NAURU

NAURU / NAOERO.

Independence.
Simplified map.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 11.09.1968.
Face value: 10 cents of Australian dollar.
Printed by Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia.
Printing: Photogravure.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 84.
- Scott No. 87.
- Seven Sea Stamps No. 84.
- StampWorld No. 101.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 95.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 84.

Nauru (Nauruan: Naoero), is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its surface is 21 km² (8.1 sq mi) and its estimated population in 2021, about 11,000 inhabitants. Nauru is a phosphate-rock with rich deposits near the surface, but the phosphate was exhausted in the 1990s, and the remaining reserves are not economically viable for extraction. To earn revenue, Nauru became a tax haven and center for illegal money laundering. From 2001 to 2008, and again from 2012, it accepted aid from the Australian government in exchange for hosting a controversial offshore immigration detention center. Nauru was occupied by Micronesians about 3,000 years ago. The first westerner to sight the island was John Fearn, captain of the ship Hunter, in 1798, and he named it Pleasant Island. In the second half of the 19th century, Nauru fought a civil war, which was ended by its annexation to the German Empire, which made it a colony in 1888. After the First World War, Nauru became a League of Nations mandate administered by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In August 1942, during World War II, it was occupied by Japanese troops and liberated by the Royal Australian Navy on September 13, 1945. After the war, the country came under the United Nations trusteeship. Nauru gained its independence on January 31, 1968 and became a member of the Pacific Community in 1969.

NEW HEBRIDES

NEW HEBRIDES / NOUVELLES-HÉBRIDES CONDOMINIUM.

Definitive stamps.
Port Vila and Iririki Island.
Third stamp in a set of 11, issued on 03.09.1957 (issue in French language).
Face value: 15 New Hebrides goldcentimes.
Printing: Recess.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 185.
- Scott No. 100 (French issue).
- StampWorld No. 185.

- Stanley Gibbons No. 98 (French issue).

- Yvert et Tellier No. 177.

Port Vila is the capital and the most populous city of Vanuatu (44,039 inhabitants according to the 2009 census). Located on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, it is the economic and commercial center of the country, and its port and airport are the most important in Vanuatu. The area occupied by Port Vila has been inhabited by Melanesian people for thousands of years. An archaeological expedition discovered in 2004 a burial site of 25 tombs containing three dozen skeletons of members of the Lapita culture; Pieces of ceramics found at the site were dated to the 13th century BC. The first Europeans to land on the site, in May 1606, were Portuguese explorers led by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós and Luís Vaz de Torres. At the end of the 19th century, French citizen Ferdinand Chevillard purchased land around present-day Port Vila to turn it into the largest French plantation on the island. Thus was born the municipality of Franceville, which declared independence on August 9, 1889. From 1887, the territory of the New Hebrides was administered jointly by the French and the British, and in 1906 it was formalized as an Anglo-French condominium, which it was maintained until the independence of Vanuatu (July 30, 1980).

Iririki Island (0.18 km² or 0.07 sq mi) is located in Mele Bay, opposite Port Vila. Since 2004 it has been privately owned by an Australian businessman, who since 2018 has managed a resort and a casino.

ALBANIA

ALBANIA / SHQIPERIA.

Tourism.
Grunas Canyon near Theth.
Fourth stamp in a set of 6, issued in 3.1965.
Face value: 4 Albanian lek.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 80,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 929.
- Scott No. 804.
- StampWorld No. 938.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 890.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 755.

The Grunas Canyon (Albanian: Kanioni i Grunasit) is located in the course of the Theth River (Lumi i Thethit), south of the town of Theth, in the Theth National Park (Parku Kombëtar i Thethit), in northern Albania. It is one of the biggest attractions of the Albanian Alps (the southernmost subrange of the Dinaric Alps). It has become a very popular place for tourism and for those who practice water sports, especially rafting.

SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE

SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE / SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE

Navigation history.
Map of São Tomé Island (1602).
Minisheet issued on 21.12.1979.
Face value: 25 São Tomé and Príncipe dobra.
Printed by Format International Security Printers Ltd.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 128 x 98 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. B38.
- StampWorld No. 630.

