IRAN

IRAN / ایران

Definitive stamps.
Farahnaz Dam and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Third stamp in a set of 11, issued on 01.09.1974.
Face value: 50 Iranian dinar.
Printing: Photogravure.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1740.
- Scott No. 1822.
- StampWorld No. 1741.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1898.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1611.

Farahnaz Dam, now know as Latiyan Dam (Persian: سد لتيان), built for the Tehran Regional Water Board between 1963 and 1967, is a concrete max gravity structure located in a maximum height of 107 m (351 ft) and a crest length of nearly 360 m (1,181 ft). It is located 25 km (15.5 mi) north-est of Tehran, in the south of city of Lavasan, in the course of the Jajrud River, southern part of central Alborz mountain range. Associated with the dam are a hydro-electric peak power station.

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.

BELGIAN CONGO

BELGIAN CONGO / CONGO BELGE - BELGISCH-CONGO.

Country Symbols (definitive stamps).
Port of Matadi.
First stamp in a set of 8, issued on 01.10.1915.
Face value: 5 Belgian centimes.
Engraved and printed by Waterlow & Sons, London.
Printing: Recess.
Print: 225,000 copies.
Size: 39 x 25 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 25.
- Scott No. 60.
- StampWorld No. 55.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 70.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 64.

The Port of Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River, 148 km (92 mi) from the mouth, very close to the border with Angola. It was founded by Henry Morton Stanley in 1879. The construction of the Matadi–Kinshasa Railway (built between 1890 and 1898) made it possible to transport goods from deeper within Congo's interior to the port of Matadi, stimulating the city to become an important trading center. The word Matadi means ‘stone’ in the local Kikongo language. The town is built on steep hills.

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

MADAGASCAR

MADAGASCAR / REPOBLIKA MALAGASY.

Transportation.
President Tsiranana Bridge.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 04.01.1962.
Face value: 25 French African CFA francs.
Design and engraving: GilbertAufschneider (b. 1927).
Printing: Recess.
Size: 41 x 27 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 474.
- Scott No. 324.
- StampWorld No. 523.
- Stanley Gibbons No. R-36.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 361.

The President Tsiranana Bridge over the Sofia River is located between the towns of Antsohihy and Boriziny, in the Sofia region of northwestern Madagascar. The RN6 national road runs through it. It has now lost its original name, which was that of the first president of the country after its independence from France, Philibert Tsiranana, who remained in power until October 1972. [No further information on this bridge could be obtained.]

CAMBODIA

CAMBODIA / ស្រុកខ្មែរ

Dragon Bridge.
First stamp in a set of 3, issued on 13.04.1999.
Face value: 500 Cambodian riel.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 46 x 31 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1927.
- Scott No. 1853.
- StampWorld No. 1949.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1867.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1638.

The road from Phnom Penh to Angkor crosses the Chi Kraeng River by the Dragon Bridge, officially Spean Pappos (Khmer: ស្ពានប្រាប់ទិស), also known as Kampong Kdei Bridge (ស្ពានកំពង់ក្ដី), in the town of the same name. It is the longest cantilever stone arch bridge in the world, at 87 m (285 ft), with more than twenty arches. It was built in the 12th century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII and is one of the few bridges from the era of the Khmer empire that have survived to this day. It was restored between 1964 and 1966.

SWITZERLAND

SWITZERLAND / SCHWEITZ - SUISSE - SVIZZERA - SVIZRA.

Bridges.
Railroad viaduct Koblenz-Felsenau.
Third stamp in a set of 4, issued on 10.09.1991.
Face value: 80 cents of Swiss franc.
Design: Pierre Baur.
Printed by Courvoisier.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 14,565,000 copies.
Size: 37 x 27 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1434.
- Michel No. 1452.
- Scott No. 895.
- StampWorld No. 1446.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1233.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1380.
- Zumstein No. 816.

The Railroad viaduct Koblenz-Felsenau or Koblenz-Aare Railway Bridge (German: Aarebrücke Koblenz) over the Aare River, between the stations of Koblenz and Felsenau, in the canton of Aargau, very close to its mouth in the Rhine and the border with Germany, it was built between 1891 and 1892 by the Schweizerische Nordostbahn as part of the Rhine Valley Railway, for the Stein-Koblenz line. It is a 236 m (774 ft) long single track bridge designed by engineer Robert Moser. Since 1994, only freight trains have run through it.

