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/).

SWEDEN

SWEDEN / SVERIGE.

Landscapes of the Stockholm archipelago.
Långviksskär Nature Reserve.
Second stamp in a set of 4, issued on 13.05.2004.
No face value (INRIKES BREV)
Design: J. Wikström.
Printed by Kungliga Postens Frimärkstryckeri.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 38 x 27 mm.

- AFA No. 2337.
- Facit No. 2426.
- Michel No. 2407.
- Scott No. 2484b.
- StampWorld No. 2409.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2332.
- Unificato No. 2389.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2389.

The Stockholm Archipelago, in the Baltic Sea, east of the Swedish capital, is made up of some 300 islands and islets that are part of the Värmdö Minicipality. It is a large nature reserve protected since 1983, with an area of 28 hectares. The reserve includes the island of Långviksskär and the surrounding archipelago, with the natural harbors of Hallskär and Söderö.

BULGARIA

BULGARIA / БЪЛГАРИЯ.

Landscapes.
Vrattsata (Вратцата) or Vratsa Pass.
First stamp in a set of 6, issued on 26.10.1964.
Face value: 1 Bulgarian stotinka.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 10,000,000 copies.
Size: 22 x 33 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1470.
- Scott No. 1372.
- StampWorld No. 1482.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1481.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1285.

The Vrattsata Pass is a narrow passage amidst the tall cliffs formed by the Leva River, in the Vrachanski Balkan, which is part of the Balkan Mountains. It is located between the towns of Vratsa (393 m, or 1,289 ft, above sea level) and Zgorigrad (465 m, or 1,525 ft), in northwestern Bulgaria. In the Middle Ages, it was called Vratitsa and remains of the fortress of the same name (10th - 12th centuries) are preserved in it. The sheer cliffs of Vrattsata are the highest on the Balkan Peninsula (over 400 m, or 1,312 ft) and are the most popular climbing spot in Bulgaria. The third category road III-1002 runs through the pass. It was declared a natural monument in 1964, with an area of 2 hectares, and is part of the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park.

COSTA RICA

COSTA RICA.

Visit of the President of the Republic to Cocos Island on June 24, 1978.
View of the island from the sea.
Airmail. First stamp in a set of 5, issued in minisheet on 30.04.1979.
Face value: 90 cents of Costa Rican colón.
Printed by Casa Gráfica, San José.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 38 x 28 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1019.
- Scott No. C737.
- StampWorld No. 1024.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1121.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA727.

Cocos Island (Spanish: Isla del Coco) is an island in the Pacific Ocean administered by Costa Rica, approximately 550 km (342 mi; 297 nmi) southwest of the Costa Rican mainland. It constitutes a district of Puntarenas Canton of Puntarenas Province. With an area of approximately 23.85 km² (9.21 sq mi), the island is more or less rectangular in shape, measuring about 8 km × 3 km (5 mi × 2 mi) with a perimeter of around 23.3 km (14.5 mi). The landscape is mountainous and irregular; the highest point is Cerro Iglesias, at 575.5 m (1,888 ft). The entirety of Cocos Island has been designated a Costa Rican National Park since 1978, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. In addition, it is included in the list of Wetlands of International Importance. It has no permanent inhabitants other than Costa Rican park rangers. Access by civilians is very limited; tourists are allowed ashore only with permission of island rangers, and are not permitted to camp, stay overnight or collect any flora, fauna or minerals from the island. Cocos Island was annexed by Costa Rica in 1832 by decree of the Constitutional Assembly of the newly independent country.

CHINA PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC

CHINA PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC / 中华人民共和国

Huanglong Scenic Area (Sichuan Province).
Marvelous Flying Waterfall.
Second stamp in a set of 3, issued on 27.08.2009.
Face value: 1.20 Chinese renminbi yuan.
Printing: Photogravure.
Size: 50 x 30 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 4075.
- StampWorld No. 4150.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 5379.