São Tomé and Príncipe (Potruguese: São Tomé e Príncipe), is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western coast of Gabon, in Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. A estimate population was 223,100 in 2021. The islands were uninhabited until their discovery by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century. Gradually colonized and settled throughout the 16th century, they collectively served as a vital commercial and trade center for slave trade. The country became independent from Portugal on July 12, 1975.

BARBADOS

BARBADOS.

350th Anniversary of the First Settlement.
John Ogilvy Map, 17th century.
Third stamp in a minisheet of 4. issued on 17.12.1975.
Face value: 25 Barbadian cents.
Design: PAD Studios.
Printed by John Waddington Security Print Ltd., Kirkstall, Leeds, UK.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 29 x 43 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 401.
- Scott No. 430.
- StampWorld No. 402.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 540.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 407.

In 1625, the first settlers arrived to Barbados from other Caribbean islands, and in 1627, the first permanent settlers arrived from England, and the island became an English and later British colony. During this period, the colony operated on a plantation economy, relying on the labor of enslaved Africans who worked on the plantations; Final emancipation of the enslaved population in Barbados occurring over a period of five years following the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. On November 30, 1966, Barbados became an independent state and real Commonwealth, and November 30, 2021, the island transitioned to a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. Barbados's population is predominantly of African descent.

John Ogilby (1600 –1676) was a Scottish translator, printer and cartographer. Best known for publishing the first British road atlas, he was also a successful translator, noted for publishing his work in handsome illustrated editions. In 1674 Ogilby had been appointed "His Majesty's Cosmographer and Geographic Printer" and in 1675 he issued his Britannia atlas which included such details as the configurations of hills and the relative size of towns. The map of Barbados represented on the stamp was made in 1670.

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Thanks to Dragan Buškulić for his contribution (https://worldofstamp2.wordpress.com/).

FINLAND

FINLAND / SUOMI.

200th Birthday of Johan Vilhelm Snellman.
Map of the first railway connection with St. Petersburg.
Last stamp in a minisheet of 4, issued on 11.01.2006.
Face value: 0.65 euro.
Design: Päivi Vainionpää.
Printed by Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem, Netherlands.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 300,000 copies.
Size: 42 x 24.5 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1768.
- LaPe Finland No. 1773.
- Michel No. 1784.
- Scott No. 1252d.
- StampWorld No. 1792.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1750.

The first rail line in Finland, between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, was opened on March 17, 1862. An extension from Riihimäki to the new Finland Station in Saint Petersburg was opened in 1870. However, the Finnish and Russian rail systems remained unconnected until 1912. Who promoted the connection Helsinki-St. Petersburg was Johan Vilhelm Snellman. The Ilmarinen locomotive, represented on the stamp, was the first used on this line.

MONGOLIA

MONGOLIA / МОНГОЛ УЛС

Protected Fauna in Mongolian Wildlife Reserves.
Bulgan Gol National Park and Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber).
Second stamp in a set of 7, issued on 30.09.1974.
Face value: 20 Mongolian mïngö.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 60 x 40 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 888.
- Scott No. 796.
- StampWorld No. 880.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 853.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 739.

Bulgan Gol National Park (Mongolian: Булган Гол), in western Mongolia near the Chinese border, is centered on the Bulgan River (Chinese: Ulungur, 乌伦古河), which divides into many meandering streams, lakes, and wetlands as if flow through the valley in the park. The area is an important stopover for migratory birds; Species in the park include the vulnerable eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), and the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber, depicted on the stamp). The Bulgan River, about 700 km (435 mi) long, originates in the Altai Mountains, and flows westward into Ulungur Lake in Xinjiang, China. The national park, established in 2011, covers an area of 2,461 km² (950 sq mi).

VIETNAM

VIETNAM / VIỆT NAM

Hàm Rồng Bridge over the Mã River, reconstructed.
Stamp issued on 17.05.1964.
Face value: 12 Vietnamese xu.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 1,500,000 copies.
Size: 57 x 25 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 318.
- Scott No. 308.
- StampWorld No. 318.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 315.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 376.

