PORTUGAL - Azores

PORTUGAL - Azores / Açores.

1st World Tourism Conference.
Archipelago Map.
First stamp in a set of 6, issued on 17.09.1980.
Face value: 0.50 Portuguese escudo.
Design: José Cândido.
Printed by Imprensa Nacional - Casa da Moeda, Lisboa.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 5,000,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Afinsa-Mundifil No. 1480 (Portugal). 
- Michel No. 336.
- Scott No. 316.
- StampWorld No. 315.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 419.
- Unificato No. 3.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 325.

The 1st World Tourism Conference, held in Manila (Philippines) from September 27 to 10 October 10, 1980, was convened to examine a subject which would lead to modification of outmoded concepts and practices, and would induce governments as well as the travel industry to reconsider all of their activities in the tourism sector.

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.

PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL.

Centenary of Railway line over River Douro.
Maria Pia Bridge.
Second stamp in a set of 2, issued on 04.11.1977.
Face value: 10 Portuguese escudos.
Design: Serviços Artísticos dos C. T. T.
Printed by Imprensa Nacional - Casa da Moeda, Lisboa.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 500,000 copies.

Catalogs
- Afinsa-Mundifil No. 1347.
- Michel No. 1377.
- Scott No. 1349.
- StampWorld No. 1366.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1672.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1357.

In December 1844, the Companhia das Obras Públicas de Portugal was founded, whose objective was to promote the construction of the railway. On October 28, 1856, the section between Lisbon and Carregado, on the East Line, now called the North Line, was opened to the public, and thus the infrastructure was inaugurated. The Maria Pia Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte de D. Maria Pia) over the Douro River, between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, was inaugurated on November 4, 1877 by King Luís I and Queen Maria Pia of Savoy, enabling the railway connection between the north and south of the country. It was designed by Théophile Seyrig, an associate of Gustave Eiffel, and remained in use until 1991, when it was replaced by the São João Bridge. Its length is 363 m (1,158 ft). It is a wrought iron double hinged crescent arch construction.

PORTUGAL - Azores

PORTUGAL - Azores.

The Heritage of the Azores.
Tea culture in São Miguel Island.
Third stamp in a set of 4, issued on 06.06.2003.
Face value: 0.55 euro.
Design: Acácio Santos and Elizabete Fonseca.
Printed by Litografia Maia, Matosinhos (Porto).
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 250,000 copies.
Size: 40 x 31 mm.

Catalogs
- Afinsa-Mundifil No. 2991.
- Michel No. 497.
- Scott No. 476.
- StampWorld No. 476.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 594.
- Unificato No. 165.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 487.

São Miguel Island, nicknamed Ilha Verde ("The Green Island"), is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It covers 760 km² (290 sq mi) and has around 140,000 inhabitants, with 45,000 people residing in Ponta Delgada, the archipelago's largest city. On the island are the first plantations and the only two agro-industrial tea production units in Europe: Porto Formoso and Gorreana. The tea plant, coming from Brazil, was introduced in São Miguel in the first decades of the 19th century, and at the beginning of its cultivation Chinese farmers arrived from Macau.

PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL.

5th centenary of the birth of Vasco da Gama.
Imitation of an antique map of Africa with the routes of Vasco da Gama's travels to India.
Third stamp in a set of 4, issued on 30.12.1969.
Face value: 3.50 Portuguese escudos.
Design: Jaime Martins Barata (1899-1970).
Printing: Offset lithography.
Engraved and printed by Casa da Moeda, Liaboa.
Print: 1,000,000 copies.

Catalogues
- Afi No. 1061.
- Michel No. 1090.
- Scott No. 1058.
- StampWorld No. 1070.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1376.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1071.

Vasco da Gama (Sines, Portugal, ca. 1460/1469 - Cochin, India, December 24, 1524), was a Portuguese navigator and explorer. He was noted for being the commander of the first ships that sailed directly from Europe to India, the longest ocean voyage ever made. King Manuel I entrusted him with the command of a small squadron, and on July 8, 1497 he set sail from the port of Santa Maria de Belém (Lisbon) to border the African coast, round the Cape of Good Hope and go in search of India. On March 2, 1498, the fleet reached the coast of Mozambique, and after several incidents, on May 20 it reached Kappakadavu, near Calicut, on the western coast of India. After arduous negotiations to secure trade rights, on August 29, 1498, he began the difficult journey back to Portugal, where he finally arrived in September, 1499. Years later, he made two other trips to India. The Portuguese national epic, Os Lusíadas by Camões refers largely to Da Gama's travels.

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.

PORTUGAL - Azores

PORTUGAL - Azores.

Lagoa das Sete Cidades (“Lagoon of the Seven Cities”) in the São Miguel island.
Last stamp in a set of 4, isued on 01.03.1972.
Face value: 100 Portuguese escudos.

Catalogues
- Afinsa No. 1145.
- Michel No. 1159.
- StampWorld No. 1148.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1143.

The Lagoa das Sete Cidades is a double lake located in the huge crater of a dormant volcano in the western third of the island of São Miguel, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, at an altitude of 259 m (850 ft) above the sea level. It has an area of 4.35 km² (1.68 sq mi). Its length is 4.225 km (2.625 mi) and its maximum width is 2.030 km (1.261 mi). Its average depth is 33 m (108 ft). It consists of two ecologically different small lakes (the Lagoa Verde and the Lagoa Azul) connected by a strait, which is crossed by a bridge.

PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL.

50th Anniversary of the First Flight Lisbon - Rio de Janeiro (1922-1972).
Map with the route through the Atlantic Ocean.
Second stamp in a set of 4, issued on 15.11.1972.
Face value: 2.50 Portuguese escudos.
Design: Serviços Artísticos dos PTT.
Printed by Casa da Moeda, Lisboa.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 1186.
- StampWorld No. 1175.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1490.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1170.

Gago Coutinho (1869-1959) and Sacadura Cabral (1881-1924) were both Portuguese navigators that managed to perform the first aereal crossing from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, in the South Atlantic. They began the journey on March 30, 1922 in the “Lusitânia” plane, with stopovers in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and São Vicente Island (Cape Verde), and with a second plane, “Pátria”, in Fernando de Naronha island, and with a third plane, “Santa Cruz”, in the Brazilian towns Recife, Salvador de Bahía. Porto Seguro and Vitória. They finally landed in Rio de Janeiro on June 17, after a 79-day journey.

PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL.

100th anniversary of the Geographical Institution in Lisbon
(Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa), 1875-1975.
Set of 3 stamps issued on 19.11.1975.
Face values: 2, 8 an 10 Portuguese escudos.
Design: Serviços Artísticos dos PTT.
Printed by I. N. C. M. (Imprensa Nacional - Casa da Moeda), Lisboa.
Printed: Offset lithography.
Print: 10,000,00 - 500,000 - 500,000 copies.
Size: 45,1 x 32,1 mm.

Catalogues
- Scott Nos. 1267-1269.
- Yvert et Tellier Nos. 1275-1277.