TURKEY

TURKEY / TÜRKİYE.

Definitive stamps.
Euphrates Bridge, Birecik.
Fifth stamp in a set of 11, issued on 1959.
Face value: 20 Turkish kuruş.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 20,000,000 copies.
Size: 30 x 25 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1701C.
- Scott No. 1446.
- StampWorld No. 1736.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1857.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1434.

Birecik is a city and a district in Şanlıurfa Province, on the Euphrates River. The population of the city, according to the 2012 census, was 48,706 people. Construction of the bridge seen on the stamp began in August 1951 and was completed in March 1956. It is a five-arch bridge, 695 m (2,280 ft) long and 11 m (36 ft) wide. The C.400 state highway crosses the Euphrates through it.

GREECE

GREECE / ЕΛΛΑΣ.

Edessa Waterfalls (Καταρράκτες Έδεσσας).
Second stamp in a set of 3, issued on 04.07.1988.
Face value: 60 Greek drachma.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 700,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Karamitsos No. 1801.
- Michel No. 1693A.
- Scott No. 1629.
- StampWorld No. 1675.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1792A.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1676A.

The Edessa or Edessis Waterfalls (Greek: Καταρράκτες Έδεσσας) are located in Edessa city (Central Macedonia), inside the Waterfall Geopark. The falls are a natural phenomenon that arose after a strong earthquake that struck the surrounding area in the 14th century. Since then, many changes have taken place in their morphology due to earthquakes of smaller scale. The main source of these waterfalls is the wetland of Agra-Nissiou, from which flows the main river, Edessaios. At the end of the 19th century several factories were built on the rock of the city as waterfalls could be used to produce electricity. Altogether, five large textile factories and several labs and tanneries were erected. The waterfalls are an interesting tourist attraction.

LUXEMBOURG

LUXEMBOURG / LËTZEBUERG.

Opening of the Moselle River Canal System. Lock at the Gréewemaacher-Wellen Dam.
Stamp issued on 26.05.1964.
Face value: 3 Luxembourgish francs.
Design: Robert Cami (1900-1975).
Printed by Imprimerie des Timbres-Poste et des Valeurs Fiduciaires, Paris.
Printing: Recess.
Print: 1,200,000 copies.
Size: 40 x 26.1 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 692.
- Michel No. 696.
- Scott No. 410.
- StampWorld No. 697.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 743.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 647.

The principle of the channeling of the Moselle was definitively acquired when on October 27, 1956 the plenipotentiaries of the three riparian States, France, Germany and Luxembourg, signed the international convention on the development of the river. The Contracting States have decided to develop the Moselle between Koblenz (Germany) and Thionville (France) to make these 270 km (168 mi) of waterways accessible to boats of 1,500 tons. On May 26, 1964, the canalized Moselle was officially opened to navigation.

The Gréewemaacher-Wellen Dam (French: Barrage-écluse de Grevenmacher) is situated at kilometer 212.85 of the canal between the Luxembourg town of Gréewemaacher and the German town of Wellen. The lock for large ships is 170 m (558 ft) long and 12 m (39.3 ft) wide, with a drop height of 6.25 m (20.5 ft).

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

COSTA RICA

COSTA RICA.

Paying your taxes means progress.
Río Frío Railroad Bridge.
Airmail. Third stamp in a set of 5, issued on 11.12.1980.
Face value: 2.10 Costa Rican colones.
Printed by Casa Gráfica, San José.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1095.
- Scott No. C812.
- StampWorld No. 1100.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1206.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA794.

The Río Frío railroad bridge, 466 m (1,529 ft) long, was the longest in Central America. It crossed the Chirripó Norte (or Sucio) River in the vicinity of Río Frío de Sarapiquí, east of the Heredia Province (northern Costa Rica), not far from the border with Nicaragua. It was built between 1978 and 1982. However, in February 1996 the raging waters of the river undermined the foundations and a section of the bridge collapsed, rendering it unusable.

JAMAICA

JAMAICA.

Definitive stamps.
Rafting in the Rio Grande and portrait of the Queen Elizabeth II.
Eleventh stamp in a set of 16, issued on 15.11.1956.
Face value: 1'6 Jamaican shilling.
Printed by De La Rue & Co. Ltd.
Printing: Recess.
Size: 35 x 25 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 171.
- Scott No. 169.
- StampWorld No. 174.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 169.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 176.