The Hàm Rồng Bridge (Vietnamese: Cầu Hàm Rồng), spanning the Mã river, is situated 4.0 km (3 mi) northeast of Thanh Hóa city. Originally built by the French in 1904, during the colonial era in Vietnam, it was sabotaged by the Viet Minh in 1945. From 1957, the Vietnamese started rebuilding it and completed in 1964. In 1965 during the Vietnam War, it was the objective of many attacks by US Air Force and US Navy aircraft which would fail to destroy the bridge until 1972, even after hundreds of attacks. The bridge was restored in 1973. The final bridge was 160 m (540 ft) long, 17 m (56 ft) wide, and about 15 m (50 ft) above the river. The bridge consists of two spans of steel girders, in the middle there is a railway track, on both sides there is a car track and a pedestrian sidewalk.

COSTA RICA

COSTA RICA.

Economic development and social progress.
Irrigation canal in Guanacaste.
Airmail. Last stamp in a set of 10, issued on 05.05.1982.
Face value: 4.05 Costa Rican colones.
Printed by Casa Gráfica, San José.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 35 x 35 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1159.
- Scott No. C871.
- StampWorld No. 1164.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1263.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA852.

Guanacaste (Nahuatl: Kwahnakastlan) is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern region of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north. The province covers an area of 10,141 km² (3,915 sq mi) and as of 2022, had a population of 404,774. Guanacaste's capital is Liberia. In pre-Columbian times, most of the province's territory was part of the Kingdom of Nicoya (Nahuatl: Nekok Yaotl). Since 1787, a large part of the territory of the current province was a Spanish colonial political-administrative unit with the name of Partido de Nicoya; Through a plebiscite held on July 25, 1824, said territory decided to join the State of Costa Rica, and in 1835 it was renamed the Department of Guanacaste. In the 1980s, infrastructures began to be built, such as the canal represented on the stamp, to favor the development of agriculture. Currently, the economy of the province is based mainly on tourism and agricultural activities.

IRAN

IRAN / ایران

Shahnaz [Ekbatan] Dam Inauguration.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 08.06.1963.
Face value: 14 Iranian rial.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1161.
- Scott No. 1250.
- StampWorld No. 1160.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1294.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1032.

The Ekbatan Dam (Persian: سد اکباتان, known as Shahnaz before the Islamic Revolution) is located on the Abshineh River, in Hamadan province, about 10 km (6.20 mi) southeast of the city of Hamadan. It was built between 1959 and 1963 to supply drinking and agricultural water to the region. It was originally 54 m (177 ft) high, and was later added another 25 m (82 ft) due to population growth and increased water needs. The reservoir (دریاچه سد اکباتان) he created has an area of 60 hectares and a depth ranging between 18 and 32 m (59 and 105 ft). The lake is a place of passage for numerous migratory birds.

LITHUANIA

LITHUANIA / LIETUVA.

EUROPA Issue.
Trakai in Lake Galvė.
First stamp in a set of 2, issued on 14.04.2001.
Face value: 1.70 Lithuanian litas.
Design: G. Pempė.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 500,000 copies.
Size: 35.5 x 30 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 753.
- Michel No. 756.
- Scott No. 691.
- StampWorld No. 757.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 756.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 663.

Lake Galvė (Lithuanian: Galvės ežeras) is located in southeastern Lithuania, within the Trakai Historical National Park, at an altitude of 148.5 m (487.20 ft). Its length from northwest to southeast is 3.28 km (2.03 mi), and its maximum width is 1.96 km (1.21 mi). It has a perimeter of 20.1 km (12.5 mi) and a depth of 13.6 m (44.62 ft). It contains 21 islands, among which the 2.2-hectare Castle Island (Pilies sala) stands out for its historical importance, where the Trakai Castle (Trakų salos pilis), built in the 14th century, is one of the main tourist attractions from Lithuania. On the southern shore of the lake is the Trakai peninsula, with the city of Trakai (5,375 inhabitants in 2022) and the ruins of another castle (Pusiasalio pilis), from the second half of the 14th century. In Trakai there is a significant Karaite community.

UNITED KINGDOM, England

UNITED KINGDOM. England.

