2008. It is situated in the Highlands of Iceland at the east side of the Ódáðahraun desert and close to Askja volcano. The desert is a large lava field originating from eruptions of Trölladyngja and other shield volcanoes in the area. The Mount Herðubreið was formed by an eruption under a glacier. Its altitude is 1,682 m (5,518 ft), and it was climbed for the first time by Sigurður Sumarliðason and the German geologist Hans Reck on August 13, 1908 - the instability of its slopes made it for centuries considered inaccessible.

FRENCH SOMALILAND

FRENCH SOMALILAND / CÔTE FRANÇAISE DES SOMALIS (now DJIBOUTI).

Post of Khor Angar.
Second stamp in a set of 3, issued on 06.10.1947.
Face value: 60 cents of French Somaliland franc.
Printing: Photogravure.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 289.
- Scott No. 252.
- StampWorld No. 289.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 397.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 268.

Khor Angar (Khôr ʽAngar, in Arabic خور أنغار) is a strategic location on the coast of the Bab el Mandeb, the strait that separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden, in the Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean). It is located in a desert area, very dry and hot, of the Obock region, converted in 1884 into a French colony, which extended to the entire so-called French Coast of the Somalis (French Somaliland). From 1967 the colony was called the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas until June 27, 1977 when the independence of the Republic of Djibouti was proclaimed.

COLOMBIA

COLOMBIA.

Platinum production. Map of Chocó department.
Eleventh stamp in a set of 22, issued on 05.03.1956.
Face value: 20 cent of Colombian peso.
Printing: Recess.
Printed by Thomas de la Rue & Co., Ltd, London.
Print: 2,000,000 copies.
Size: 30 x 35 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 778.
- Scott No. 654.
- StampWorld No. 760.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 883.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 519.

The department of Chocó is located in the northwest of Colombia, on the border with Panama, and has coasts on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Its territory was explored for the first time in 1501 by Rodrigo de Bastidas, and in 1510 Vasco Núñez de Balboa founded there Santa María la Antigua del Darién, the first European city on America. The Spanish traders introduced African slaves, some of whom rebelled in 1728 and proclaimed their leader king. The clashes with the Spanish troops concluded with the proclamation of independence of Chocó on February 2, 1813. The municipality of Condoto became the world capital of platinum due to the extraction, legal and illegal, of that metal and also of gold.

MOROCCO

MOROCCO / المغرب - ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ.

Ait Aadel hydroelectric dam.
First stamp in a set of 2, issued on 03.03.1967.
Face value: 0.25 Moroccan dirham.
Design and engraving: Jean Dandine.
Printing: Recess.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 580.
- Scott No. 153
- StampWorld No. 586.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 199.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 517.

Ait Aadel hydroelectric dam, known as Moulay Youssef dam, on the course of the Tessaout River, is located about 90 km (56 mi) from the city of Marrakesh. Its capacity is 197 million m³ (6,957 M cu ft). It was designed by the French engineering company Coyne & Bellier and financed by the Soviet Union through a loan of 19.2 million US dollars. It is owned by the Office National de l'électricité (ONE). Construction work was completed in 1970, so the stamp's image is actually that of the project.

IVORY COAST

IVORY COAST / CÔTE D'IVOIRE.

Landscapes. Comoé River.
Airmail. Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 08.06.1963.
Face value: 200 West Africa CFA francs.
Design and engraving: Jean Pheulpin (1907-1991).
Printing: Recess.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 249.
- Scott No. C 24.
- StampWorld No. 254.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA 28.

The Comoé or Komoé River runs from north to south Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast. Its sources are in the town of Péni, between Banfora and Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso), it flows into the Ébrié lagoon, about 40 km (25 mi) east of the city of Abidjan, and its waters end in the Gulf of Guinea. It is 759 km (472 mi) long, and its basin occupies 82,408 km² (213,438 sq mi).

JAPAN

JAPAN / 日本.

Zaō Quasi-National Park (蔵王国定公園).
Crater of Mount Zaō.
Stamp issued on 15.03.1966.
Face value: 10 Japanese yen.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 24,000,000 copies.
Size: 36 x 26 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 923.
- Sakura No. P223.
- Scott No. 875.
- StampWorld No. 913.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1036.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 831.