The Rio Grande, one of the largest rivers in Jamaica, found in the parish of Portland, and empties into the Caribbean Sea on the north coast of the island. It was named Río Grande (“Big River”) by the Spanish, who controlled Jamaica in the 15th and 16th centuries.

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.

INDIA

INDIA / भारत.

Definitive stamps.
Bhakra Dam.
Tenth stamp in a set of 11, issued on 15.03.1967.
Face value: 5 Indian rupee.
Printed by India Security Press, Nashik (Maharashtra).
Printing: Photogravure.
Size: 41 x 23 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 399.
- Scott No. 421.
- StampWorld No. 402.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 519.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 232.

Bhakra Dam (Hindi: भाखड़ा बांध) is a concrete gravity dam on the Sutlej River in Bhakra Village near Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh State in northern India. Its length (measured from the road above it) is 518.25 m (1,700 ft) and the width is 9.1 m (30 ft). Its height is 226 m (741 ft). Construction of the dam started in 1948 and was completed by the end of 1963. Successive stages were completed by the early 1970s. During its construction, more than 370 villages were submerged. The dam retains excess water during the monsoon and provides regulated discharge throughout the year. It also prevents damage due to monsoon flooding. Electric power is produced at the dam, and the Bhakra Canal fed by this dam provides irrigation for 10 million acres of fields (40,000 km²). The dam forms the Gobind Sagar reservoir.

LEBANON

LEBANON / لُبْنَان

Tourism.
Litani falls.
Airmail. First stamp in a set of 4, issued in 07.1945.
Design: R. Koroloff.
Printed by T.C. Beyrouth.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 24 x 41 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 296.
- Scott No. C97.
- StampWorld No. 297.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 294.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA97.

Litani Falls are located at a point on the Litani River, which we have not been able to determine.
Any additional information would be appreciated.

CHAD

CHAD / TCHAD.

Chagoua Bridge over the Chari River, and hippopotamus.
Sixth stamp in a set of 13, issued in 1961.
Face value: 5 Central African CFA francs.
Printing: Typography.
Size: 41 x 25 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 74.
- Scott No. 75.
- StampWorld No. 75.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 74.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 71.

The Chagoua Bridge crosses the Chari River south of the city of N'Djamena, the capital of Chad. Construction of the bridge began in the late 1950s when Chad was still a French colony and was completed and opened in 1959. It is approximately 550 m (1,800 ft), of which 300 m (984 ft) is over the river. It is a single-lane girder bridge, and the road that leads to the border with Cameroon passes through it. It is currently very deteriorated, and is used mostly by pedestrians.

LAOS

LAOS / ລາວ

25th Anniversary of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East.
Nam Ngum Dam.
Second stamp in a set of 3, issued on 15.03.1972.
Face value: 80 Lao kip.
Design: Anoulom Souvandouane (b. 1948).
Engraving: Claude Jumelet (b. 1946).
Printed by Imprimerie des timbres-poste, Périgueux.
Printing: Recess.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 335.
- Scott No. 229.
- StampWorld No. 335.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 347.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 246.

The Nam Ngum (Laotian: ນໍ້າງືມ) Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Nam Ngum River, a major tributary of the Mekong River in Laos. It is located about 75 km (46.6 mi) north of Vientiane. The dam was constructed in three stages, beginning in with stage I in 1968 and ending with the completion of stage III in 1984. The stage I was opened in 1971. The dam has a capacity of 155 MW and generates most of Laos' electricity, including all the power used in the capital, Vientiane; Additionally 70–80 percent of electricity created by the dam is exported to Thailand. The dam, which is also used for flood control, irrigation, is 468 m (1,535 ft) long and 70 m (230 ft) high. The reservoir formed by the dam has an area of 370 km² (140 sq mi).

The United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ESCAP) was establshed in March 28, 1947 to assist in post-war economic reconstruction, and is currently headquartered in Bangkok (Thailand). It is composed of 53 Member States and nine Associate members, mostly from the Asia and Pacific regions. In addition to countries in Asia and the Pacific, the commission's members include France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. On August 1, 1974, the commission was renamed to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

AUSTRIA

AUSTRIA / ÖSTERREICH.