Birth Bicentenary of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Royal Albert Bridge over River Tamar.
First stamp in a minisheet of 6, issued on 23.02.2006.
Face value: 1st Class (no face value).
Design: Hat-Trick.
Printed by Joh. Enschedé Stamps, Haarlem, Netherlands.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 60 x 21 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 2588.
- Michel No. 2385.
- Scott No. 2353.
- StampWorld No. 2368.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2607.
- Unificato No. 2779.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2731.

The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall. Its unique design consists of two 138.7 m (455 ft) lenticular iron trusses 30.5 m (100 ft) above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives it a total length of 666.8 m (2,187.5 ft). The bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Surveying started in 1848 and construction commenced in 1854. The first main span was positioned in 1857 and the completed bridge was opened by Prince Albert on May 2, 1859, two days before the railway was opened to the public.

SPAIN

SPAIN / ESPAÑA.

Missions of the Capuchin Fathers in the Orinoco.
Map of a part of the Orinoco River by Pablo Díaz Fajardo (1733).
First stamp in a set of 5, issued on 12.10.1968.
Face value: 40 cents of Spanish peseta.
Printed by F.N.M.T. (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre), Madrid.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 8,000,000 copies.
Size: 26 x 41 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1888.
- Edifil No. 1889.
- Michel No. 1782.
- Scott No. 1547.
- StampWorld No. 1788.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1947.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1549.

In 1681 the Catalan Capuchin Fathers were authorized to cross the Atlantic to carry out evangelization in American lands. However, until 1722 they did not obtain the first fruitful results. In 1772 two of them, Benet de la Garriga and Marià de Mataró, went up the Orinoco River, crossed the Gran Sabana and entered lands still unknown to Europeans, on the banks of the Caroní River; they were later joined by other religious of the same order. 28 Capuchin missions were established, linked together by a network of roads. Although the task of these missionaries began to decline at the end of the 18th century, the Capuchins paved the way for other religious and lay expeditionaries. In the first decades of the 20th century some missions were still active.

The map reproduced on the stamp was made in 1733 by the Spanish soldier Pablo Díaz Fajardo, who gave his name to the island that can be seen in the upper part, at the confluence of the Caroní River with the Orinoco, where the current Ciudad Guayana is located.

IRAQ

IRAQ / العراق

9th Anniversary of the July 14 Revolution.
Opening of Um Qasr Port.
Last stamp in a set of 4, issued on 14.07.1967.
Face value: 40 Iraqi fils.
Printed by De la Rue.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 40 x 25 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 491.
- Scott No. 442.
- StampWorld No. 488.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 762.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 477.

Um Qasr port is Iraq's is strategically important, located on the western edge of the al-Faw peninsula, where the mouth of the Shatt al Arab waterway enters the Persian Gulf. It is separated from the border of Kuwait by a small inlet. Um Qasr was originally a small fishing town, but was said to have been the site of Alexander the Great's landing in Mesopotamia in 325 BC. During the Second World War a temporary port was established there by the Allies to unload supplies to dispatch to the Soviet Union. In 1950s the government of King Faisal II sought to establish a permanent port there in the 1950s, and In 1958 after the coup d'etat of the Iraqi Army known as the July 14 Revolution, the Iraqi Navy established a base there. The port opened for business in July 1967. The Battle of Umm Qasr (March 2003) was the first military confrontation in the Iraq War, with its objective the capture of the port. On 23 May 2003, control of the facility was transferred from the Spanish Army operating under the British Royal Marines. The restoration works of the port were carried out between January and May 2004.

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA.

Ramsar Wetlands.
Blue Lake.
Third stamp in a set of 4, issued on 22.02.2021.
Face value: 3.40 Australian dollars.
Design: Sonia Young.
Printed by Ego Print.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 37.5 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 5273.
- Scott No. 5259.
- StampWorld No. 3981.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 5412.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 5048.

The Blue Lake is located in the Kosciuszko National Park alpine area of New South Wales. It was recognised as a wetland of international importance on March 17, 1996 when a 320-hectare (790-acre) area, comprising the lake and its surrounds, including nearby Hedley Tarn, was designated Ramsar Site 800 under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands. The lake lies within the Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves, at an altitude of 1,890 m (6,200 ft) above mean sea level, in a glacial landscape. It is 16 hectares (40 acres) in area and 28 m (92 ft) deep.

