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.

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.

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES / NEDERLANDSE ANTILLEN.

Inauguration of the Inter-island Undersea Cable.
Stylized maps of islands.
Minisheet of 3 stamps issued on 20.06.1973.
Face values: 15, 30 and 45 Netherlands Antillean cents.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 207,300 copies.
Size: 144 x 50 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. BL2.
- Scott No. 354a.
- StampWorld No. 269-271.
- Stanley Gibbons No. MS575.
- Yvert et Tellier No. BF2.

On May 23, 1973, the link between the islands of the Netherlands Antilles through undersea cables was completed and inaugurated.

FRANCE

FRANCE.

150th anniversary annexation voluntary Mayotte to France.
Landscape and stylized map of Mayotte Island.
Stamp issued on 20.12.1991.
Face value: 2.50 French francs.
Design: Thierry Cheminet (b. 1958).
Engraving: Jacky Larrivière (b. 1946).
Printing: Recess.
Print: 12,176,397 copies.
Size: 40 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 2970.
- Michel No. 2870.
- Scott No. 2271.
- StampWorld No. 2862.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 3051.
- Unificato No. 2725.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2271.

Mayotte (Shimaore: Maore; Kibushi: Maori) is an overseas department of France (French: Département de Mayotte). It is located in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeastern Africa. Mayotte consists of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), as well as several islets around these two. Mayotte's land area is 374 km² (144 sq mi) and its population is 299,348 people according to January 2022 official estimates. Mayotte was purchased by France in 1841, in 1885 it was integrated into the colony of the Comoros, and it remained voluntarily with France after the Comoros declared its independence in 1974. After a referendum, it became an overseas department of France on 31 March 2011.

Thanks to Daniel Mathieu for his contribution (http://lettresdumonde.blogspot.com/)

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/)

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.

CHAD

CHAD / TCHAD.

Ouaddaï Region and greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).
Fifth stamp in a set of 13, issued on 1961/1962.
Face value: 4 Central African CFA francs.
Printed: Typography.
Size: 25 x 41 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 73.
- Scott No. 74.
- StampWorld No. 74.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 73.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 70.

Ouaddaï (Arabic: وداي) is a region located in the south-east of Chad, and it borders with Sudan. Its capital at Abéché. Prior to 2002 it was known as Ouaddaï Prefecture; in 2008 the southern portions of Ouaddaï (the Sila Department and Djourf Al Ahmar Department) were split off to become the new Sila Region. The region was the heartland of the former Ouaddaï Empire, or Wadai Sultanate, which existed from the early 16th century until 1911 when it was conquered by France in the Wadai War. As per the 2009 census, the region has a population of 721,166. The main ethnolinguistic groups are the Assangori, Baggara (generally speakers of Chadian Arabic).

The greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas due to declining habitat, deforestation, and poaching. Greater kudus have a narrow body with long legs, and their coats can range from brown/bluish grey to reddish brown. They possess between 4 and 12 vertical white stripes along their torso.

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.

NETHERLANDS

NETHERLANDS / NEDERLAND.

350th Anniversary of Abel Tasman's Discovery of New Zealand.
Old map of Wainui Inlet coast, in South Island of New Zealand, and Tasman's Route.
Stamp issued on 12.03.1992.
Face value: 70 Dutch cents.
Design: Heng Glaesener.
Printed by Joh. Enschedé Stamps, Haarlem, Netherlands.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 12,432,050 copies.
Size: 37 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1437.
- Michel No. 1435.
- Scott No. 809.
- StampWorld No. 1435.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1636.
- Yvert et Tellier No.  1399.

Abel Tasman (1603-1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company. He was the first known European explorer to reach New Zealand and the islands of Fiji and Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). On December 13, 1642 the members of his two-ship expedition sighted land on the north-west coast of the South Island, becoming the first Europeans to sight New Zealand. Tasman named it Staten Landt "in honor of the States General" (Dutch parliament). On December 18, the ships anchored near Wainui Bay, north of what is now Abel Tasman National Park. The expeditionaries had a violent encounter with the local indigenous Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri. Tasman named the place Moordenaers ('Assassins') Bay before sailing east to the Manawatu coast of the North Island.

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/).

GERMANY

GERMANY / DEUTCHLAND.

Arngast Lighthouse.
First stamp in a set of 2, issued on 07.07.2011.
Face value: 55 Euro cents.
Design: Johannes Graf (b. 1960).
Printed by Bagel Security-Print GmbH & Co. KG, Düsseldorf.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 6,825,000 copies.
Size: 35 x 35 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 3740.
- Michel No. 2878.
- Scott No. 2629.
- StampWorld No. 2670.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 3726.
- Unificato No. 2710.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2703.

The 36.27 m (119 ft) tall Arngast Lighthouse, built between 1909 and 1910, is located in Jade Bight in the southern part of the North Sea. The tower stands on a sandbar, about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) southeast of the city of Wilhelmshaven. Originally, the beacon was powered by two 12 hp diesel engines. Since 1966, an approximately 6 km (3.73 mi) long submarine cable has supplied the station with power from Dangast. Since 1968, the lighthouse has been controlled centrally via a remote control system. In 2003 the lighthouse was entered in the register of cultural and architectural monuments.