The Zaō Kokutei Kōen (蔵 王国 定 公園) is a Quasi-National Park that extends in the Ōu Mountains between Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures. It was established in 1963, and its main feature is Mount Zaō, which is in fact a complex group of volcanoes, some of which are still active, in the north of the island of Honshu. Its maximum height is 1,841 m (6,040 ft). The crater of the central mount, named Okama (御 釜), formed by an eruption in 1720, contains a lake 360 m (1,200 ft) in diameter and 60 m (200 ft) deep.

POLAND

POLAND / POLSKA.

International Philatelic Exhibition POLSKA'93 in Poznań. 
Amber Road. Poland map in the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum atlas by Abraham Ortelius (1570). 
Miniature sheet issued on 29.01.1993.
Face value: 20,000 Polish złotych.
Design: Andrzej Jeziorkowski.
Print: 995,000 copies.
Size: 83 x 90 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. BL 121.
- StampWorld No. 3436.
- Stanley Gibbons No. MS 3457.
- Yvert et Tellier No. BG 131.

Abraham Ortelius (Antwerp, April 14, 1527 - June 28, 1598), also written as Oertel, Orthellius or Wortels, was a Flemish geographer and cartographer. Together with Mercator, he is the father of Flemish cartography. In 1575 he was appointed geographer to Felipe II of Spain, a position that allowed him access to the knowledge accumulated by Spanish and Portuguese explorers. His best known work is the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (published in Antwerp on May 20, 1570), considered the first modern atlas. Its first version contained 70 maps: 56 for areas of Europe, 10 for Asia and Africa, and one for each continent.

The Amber Road was an ancient trade route for the transport of amber, a precious material known as “northern gold”, from the coastal areas of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. Transportation was done for centuries by land and by waterway through the Vistula and Dnieper rivers to Italy, Greece, the Black Sea and even Syria and Egypt, as evidenced by archaeological finds. In Roman times, a main route ran south from the coast of present-day Lithuania, through present-day Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia to the Adriatic Sea.

-
Thanks to Kazimierz R. Leszczyński for his contribution (http://leszkarozdub.blogspot.com).

BELGIAN CONGO

BELGIAN CONGO / CONGO BELGE - BELGISCH-CONGO.

Overprinting stamps.
Inkisti Waterfalls.
Stamp issued on 01.01.1922.
Face value: 50 over 25 cents of Belgian franc.
Printed by Waterlow & Sons, London.
Printing: Recess.
Print: 145,350 copies.
Size: 31 x 24 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 62.
- Scott No. 78.
- StampWorld No. 90.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 105.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 99.

[This waterfall could not be identified.]

URUGUAY

URUGUAY.

URUEXPO 74.
250th anniversary of the fortification of Montevideo.
Map of Montevideo Bay by Domingo Petrarca (1719).
Stamp issued on 19.10.1974.
Face value: 300 Uruguayan pesos.
Design: Álvaro Sanjurjo Toucon (b. 1942).
Printed by Imprenta Nacional, Montevideo.
Printing: Offset Lithography.
Print: 100,000 copies.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 1325.
- Scott No. 891.
- StampWorld No. 1326.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1581.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 894.

Between 1680 and 1683, the Kingdom of Portugal founded the Colonia do Sacramento, on the banks of the Río de la Plata, opposite Buenos Aires, and on November 22, 1723 Manuel de Freytas Fonseca founded the fort of Montevideo. On January 22, 1724, the Spanish displaced the Portuguese and began to populate the new city. On December 24, 1726 it was designated as San Felipe and Santiago de Montevideo. In 1810 the capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was established there. In 1816, however, Portugal invaded the territory and in 1821 annexed the Banda Oriental to Brazil. Juan Antonio Lavalleja and his companions, the Treinta y Tres Orientales, reestablished independence in 1825. After the signing of the Preliminary Peace Convention and the consolidation of Uruguay as an independent State in 1828, the city became the national capital, and in 1829 the fortifications began to be demolished.