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Thanks to Dragan Buškulić for his contribution (https://worldofstamp2.wordpress.com/).

MADAGASCAR

MADAGASCAR / REPOBLIKAN'I MADAGASIKARA.

Landscapes.
Nosy Antafana Islands.
Stamp issued on 22.05.2015.
Face value: 100 Malagasy ariary.
Size: 36 x 30 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 2686.
- Scott No.
- StampWorld No. 2752.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1434.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1919.

The 1,000-hectare Nosy Antafana Marine Park on the northeast coast of the Indian Ocean is made up of three islets: Nosy Antafana, Nosy Rangontsy and Nosy Hely. It is part of the Mananara-Nord National Park, established in 1989 and declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1990. The Nosy Antafana Islands have become a major tourist attraction for their beaches, coral reefs, mangroves and rock formations, but also for its important colony of bats. However, they face a growing deterioration of the corals and their clandestine extraction.

TANZANIA

TANZANIA.

Rift Valley and Lake Manyara.
Thirt stamp in a set of 5, issued on 22.07.2003.
Face value: 500 Tanzanian shilingi.
Printed by Calcutta Security Printers Ltd.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 39 x 29 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 4105.
- Scott No. 2278.
- StampWorld No. 4133.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2361.

The East African Rift is an active continental rift zone in East Africa. It began developing around the onset of the Miocene, 22–25 million years ago. In the past it was considered to be part of a larger Great Rift Valley that extended north to Asia Minor. The East African Rift consists of two main branches. The Eastern Rift Valley includes the Main Ethiopian Rift, running eastward from the Afar Triple Junction, which continues south as the Kenyan Rift Valley. The Western Rift Valley transects through Ethiopia, Kenya, Congo DR, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, and it includes a number of active and dormant volcanoes, among them: Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, Mount Longonot, Menengai Crater, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Meru and Mount Elgon, as well as the Crater Highlands in Tanzania.

Lake Manyara is a lake located in Monduli District of Arusha Region, Tanzania. Its surface area is 470 km² (180 sq mi). It is a shallow, alkaline lake in the Natron-Manyara-Balangida branch of the East African Rift. The northwest quadrant of the lake (about 200 km²) is included within Lake Manyara National Park and it is part of the Lake Manyara Biosphere Reserve, established in 1981 by UNESCO as part of its Man and the Biosphere Programme. The lake is in a closed basin with no outflow, wherein water is only lost by evaporation. It is fed by underground springs, but the vast majority of the inflow comes from rainwater fed permanent and ephemeral rivers that drain the surrounding catchment. In extreme dry periods the surface area of the lake shrinks as the waters evaporate and at times the lake has dried up completely.

COMOROS

COMOROS / UNION DES COMORES - UDZIMA WA KOMORI.

Port Mamutzu (Mamoudzou).
Airmail. Ninth stamp in a set of 17 (overprinted), issued on 01.08.1975.
Face value: 100 (over 90) Comorian francs.
Design: Pierrette Lambert (b. 1928).
Printing: Photogravure.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 238.
- Scott No. C84.
- StampWorld No. 219.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA84.

Mamoudzou is, since 1977, the capital of Mayotte, a French overseas region and department in the Indian Ocean. When the referendum for the independence of the Comoros Islands was held (December 22, 1974), Mayotte voted to remain linked to France, while the State of Comoros proclaimed its independence on July 6, 1975. Mamoudzou is the most populated commune (municipality) of Mayotte (71,437, according to the 2017 census). It is located on Grande-Terre (or Maoré), the main island of Mayotte. In the background of the seal you can see the promontory of Pointe de Mahabou.

DENMARK

DENMARK / DANMARK.

EUROPA issue.
Vejlerne nature reserve and great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus).
Firtst stamp in a set of 2, issued on 28.04.1999.
Face value: 4.50 Danish krone.
Design: Jens Gregersen.
Engraving: Arne Kühlmann Hansen (1939-2017).
Printing: Offset lithography and recess.
Print: 6,300,000 copies.
Size: 24 x 31 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1209.
- Michel No. 1211.
- Scott No. 1152.
- StampWorld No. 1214.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1168.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1215.