Huanglong Valley (黄龙沟) is a scenic area located in Songpan County, Sichuan Province. It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1992. The area, which extends over 700 km² (270 sq mi), contains two parts: the Huanglong and Mounigou. This scenic spot is the result of the formations of tepatate which give a special color to ponds and beaches. Together with high mountains, snow covered peaks, valleys, waterfalls, lakes and forests, these tepatates look especially marvelous. The Marvelous Flying Waterfall (飛瀑流輝) is represented on the stamp.

Thanks to Krystyna Betiuk for his contribution (https://pocztowkowezbiory.blogspot.com/)

NORTH KOREA

NORTH KOREA / 북조선 - 북한 - 北朝

Mountain landscapes.
Waterfall on Mount Myohyang.
Third stamp in a set of 4, issued 09.09.1973.
Face value: 10 North Korean chon.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1191.
- Scott No. 1138.
- StampWorld No. 1218.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1167.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1110.

The Mount Myohyang (Hangul: 묘향산 ["Mysterious Fragrant Mountain"]), 1,909 m (6,263 ft) high, is named after the mystic shapes and fragrances found in the area. It is a sacred site as, according to legend, it was the home of King Dangun, forefather of the Korean people. Much of the mountain is covered by mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest and protected in a 16,000 hectares (62 sq mi) national park. Some 7,000 hectares (27 sq mi) have been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). In 2009 UNESCO designated this mountain a world biosphere reserve, citing its cultural significance as well as the spectacular cliffs providing habitat for 30 endemic plant species, 16 plant species that are globally threatened and 12 endangered animal species.

ICELAND

ICELAND / ÍSLAND.

EUROPA C.E.P.T. issues.
Skaftafell National Park.
First stamp in a set of 2, issued on 05.05.1986.
Face value: 10 Icelandic króna.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 1,000,000 copies.
Size: 36 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 647.
- Michel No. 648.
- Scott No. 622.
- StampWorld No. 649.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 677.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 601.

Skaftafell National Park, founded on September 15, 1967, and enlarged twice afterwards, was situated between Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Höfn in the south of Iceland. On 7 June 2008, it became a part of the larger Vatnajökull National Park. Before its inclusion into the new park, it measured about 4,807 km² (2,884 mi²), making it Iceland's second largest national park. It contains the valley Morsárdalur, the mountain Kristínartindar and the glacier Skaftafellsjökull (a spur of the Vatnajökull ice cap). The scenery around Skaftafell is full of stark contrasts. The various glacial tongues are flanked by jagged mountains, with the glacier-topped peak of Hvannadalshnjúkur rising highest.

JAPAN

JAPAN / 日本.

National Parks. 
Mount Hotaka, in Chūbu-Sangaku National Park.
First stamp in a set of 2, issued on 10.08.1972.
Face value: 10 Japanese yen.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 32,000,000 copies.
Size: 36 x 26 mm.

Catalogs 
- Michel No. 1157.
- Sakura No. P137.
- Scott No. 1120.
- StampWorld No. 1147.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1298.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1061.

Mount Hotaka or Hotakadake (Japanese: 穂高岳) is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains as coined by the median, reaching a height of 3,190 m (10,466 ft). It is situated within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park, in Hida Mountains (Northern Alps) between Toyama and Gifu prefectures.

Thanks to Krystyna Betiuk for his contribution (https://pocztowkowezbiory.blogspot.com/)

CHINA REPUBLIC (Taiwan)

REPUBLIC OF CHINA (Taiwan) / 中華民國 (臺灣)

Taiwan Scenery.
Taroko Gorge.
First stamp in a set of 4, issued on 22.03.1974.
Face value: 1 Taiwanese new dollar.
Design: Liu Pao-chin.
Printed by Helio Courvoisier S.A., La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 3,000,000 copies.
Size: 28.5 x 39.2 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1004.
- Scott No. 1871.
- StampWorld No. 1004.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 984.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 937.