Domingo Petrarca was a military engineer of Italian origin in the service of the Crown of Spain. In 1717, before the advance of the Portuguese, he was commissioned to design a plan of the bay of Montevideo, which was published in 1719. In 1724, after the founding of Montevideo, he planned the fortifications and designed the city where they would stay the new families. The place and date of his birth are unknown, but it is known that he died in Buenos Aires in 1736.

PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL.

Landscapes and monuments series.
Cape Girão, Madeira Island.
Third stamp in a set of 4, issued on 06.12.1972.
Face value: 10 Portuguese escudos.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 35 x 26.

Catalogues
- Afinsa No. 1142.
- Michel No. 1191.
- Scott No. 1131.
- StampWorld No. 1180.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1458.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1140.

Cape Girão is a cliff located on the southern coast of the island of Madeira. It is diamond-shaped and stands at 580 m (1,900 ft) above sea level (it is one of the highest cliffs in Europe). It is located between two river valleys that flow into the Atlantic Ocean. In October 2012, a clear glass walkway was opened at the top of the cliff, offering impressive views.

VANUATU

VANUATU.

Map of Erromango island (native name: Nelocompne).
First stamp in a set of 13, issued on 30.07.1980 (issue in French language).
Face value: 5 New Hebrides francs.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 574.
- Scott No. 280a.
- StampWorld No. 14.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 287F.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 583.

Erromango, Nelocompne in the native language, covers an area of 891.9 km² (344.4 sq mi). Is the fourth largest island in the Vanuatu archipelago. The island, in the Coral Sea, is an ancient underwater volcano that rose above sea level due to tectonic movements. It was colonized by the Lapita people from Southeast Asia about 3,000 years ago. James Cook was the first European to set foot on the island on August 4, 1774, and from 1804 whalers were regular visitors. The discovery of large sandalwood reserves attracted many outsiders, and during the 19th century this sparked conflict between indigenous people and traders. The missionaries had great difficulty establishing themselves on the island. Before Vanuatu's independence (July 30, 1980) Erromango was part of the Franco-British condominium of the New Hebrides.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

CZECHOSLOVAKIA / ČESKOSLOVENSKO.

16th Communist Party Congress Goals and Projects.
Map of telecommunications.
First stamp in a set of 3, issued on 20.10.1984.
Face value: 1 Czecoslovakian koruna.
Design: Jaroslav Kodejš (b. 1938).
Engraving: Miloš Ondráček (b. 1936) and Václav Fajt (b. 1952).
Printing: Photogravure and recess.
Print: 17,520,000 copies.
Size: 44 x 27 mm.

Catalogues
- AFA No. 2637.
- Michel No. 2786.
- Scott No. 2531.
- StampWorld No. 2783. 
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2753.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2604.

The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (Komunistická strana Československa, KSČ) was founded at the Congress of the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party held in Prague between May 14 and 16, 1921 and remained active until 1992 (except during the German occupation of the country in WWII). Its first leader was Václav Šturc (1858-1939). The KSČ exercised power in the country from 1948 to 1989. The "Law on the illegality of the communist regime and resistance against it", passed in 1993 in the Czech Republic, made it illegal in the new Republic.

BURUNDI

BURUNDI.

1st anniversary of Independence and King Mwambutsa IV.
Simplified map of Burundi.
Second stamp in a set of 4, issued on 01.07.1963.
Face value: 8 Burundian francs.
Printing: Photogravure.
Size: 51 x 31 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 54A.
- Scott No. 48.
- StampWorld No. 58.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 52.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 55.

From the end of the 18th century Burundi was a Tutsi kingdom of feudal character. After several incursions by European explorers and missionaries, in 1894, despite internal resistance, the country became an integrated colony in German East Africa. After the First World War, the territory passed into the power of Belgium, which in 1922 established the Ruanda-Urundi colony until the Kingdom of Burundi declared its independence on July 1, 1962. King Mwambutsa IV (Mwami Mwambutsa), ethnic Tutsi, then established a constitutional monarchy, abolished by a military coup on November 28, 1966 and the proclamation of a one-party dictatorial republic. Between 1993 and 2005 the country suffered a bloody civil war between Tutsis and Hutus, which was characterized by terrible massacres.