This protected area as a bird sanctuary is located in the Hanherred district, northwest Jutland, north of the Limfjord. It covers an area of 60 km² (23 sq mi), and in 1958 it was declared a nature reserve. Vejlerne is the largest bird sanctuary in Northern Europe and one of the most important breeding and resting areas for waterfowl. In the reserve, which is owned by the Aage V. Jensen Nature Foundation, more than 300 species of birds have been recorded, of which 130 have reproduced. There is also a significant population of otters and another, not so numerous, of red deer.

AUSTRIA

AUSTRIA / ÖSTERREICH.

50th anniversary of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Fuscher Törl Pass.
Stamp issued on 02.08.1985.
Face value: 4 Austrian schilling.
Design: Otto Zeiller.
Engraving: Wolfgang Seidel (b. 1946).
Printing: Photogravure and recess.
Print: 3,550,000 copies.
Size: 44 x 34 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1714.
- ANK No. 1853.
- Michel No. 1822.
- Scott No. 1322.
- StampWorld No. 1867.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2062.
- Unificato No. 1651.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1651.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road (in German Großglockner Hochalpenstraße) is the highest surfaced mountain pass road in Austria. It connects Bruck in the state of Salzburg with Heiligenblut in Carinthia via Fuscher Törl Pass (represented in the stamp) at 2,428 m (7,966 ft) and Hochtor Pass at 2,504 m (8,215 ft). The road, opened on August 3, 1935, is named after the Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain. Built as a scenic route, a toll is assessed for passage.

SYRIA

SYRIA / سُورِيَة

Port of Latakia.
Airmail. Second stamp in a set of 4, issued on 25.12.1950.
Face value: 10 Syrian piastre.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 597.
- Scott No. C159.
- StampWorld No. 506.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 498.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA35.

Latakia (Arabic: ٱللَّاذْقِيَّة) is the main port city of Syria and capital city of the Latakia Governorate. Historically, it has also been known as Laodicea in Syria. Although the site of the city has been inhabited since the 2nd millennium BC, the city was founded in the 4th century BC under the rule of the Seleucid Empire. In 1920, following World War I, Latakia, which then belonged to the Ottoman Empire, was assigned to the French mandate of Syria, in which it served as the capital of the autonomous territory of the Alawites. This autonomous territory became the Alawite State in 1922, proclaiming its independence a number of times until reintegrating into Syria in 1944. In 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, the naval Battle of Latakia between Israel and Syria was fought just offshore from the city. Latakia is located 348 km(216 mi) north-west of Damascus. According to the 2009 census, the city's population was 650,558. The modern Port of Latakia (Arabic: ميناء اللاذقية; French: Port de Lattaquié) was established on February 12, 1950, and it has since served as Syria's main seaport.

BULGARIA

BULGARIA / БЪЛГАРИЯ.

Landscapes.
Trigrad Gorge in Rhodope Mountains.
Last stamp in a set of 6, issued on 26.10.1964.
Face value: 6 Bulgarian stotinki.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 3,000,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1475.
- Scott No. 1377.
- StampWorld No. 1487.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1486.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1290.

The Rhodopes (Bulgarian: Родопи; Greek: Ροδόπη) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. They are part of the Rila-Rhodope massif. Golyam Perelik is its highest peak at 2,191 m (7,188 ft). The region is particularly notable for its karst areas with their deep river gorges, large caves and specific sculptured forms. A significant part of Bulgaria's hydropower resources are located in the western areas of the range. There are a number of hydro-cascades and dams used for electricity production, irrigation, and as tourist destinations. The name of the Rhodope Mountains is of Thracian origin: In Greek mythology, Queen Rhodope of Thrace, the wife of King Haemus of Thrace, offended the gods, and was changed into a mountain by Zeus and Hera as a punishment along with her husband. The mountains are also associated with the mythic figure of Orpheus. Fifteen reserves have been established in the region, some of which are under UNESCO protection.

