AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA.

Ramsar Wetlands.
Cobourg Peninsula.
First stamp in a set of 4, issued on 22.02.2021.
Face value: 20 cents of Australia dollar.
Design: Sonia Young.
Printed by Ego Print.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 37.5 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 5271.
- Scott No. 5257.
- StampWorld No. 3979.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 5410.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 5046.

The Cobourg Peninsula is located 350 km (217 mi) east of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is deeply indented with coves and bays, covers a land area of about 2,100 km² (811 sq mi), and is virtually uninhabited with a population ranging from about 20 to 30 in five family outstations, but without any notable settlement or village. In the north is the Arafura Sea, and in the south the Van Diemen Gulf. The highest elevation is Mount Roe in the south with an altitude of 160 m (525 ft). All of Cobourg Peninsula is part of Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, which also encompasses a few nearshore islands. Cobourg Peninsula was Australia’s and the world’s first Wetland of International Importance. The Site covers an area of approximately 220,000 hectares and is composed of terrestrial, riverine, permanent freshwater and brackish and intertidal and coastal/marine ecosystems. It supports over 800 plant species, 64 species of coral, 406 species of marine invertebrate from the coral reef or the intertidal zone, 35 mammals, 71 reptiles, 19 frogs and 236 bird species.

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

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.

ESTONIA

ESTONIA / EESTI.

EUROPA issue.
Tolkuse Bog.
Stamp issued on 27.04.1999.
Face value: 5.50 Estonian kroon.
Photo: Mati Kose.
Design: Jaan Saar.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 385,100 copies.
Size: 23 x 27.5 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 370.
- Michel No. 343.
- Scott No. 360.
- StampWorld No. 376.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 332.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 334.

The Tolkuse Bog (Estonian: Tolkuse raba) is located in the rural municipality of Häädemeeste, in Pärnu county. It has an area of 55 km² (21.24 sq mi) and is divided into two parts by the Timmkanal (also known as Uusjõgi), excavated in 1856. There are 42 ponds in the middle of the bog. It is part of the Luitemaa Nature Reserve. Formerly, in the place that the bog now occupies there was a maritime bay surrounded by dunes.

GERMANY

GERMANY / DEUTSCHLAND.

Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park.
Stamp issued on 03.06.2004.
Face value: 55 Euro cents.
Design: Barbara Dimanski.
Printed by Giesecke & Devrient.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 28,500,000 copies.
Size: 35 x 35 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 3331.
- Michel No. 2407.
- Scott No. 2286.
- StampWorld No. 2269.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 3277.
- Unificato No. 2239.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2232.

The Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park (German: Nationalpark Schleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer) is in the Schleswig-Holstein area of the German Wadden Sea. It was founded by the Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein on October 1, 1985 and expanded significantly in 1999. In the North Frisian area, it includes the mudflats around the geest based and marsh islands and the Halligen. With an area of 4,410 km² it covers an area from the North Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein by the Danish border in the north to the Elbe estuary in the south. The land element consists mainly of salt marshes. Since 1990, the national park, including the North Frisian Halligen, has been designated as a UNESCO recognised biosphere. Together with other German and Dutch Wadden Sea areas it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 26 June 2009 because of its relatively undisturbed intertidal ecosystem and its unique biodiversity.

JAPAN

JAPAN / 日本.

Gunma Prefecture.
Oze Moor in autumn, and Mount Shibutsu.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 21.05.1998.
Face value: 80 Japanese yen.
Printing; Offset lithography.
Print: 15,900,000 copies.
Size: 26 x 36 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No.2560A.
- Sakura No, R244.
- Scott No. Z244.
- StampWorld No. 2605.
- Stanley Gibbons No. GUNM 5.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2444.

Oze Moor (尾瀬ヶ原) is a high altitude marshland in the Oze National Park. Approximately 8 km² (3.09 sq mi) in size, it is well known for the various species of plants, including the mizu-bashō (White Skunk Cabbage), Nikkōkisuge (yellow alpine lilies, Hemerocallis dumortieri var. esculenta) and Watasuge (Eriophorum vaginatum). It was declared Ramsar Wetland on November 8, 2005.

Mount Shibutsu (至仏山) is a serpentine mountain in the north-east of Gunma Prefecture. It is 2,228 m (7,310 ft). It is part of Oze National Park and the Minakami UNESCO Eco Park.

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

ESTONIA

ESTONIA / EESTI.

Lahemaa National Park.
Stamp issued on 15.09.2001.
Face value: 4.40 Estonian kroon.
Photo: A. Ader / V. Lillemets.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 300,000 copies.
Size: 27.5 x 33 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 444.
- Michel No. 415.
- Scott No. 423.
- StampWorld No. 450.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 407.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 401.

Lahemaa National Park (Estonian: Lahemaa rahvuspark) is located in northern Estonia, about 50 km (31 mi) east from Tallinn. The Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea) is to the north of the park. Its area covers 747 km² (including 274.9 km² of sea). It was established on June 1, 1971, and it was the first area to be designated a national park of the former Soviet Union. It is the largest park in Estonia and one of Europe's biggest national parks. It comprises four large peninsulas (Juminda, Pärispea, Käsmu and Vergi) separated from each other by four bays (Kolga, Hara, Eru and Käsmu). With forests covering more than 70% of the park, the area is rich in flora and fauna. The landscape has many elevated swamps.

LATVIA

LATVIA / LATVIJA.

Nature Reserves.
Teiči Nature Reserve.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 30.04.1998.
Face value: 30 Latvian santims.
Printing; Offset lithography.
Print: 300,000 copies.
Size: 36 x 28.5 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 481.
- Michel No. 478.
- Scott No. 465.
- StampWorld No. 443.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 490.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 442.

Teiči Nature Reserve (Latvian: Teiču dabas rezervāts) is a nature reserve situated in eastern Latvia, spread across Madona, Varakļāni and Krustpils municipalities. The nature reserve was created in 1982. Its purpose is to protect the eponymous bog, one of the largest in Latvia and the Baltic states. The nature reserve covers an area of 197.80 km² (76.37 sq mi), of which 136.80 km² (52.82 sq mi) is composed of Teiči bog. In this wet area, veritable little lakes have formed in places and there are in total 18 such lakes within the area, but in other places raised patches of firmer ground form little islands in the bog. The bogs have been designated as a protected Ramsar site since July 25, 1995. Since 2004, it is part of the EU-wide Natura 2000-network.

GERMANY

GERMANY / DEUTSCHLAND.

Tourism. Landscapes.
Moorland in Northern Germany.
Last stamp in a set of 3, issued on 28.08.1997.
Face value: 110 German pfennig.
Design: Heinz Schillinger (1929-2008).
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 67,500,000 copies.
Size: 55 x 33 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 2884.
- Michel No. 1945.
- Scott No. 1976.
- StampWorld No. 1821.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2807.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1777.

The moorlands and the bogs can form when nutrient-rich water collects in depressions. Bogs are characterized by the fact that they not only receive rainwater, but are also located in the area of groundwater. They are often formed from sedimented lakes and ponds. Due to the abundance of nutrients, they offer favorable conditions for an species-rich plant and animal population. Reeds, cattails, alder forests, or willow and sea buckthorn shrubs can often be found in this terreins.