ISRAEL

ISRAEL / יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ - إِسْرَائِيل

Nature reserve.
Tahana waterfall, in the Naal Iyon stream.
Second stamp in a set of 5. issued on 21.01.1970.
Face value: 0.03 Israeli lira.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 2,758,000 copies.
Size: 26 x 40.5 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 457.
- Scott No. 403.
- StampWorld No. 456.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 433.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 395.

The 21 m (69 ft) high Tahana waterfall is in the course of the Nahal Iyon stream, a tributary of the Jordan River, which originates in southern Lebanon and forms a small nature reserve there. It is located in the the strategic town of Metula, the northernmost of Israel, in Upper Galilee, on the border with Lebanon, from which it is separated by the Blue Line established by the United Nations on June 7, 2000.

CANADA

CANADA.

Point Pelee National Park.
Stamp issued on 10.01.1983.
Face value: 5 Canadian dollars.
Design: Wayne Terry and William Tibbles.
Printing: Offset litography and recess.
Printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd, Ottawa.
Print: 19.675,000 copies.
Size: 48 x 30 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 862.
- Scott No. 937.
- StampWorld No. 862.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 885.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 827.

The Point Pelee National Park (Parc national de la Pointe-Pelée) is located in the southwest of the province of Ontario. It consists of a peninsula of land, primarily forest and salt marsh habitats, stretching into Lake Erie, very close to the United States border. Its total area is 15 km² (5.8 sq mi). It is the southernmost continental area of Canada. It was created in 1918. Before the park was created, the Great Lakes Ornithological Club was established in that area to study bird migration.

TURKEY

TURKEY / TÜRKİYE.

Eastern Mediterranean Optical System, EMOS-1.
Simplified map of Eastern Mediterranean.
Stamp issued on 13.05.1991.
Face value: 500 Turkish lira.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Printed by Ajans-Türk A. Ş., Ankara.
Size: 26 x 36 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 2924.
- Scott No. 2505.
- StampWorld No. 2958.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 3116.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2672.

The Eastern Mediterranean Optical System (EMOS-1) is a fiber optic cable linking Palermo (Italy) with Lechaina (Greece), Marmaris (Turkey) and Tel Aviv (Israel), which was created in Turkey in 1991. The ship CS Vercors laid the cable. Each pair of fibers are capable of transmitting 1920 telephone calls in each direction. The connection was expanded by CIOS (Cyprus-Israel Optical System) in April 1994. Since then, other cables have been laid, providing high-capacity links between Israel and abroad.

CUBA

CUBA.

Cuba in a map of Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1762).
Third stamp in a set of 4, issued on 12.11.1973.
Face value: 13 cents of Cuban peso.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 1927.
- Scott No. 1852.
- StampWorld No. 1931.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2084.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1727.

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, or Bellini (Paris, 1703 - Versailles, 1772) was a French geographer and cartographer. In 1721 he was appointed hydrographer (chief cartographer) at the French Hydrographic Office. He was a member of the Académie de Marine and the Royal Society of London. In 1741 he became the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Deposit of Maps and Plans of the Navy (the French hydrographic office) and was appointed hydrographic officer to the King of France. During his more than fifty-year career, he produced a large number of seas maps from around the world, including a large map of the sea of France called Neptune François, the Maritime Atlas, the Française hidrografique and the Petit Atlas Maritime en 5 volumes, containing 580 finely detailed miniatures.

UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC (UAR) - Egypt

UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC - Egypt.

New planes for United Arab Airlines.
Air routes map from Cairo, and Ilyushin 18 plane.
Airmail stamp issued on 02.03.1969.
Face value: 55 milliemes of Egyptian pound.
Printing: Photogravure.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 909.
- Scott No. C122.
- StampWorld No. 382.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 976.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA 113.

In January 1961 Misr Air merged with Syrian Airways to form United Arab Airlines (UAA) as a result of the new political relations between Egypt and Syria, although this agreement was short-lived. It retained its name for a time, but was eventually replaced by Egyptair in October 1971.

LIBERIA

LIBERIA.

Cape Mesurado (or Cape Palmas ?).
First stamp in a set of 12, issued in 1920.
Face value: 1 Liberian cent.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 191.
- Scott No. 183.
- StampWorld No. 251.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 402.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 168.

The place represented in the stamp is under discussion. It is mainly considered that it is the Cape Mesurado, but some catalogs mention the Cape Palmas.