The Trigrad Gorge (Bulgarian: Триградско ждрело) is a canyon of vertical marble rocks in Smolyan Province, one of the southernmost provinces of Bulgaria. The gorge encloses the course of the Trigrad River, which plunges into the Devil's Throat Cave and 530 m (1,740 ft) further emerges as a large karst spring.

SRI LANKA

SRI LANKA / ශ්‍රී ලංකා - இலங்கை

Lighthouses.
Galle Lighthouse.
Last stamp in a minisheet of 4, issued on 22.01.1996.
Face value: 20 Sri Lankan rupee.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 29 x 40 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1101.
- Scott No. 1150.
- StampWorld No. 678.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1318.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1090.

The Galle Lighthouse (also known as Pointe de Galle Light) is Sri Lanka's oldest light station. The first lighthouse at Galle was built by the British in 1848 from cast-iron plates, imported from England, designed by British architect Alexander Gordon. In July 1936 it was destroyed by fire. The current 26.5-metre-high (87 ft) concrete lighthouse was erected about 100 m (330 ft) from the original site in 1939.

ICELAND

ICELAND / ÍSLAND.

Landscapes.
Dyrhólaey.
Last stamp in a set of 4, issued on 04.08.1966.
Face value: 6.50 Icelandic króna.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 1,500,000 copies.
Size: 36 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 404.
- Michel No. 403.
- Scott No. 383.
- StampWorld No. 404.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 435.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 358.

Dyrhólaey ("door hill island"), formerly known by seamen as Cape Portland, is a small promontory located on the south coast of Iceland, not far from the village Vík í Mýrdal. It was formerly an island of volcanic origin; The volcano erupted about 100 thousand years ago during the Pleistocene. The peninsula has an elevation of 120 m (390 ft), and the Dyrhólaey Lighthouse, built in 1910 and rebuilt in 1927, sits at the top of the formation. In front of the peninsula, there is a gigantic black arch of lava standing in the sea, which gave the peninsula its name. Dyrhólaey and its surrounding cliffs are a paradise for bird watchers.

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Thanks to Dragan Buškulić for his contribution (https://worldofstamp2.wordpress.com/).

THAILAND

THAILAND / ประเทศไทย

Opening of the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge on the Mekong River.
Stamp issued on 08.04.1994.
Face value: 9 Thai baht.
Printed by Leigh-Mardon Ltd., Melbourne, Australia.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 5,000,000 copies.
Size: 48 x 30 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1593.
- Scott No. 1565.
- StampWorld No. 1644.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1723.
- Thai Stamp Catalogue No. 1542.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1564.

The First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Thai: สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 1; Lao: ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທຳອິດ) is a bridge over the Mekong, connecting Nong Khai city in Thailand with Vientiane Prefecture in Laos. With a length of 1,170 m (0.73 mi), the bridge has two 3.5 m (11 ft)-wide road lanes, two 1.5 m (4 ft)-wide footpaths and a single 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge railway line in the middle, straddling the narrow central reservation. Opened on April 8, 1994, it was the first bridge across the lower Mekong. The bridge was designed and built by Australian companies. The concept design of a balanced cantilever bridge was proposed by Bruce Ramsay of VSL with the final design carried out by Maunsell consulting engineers.

OMAN

OMAN / عمان

Empty Quarter Saudi Arabia.
Map of State of Oman and dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).
Cindarella (unrecognized issue), 1968.
Face value: 3 B.
Size: 34.3 x 44.3 mm.

This stamps was issued by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman. The “State of Oman” was based in the Green Mountains (Al Jabal al Akhdar) area of Oman and the region of Dhofar south of Oman, and Nizwa was the rebel capital. The Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arab Gulf (later called the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman; PFLO) gained control of the growing rebellion by the late 1960s with the aid of the People’s Republic of China, the Soviet Union, Marxist South Yemen (which had achieved independence from the British in late 1967), and Iraq.

GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC / DEUTSCHE DEMOKRATISCHE REPUBLIK.