The marble gorge of Taroko is located in Hualien County (east of Taiwan Island), into the Taroko National Park. It is carved by Liwu River. Its name is due to the aboriginal tribe Truku or Taroko (Chinese: 太魯閣). The road seen in the stamp was built in the 1950s. The park and gorge are one of Taiwan's main tourist attractions.

ALBANIA

ALBANIA / SHQIPERIA.

Tourism.
Maja e Thatë Peak.
Fifth stamp in a set of 6, issued in 3.1965.
Face value: 5 Albanian lek.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 80,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 930.
- Scott No. 805.
- StampWorld No. 939.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 891.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 756.

Maja e Thatë is a 2,406-metre-high (7,894 ft) mountain peak. It lies within the massif of Kolata, in the eastern part of the Albanian Alps, within Valbonë Valley National Park, roughly 2 km (1 mi) northwest of Valbonë, n the municipality of Tropojë, Kukës county (near Montenegro’s border), and rises more than 1,500 m (4,921 ft) above the village. The mountain's southern and western lower slopes are relatively rich in beech and pine forests, while the higher slopes consist of very steep dolomite and limestone rock walls, suitable for mountaineering and rock climbing.

BRAZIL

BRAZIL / BRASIL.

Tourism.
Dedo de Deus, Rio de Janeiro, and location map.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 06.07.1991.
Face value: 350 Brazilian cruzeiros.
Design: Lúcia TV Ramos & Álvaro A. Martins.
Printed by Casa da Moeda do Brasil.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 2,125,000 copies.
Size: 44 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 2423.
- Scott No. 2323.
- StampWorld No. 2445.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2488.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2028.

The Dedo de Deus (“Finger of God”) is a peak at 1,692 m (5,551 ft) in altitude whose outline resembles a hand pointing the index finger to the sky. It is one of several geological monuments of the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, which is located in the Serra do Mar, near the city of Teresópolis, in Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region. The first to step on the summit were José Guimarães Teixeira, Raul Carneiro and the Américo brothers, Alexandre and Acácio de Oliveira, on April 9, 1912.

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

PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL.

Inauguration of the Vasco da Gama Bridge.
Stamp issued on 29.03.1998.
Face value: 200 Portuguese escudos.
Design: Carlos Delfim Leitão.
Printed by Imprensa Nacional - Casa da Moeda, Lisboa.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 500,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Afinsa-Mundifil No. 2481.
- Michel No. 2249.
- Scott No. 2220.
- StampWorld No. 2239.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2616.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2227.

The Vasco da Gama Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Vasco da Gama) is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts that spans the Tagus River in Parque das Nações in Lisbon, and connects Montijo with Sacavém. It is one of the longest bridges in Europe: its length is 12,345 m (40,502 ft), its height is 148 m (486 ft) and its width is 30 m (98 ft). The bridge was designed by Armando Rito and its construction was carried out by the Teixeira Duarte company. It carries six road lanes. Its construction began in February 1995, and it was opened to traffic on March 29, 1998. The structure crosses the Tagus Estuary Natural Reserve, so its environmental impact was taken into account. Its name commemorates the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's arrival in India, which took place in May 1498.

THAILAND

THAILAND / ประเทศ

Water Falls.
Siriphum Falls.
Last stamp in a set of 4, issued on 01.07.1980.
Face value: 6 Thai baht.
Printed by Harrison & Sons Ltd.
Printing: Offet lithography.
Print: 1,000,000 copies.
Size: 48 x 30 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 945.
- Scott No. 921.
- StampWorld No. 979.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1027.
- Thai Stamp Catalogue No. 1027.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 920.

Siriphum Falls (Thai: น้ำตกสิริภูมิ) are located in Chiang Mai Province (northern Thailand), within the Doi Inthanon National Park. Siriphum is a combination of the names of Queen Sirikit and King Bhumibol. It was originally called Lao Lu. The water falls from a height of approximately 100 m (330 ft).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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/)