The Cape Mesurado, also called Cape Montserrado, is a promontory on the Liberian coast, in the Mamba Point neighborhood, the northernmost of the capital, Monrovia, very close to the mouth of the Saint Paul River. It was named Cabo Mesurado by Portuguese sailors in the 1560s, who assured that the place was inhabited. The first African-American settlers settled in that place on April 22, 1822. In 1855 a lighthouse was built there. At the beginning of the 19th century and until 1815 there was a base for the slave trade.

The Cape Palmas is located in the southern Liberia town of Harper, just over 20 km (12 mi) from the Ivory Coast border. The International Hydrographic Organization considers this cape to be the westernmost point of the Gulf of Guinea and the dividing line of the Atlantic Ocean between North and South. The place was discovered in 1458 by the Portuguese navigator Diogo Gomes, who named it Cabo das Palmas.

FAROE ISLANDS

FAROE ISLANDS / FØROYAR.

Map of Hestur island.
First stamp in a set of 5, issued on 07.09.1987.
Face value: 270 Faroese oyra.
Design: Ole Wich (b. 1953).
Engraving by Czesław Słania (1921-2005).
Printing: Offset lythography and recess.
Print: 440,000 copies.

Catalogues
- AFA No. 148.
- Michel No. 154.
- Scott No. 161.
- StampWorld No. 148.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 149.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 148.

Hestur (in Danish, Hestø) is one of the 18 islands that make up the Faroe archipelago, in the North Atlantic. Its area is 6.1 km² (2.4 sq mi) and its maximum elevation is in the Eggjarrók and Múlin mountains, both of 421 m (1,381 ft). The oldest Viking settlement, from the High Middle Ages, was Hælur, at the southern tip of the island. The school in the town of Hestur, on the east coast, was built in 1890 and the church in 1910; in 1913, the Bygdin pier was also established in its vicinity. Since January 1, 2005, the entire island is part of the municipality of Tórshavn, the largest in the archipelago. The total stable population of the island is about 40 inhabitants.

TUNISIA

TUNISIA / تونس.

Tourism.
Tabarka Rocks.
Last stamp in a set of 4, issued on 24.08.2001.
Face value: 500 millimes of Tunisian dinar.
Photo: Jacques Pérez (n. ca. 1936).
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 41 x 28 mm-

Catalogues
- Michel No. 1487.
- Scott No. 1248.
- StampWorld No. 1495.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1472.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1422.

Tabarka Rocks (Les aiguilles de Tabarka, in French) is a rock formation that makes imposing cliffs on the Mediterranean coast of northwestern Tunisia, north of the municipality of Tabarka (طبرقة), about 100 km (62 mi) from the city of Tunis and very close to the border with Algeria.

PARAGUAY

PARAGUAY.

Vindication of the Boreal Chaco.
Map of Paraguayan Chaco.
Stamp issued in 1936 (1935?).
Face value: 1.50 Paraguayan pesos.
Printing: Typography.
Size: 37 x 41.5 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 404.
- Scott No. 324.
- StampWorld No. 426.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 442.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 334.

Paraguay and Bolivia faced each other in the so-called Chaco War (Guerra del Chaco; Cháko Ñorairõ in Guaraní) from September 9, 1932 to June 12, 1935, due to the dispute over the northern territory of the semi-desert region of the Gran Chaco or Chaco Boreal (Bolivian Chaco for Bolivia), where it was presumed that there were large oil deposits, a presumption that was later proven false. Finally, the Treaty of Buenos Aires, signed on June 12, 1935, awarded three-quarters of the territory to Paraguay and a quarter to Bolivia, thus ending the war. It was the bloodiest interstate military conflict ever fought in South America during the 20th century, between two of its poorest countries; both had lost territory to neighbors in the wars of the 19th century.

SWEDEN

SWEDEN / SVERIGE.

350th Anniversary of Hydrographic Service, 1643-1993.
Map of the Öregrund archipelago and Captain Johan Månsson.
First stamp in a set of 2, issued on 02.10.1993.
Face value: 2.90 Swedish krona.
Engraving: Martin Mörck (b. 1955).
Printing: Recess.
Print: 10,000,000 copies.
Size: 32 x 25 mm.