Tourism.
Lilienstein Mountain and Elbe River.
First stamp in a set of 2, issued on 14.03.1961.
Face value: 20 East German pfennig.
Design: Erich Gruner (1881-1966).
Engraving: Oswin Volkamer (1930-2016).
Printed by Deutsche Wertpapierdruckerei (VEB).
Print: 83,000,000 copies.
Size: 21.5 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 617.
- Michel No. 815.
- Scott No. 537.
- StampWorld No. 557.
- Stanley Gibbons No. E549.
- Unificato No. 815.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 530.

Lilienstein is a highly distinctive mountain of 415.2 m (1,362 ft) in Saxony. It is one of the few table mountains on the east of the river Elbe and constitutes the symbol of the Saxon Switzerland National Park. The Elbe flows around the Lilienstein on three sides, which here describes a 180° loop. Lilienstein was first mentioned in a document in 1379, it was called Ylgenstein. In the High Middle Ages (around 1200) there was a small Bohemian castle in Lilienstein, which was probably abandoned around 1550.

VENEZUELA

VENEZUELA.

Tourism.
Llovizna Falls on the Coroní River.
Second stamp in a set of 6, issued on 22.03.1960.
Face value: 0.15 Venezuelan bolívares.
Printed by Bundesdruckerei, Berlin.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 50,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1305.
- Scott No. 783.
- StampWorld No. 1325.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1583.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 601.

Llovizna Falls is a waterfall on the Caroní River, close to its confluence with the Orinoco, located in the 160-hectare Llovizna Park, at Puerto Ordaz, in Ciudad Guayana, Bolívar State. The waterfall is about 20 meters high. The nearby Macagua Dam has reduced the flow over the waterfall in recent years, but the cascade continues to be spectacular and is a major tourist attraction.

POLAND

POLAND / POLSKA.

Tourism.
Świętokrzyski National Park and Larix polonica.
First stamp in a set of 8, issued on 20.05.1969.
Face value: 40 Polish grosz.
Design: Andrzej Heidrich (1928-2019).
Printed by PWPW (Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych), Warszawa.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 6,841,000 copies.
Size: 55 x 28 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1802.
- Fischer No. 1769p.
- Michel No. 1916Zf.
- Scott No. 1650.
- StampWorld No. 1911.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1896.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1766.

Świętokrzyski National Park (Polish: Świętokrzyski Park Narodowy), established in 1950, is located in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in central Poland. It covers the highest ridge of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains with its two highest peaks: Łysica at 612 m (2,008 ft) and Łysa Góra at 595 m (1,952 ft). The Park has its headquarters in Bodzentyn, covers an area of 76.26 km² (29.44 sq mi) and is famous for its trees, of which 674 are regarded as monuments of nature and as such are under protection.

Larix decidua var. polonica, first described in 1930, is commonly known as Polish larch. It is a specific variety of European larch native to Poland's river Vistula headwaters and beyond.
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Thanks to Krystyna Betiuk for his contribution (https://pocztowkowezbiory.blogspot.com/)

SLOVENIA

SLOVENIA / SLOVENIJA.

EUROPA Issue.
Triglav National Park.
Stamp issued on 23.03.1999.
Face value: 90 Slovenian tolar.
Photo: Jože Mihelič (b. 1946).
Design: studioBotas.
Printed by Delo tiskarna.
Print: 320,000 copies.
Size: 40.32 x 28.8 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 276.
- Michel No. 259.
- Scott No. 349.
- Slovenika No. 259.
- StampWorld No. 259.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 406.
- Unificato No. 259.

The Triglav National Park (Slovene: Triglavski narodni park) was officially established in 1981, and it is the only national park in Slovenia. It has an area of 880 km² (340 sq mi), and it is located in the northwestern part of the country, respectively the southeastern part of the Alpine massif. Mount Triglav, the highest peak of the Julian Alps, stands almost in the middle of the national park. Waters in Triglav National Park consist of two watersheds: the Sava River watershed and the Soča River watershed. Many waterfalls can be found in the park, and most of them are located in the valleys of the Soča River and its tributaries. The highest waterfall is Boka Falls (106 m). In the park are located also the Tolmin Gorges on the Tolminka River. The lakes in the park are all of glacial origin; The largest among them is Lake Bohinj.