Myra Falls, Lower Austria.
Stamp issued on 07.12.1977.
Face value: 20 Austrian schilling.
Design: Otto Zeiller (1913-1988).
Engraving: Werner Pfeiler (b. 1941).
Printing: Photogravure and recess.
Size: 28 x 33 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1459.
- ANK No. 1600.
- Michel No. 1565.
- Scott No. 975.
- StampWorld No. 1610.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1688d.
- Unificato No. 1381.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1381.

The Myra Falls (German: Myrafälle) are located in a ravine in the municipality of Muggendorf in the Lower Austria state. The ravine has been cut by the Myra, a small tributary of the Piesting. In 1912 Oskar von Rosthorn built a small pumped-storage power station at the Myra Falls, that was in operation until 1974/1975. The actual ravine with the falls is about 600 m (2,000 ft) long; The gorge runs from north to south and is protected as a natural monument. The subsoil of the gorge is limestone. The Myra falls in several cascades through the gorge. At the upper and lower end the water is impounded into a small pond.

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

ZAIRE (Democratic Republic of Congo)

ZAIRE / ZAÏRE (Democratic Republic of Congo).

7th Anniversary of the New Regime.
Inga Dam, 1st Phase.
Last stamp in a set of 3, issued on 25.01.1973.
Face value: 0,18 Zairean zaire.
Printing: Photogravure.
Size: 43 x 33 mm.

Catalogs (Numbering of the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Belgium No. 825.
- Michel No. 472.
- Scott No. 792.
- StampWorld No. 469.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 813.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 831.

Republic of Zaire (French: République du Zaïre) is the name adopted by the Democratic Republic of the Congo from October 27, 1971 to August 15, 1974, following Mobutu's seizure of power in a military coup in 1965, following five years of political upheaval following independence from Belgium known as the Congo Crisis.

Inga Dam is located across the Congo River, approximately 150 km (93 mi), upstream of where the river empties into the Atlantic Ocean, at an altitude of 47 m (140 ft) above sea level. The stamp reproduces the first of the three planned dams, built between 1965 and 1971. It is 587 m (614 ft) long and its function is to produce hydroelectric power. The dam was built on the right bank of the river, taking advantage of the Nkokolo, a dry valley that used to be the riverbed, whose banks reached 150 m (492 ft) high at the level of the Inga Falls, parallel to the site. The water is withdrawn 10 km (6.21 mi) upstream of the dam, at an altitude of 125 m (410 ft).

ECUADOR

ECUADOR.

Inauguration of Saracay or Zaracay Railway Bridge.
Airmail stamp issued on 26.08.1960.
Face value: 1.30 Ecuadorian sucre.
Printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 1,000,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Bertossa No. 1084.
- Michel No. 1047.
- Scott No. C368.
- StampWorld No. 1046.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1174.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA368.

The Saracay or Zaracay railway bridge (currently probably in disuse and nonexistent), over the Piloto River, is located in Santa Rosa, El Oro Province. It was inaugurated on August 26, 1960.

COLOMBIA

COLOMBIA.

Docks in Barranquilla Port.
First stamp in a set of 8, issued on 05.03.1956.
Face value: 5 Colombian centavos.
Printed by De La Rue & Co. Ltd., Basingstoke (England).
Printing: Recess.
Print: 3,000,000 copies.
Size: 35 x 30 mm.

Catalogs
- Leo Temprano No. 835.
- Michel No. 764.
- Scott No. 644.
- StampWorld No. 746.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 869.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 509.

Barranquilla is the capital of Atlántico Department. It is located on the western bank of the Magdalena River, 7.5 km (4.7 mi) from its mouth in the Caribbean Sea. In 1993 it was constitutionally organized in a special, industrial and port district. It is the main economic center of the Caribbean region of Colombia. Its population, in 2018, was 1,274,250 people. In 1849, Sabanilla Bay, in the Caribbean Sea, was converted into a commercial port and a customs office was installed in the current Castillo de Salgar. In 1893 the Puerto Colombia pier was built, which was at the time one of the longest in the world. The current port area of Barranquilla, on the banks of the Magdalena River, has a length of about 22 km (14 mi); Construction began in 1925 and it was officially inaugurated in December 1936. The docks that can be seen in the stamp were built in 1939, the year in which the activity of Puerto Colombia was abandoned.