Catalogues
- AFA No. 1725.
- Michel No. 1797.
- Scott No. 2033.
- StampWorld No. 1799.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1706.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1779.

The small archipelago of Öregrund is a group of islands belonging to the municipality of Östhammar, very close to the coast of the county of Uppsala. It is part of the coastal area of Roslagen. The largest of the islands seen on the stamp is Gräsö, 93.26 km² (36.01 sq mi). Its length is 30 km (18.64 mi) and its average width is 6 km (3.73 mi). The map reproduced on the stamp was drawn by Johan Nordenancher in 1800.

Johan Månsson (? -1659), captain of the Swedish Admiralty and in charge of training the Crown pilots, designed in 1644 the first Swedish nautical chart, known as Een siö-book som aconhåller om siöfarten i Östersiön, published in 1645. 

SPAIN

SPAIN / ESPAÑA.

Hispanic community.
Map of the bay and the city of San Juan de Puerto Rico (1792).
Last stamp in a set of 4, issued on 12.10.1972.
Face value: 8 pesetas.
Printing: Photogravure.
Printef by Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre, Madrid.
Print: 6,000,000 copies.
Size: 29 x 41 mm.

Catalogues
- Edifil No. 2110.
- Michel No. 2005.
- Scott No. 1737.
- StampWorld No. 2011.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2168.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1764.

Puerto Rico was an overseas territory of the Spanish Crown from the arrival of Christopher Columbus (who named the island San Juan Bautista) on November 6, 1493 until the promulgation of the Autonomy Charter of Puerto Rico in 1897, and administratively it was a Spanish province from 1897 to the Spanish-American War of 1898. Shortly after the arrival of Columbus, the city of San Juan became the most important military post in America. In 1508, Juan Ponce de León was appointed governor of the island and founded the original settlement, Caparra, to the west of the current metropolitan area. The map reproduced on the stamp, from 1792, is the work of the Spanish engineer Francisco Mestre, and is kept in the Military Historical Service in Madrid.

SOUTH WEST AFRICA

SOUTH WEST AFRICA / SUIDWES-AFRIKA - ZUIDWEST-AFRIKA. 

Map of area of Caprivi Strip.
Last stamp in a set of 4, issued on 06.11.1986.
Face value: 30 cents of South-African rand.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 599.
- Scott No. 577.
. StampWorld No. 598.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 556.

The Caprivi Strip is a geographical overhang in the northeast corner of Namibia. It is surrounded by Botswana to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north. Namibia, Botswana and Zambia meet at a single point at the eastern end of the Strip, which is also 100 m from Zimbabwe. The territory was acquired by then German South-West Africa to provide access to the Zambezi River and consequently a route to the German East African coast (its German name is Caprivizipfel). Within Namibia, the Strip is administratively divided between the Kavango East and Zambezi regions. It is crossed by the Kavango River. The Kwando River is part of its border with Botswana and the Zambezi River is part of its border with Zambia. The width of the strip varies from about 32 km (20 mi) to 105 km (65 mi). Its largest settlement is Katima Mulilo, located at the point where the Zambezi River reaches the Strip. Caprivi was named after the German Chancellor Leo von Caprivi, who negotiated the acquisition of the land in 1890 through an exchange with the Great Britain.

NETHERLANDS

NETHERLANDS / NEDERLAND.

450th anniversary of the Council of State (Raad van State).
Maps of Netherlands in 1531 and 1981.
Stamp issued on 01.10.1981.
Face value: 65 cents of Dutch guilder.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 63,421,000 copies.
Size: 26 x 37 mm.

Catalogues
- AFA No. 1190.
- Michel No. 1188.
- NVP No. 1227. 
- Scott No. 615.
- StampWorld No. 1188.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1364.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1158.

The Council of State (Raad van State) is a constitutionally established advisory body in the Netherlands for the government and the States General. It is officially made up of members of the royal family and members appointed by the Crown. It was founded in 1531. It is what is commemorated on this stamp. When in 1581 the Duke of Anjou became temporarily recognized as the new sovereign of the Dutch rebel provinces, a new Council of State was appointed to replace Philip II of Spain as the supreme authority of the Dutch Republic.