CAMEROON

CAMEROON / CAMEROUN.

Tourism.
Bafoussam-Bamenda Road, and schematic map of Cameroon.
Stamp issued on 10.09.1981.
Face value: 50 Central African CFA francs.
Design: Louis Marie Lemana.
Printed by Cartor.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 956.
- Scott No. 696.
- StampWorld No. 956.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 910.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 678.

The road between the cities of Bafoussam and Bamenda, in western Cameroon, is 72 km (45 mi) long. It is a fundamental route for the supply of the region. It was built in the 1970s, and is in frequent need of rehabilitation and maintenance work.

SPAIN

SPAIN / ESPAÑA.

Explorers of Oceania.
Ruy López de Villalobos and Map.
Stamp issued on 22.06.2021.
Face value: 2.50 euro.
Printing: Offset lithography on wood paper.
Printed by F.N.M.T. (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre), Madrid.
Print: 160,000 copies.
Size: 57.75 x 41 mm.

- Edifil No. 5498.
- Michel No. 5548.
- Scott No. 4538.
- StampWorld No. 5552.
- Unificato No. 5281.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 5253.

Beginning with the expedition of Magellan and Elcano (1519-1522), Spain made numerous expeditions to the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the exploration and discovery of numerous territories, many of which were later incorporated into the Spanish Empire. On November 1, 1542, Ruy López de Villalobos sailed with six ships and about 400 men from Barra de Navidad (Jalisco, Mexico) heading southwest towards the South Pacific and reached the island of Mindanao, after discovering some land. From there the expedition headed for the Spice Islands (Moluccas). Among Villalobos' discoveries are the Clarión Island; Wotje Atoll in the eastern Marshalls; the insular group of Kwajalein atolls (what they called “The Garden Islands”), in the central Marshalls; Fais Island in the western Marshalls and Yap Island in the western Carolinas. Villalobos died on April 4, 1544 on the island of Ambon, in the Moluccas.

IRAQ

IRAQ / العراق

Hydroelectric Dam in the Taksim Tharthar-Euphrates Canal.
Official stamp issued in 08.1978.
Face value: 5 Iraqi fils.
Printing: Photogravure.

Catalogs
- Michel No. D364.
- Scott No. O332.
- Stanley Gibbons No. O1338.
- Yvert et Tellier No. S286.

The Tharthar or Altharthar, known in Iraq as Buhayrat ath-Tharthar (Arabic: بحيرة الثرثار), is an artificial lake opened in 1956, situated northwest of Saladin Governorate and south of the city of Samarra, about 90 km (56 mi) northwest of Baghdad, between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. The lake has an artificial outlet built in 1956 called Taksim Tharthar Canal, which drains to the Euphrates River directly. The canal, after 28 km (17.4 mi) from its outlet, forks to another canal that returns water back to the Tigris River. The dam, with six gates, built in 1976, serves to regulate the outflow of water from the lake and, at the same time, to produce electricity.

GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC / DEUTSCHE DEMOKRATISCHE REPUBLIK.

Bridges.
Bridge over Templiner Lake.
First stamp in a set of 6, issued on 21.09.1976.
Face value: 10 East German pfennig.
Design: Paul Reißmüller (b. 1927).
Printed by Deutsche Wertpapierdruckerei (VEB), Leipzig.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 8,100,000 copies.
Size: 65 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 1885.
- Michel No. 2163.
- Scott No. 1757.
- StampWorld No. 1905.
- Stanley Gibbons No. E1878.
- Unificato No. 2163.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1839.

Templiner Lake is located in the state of Brandenburg. It stretches to the south and west from the center of the city of Potsdam. It is some 5.8 km (3.6 mi) long, with a maximum width of 1.2 km (0.75 mi) and a surface area is 5.11 km² (1.97 sq mi). It lies at an elevation of 29.4 m (96 ft) above sea level, and has a maximum depth of 6 m (20 ft). The navigable River Havel flows through the lake, entering it at its northern end adjacent to central Potsdam, and leaving it at its southern end via a short channel to the Schwielow Lake between Caputh and Geltow. The lake is crossed by the Berlin outer ring railway, using the bridge represented on the stamp. To keep the dimensions of the bridge small, a dam about 90 m (295 ft) long was built into the lake from the east bank. From the west bank, a 150 m (492 ft) long embankment met the first. This means that it only took 140 m (459 ft) to close the gap. The bridge was completed in 1957.

SRI LANKA

SRI LANKA / ශ්‍රී ලංකා - இலங்கை

Lighthauses.
Devinuwara Lighthouse.
Third stamp in a minisheet of 4, issued on 22.01.1996.
Face value: 2.00 Sri Lankan rupee.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 29 x 40 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1100.
- Scott No. 1149.
- StampWorld No. 677.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1317.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1089.

Devinuwara (Sinhala: දෙවිනුවර) Lighthouse is located on Dondra Head, the southernmost point in Sri Lanka and is Sri Lanka's tallest lighthouse, and also one of the tallest in South East Asia. The name Dondra is a synonym for "Devi-Nuwara" in the local Sinhala language, "Devi" meaning "Gods" and "Nuwara" meaning "City". The 49-meter (161 ft) lighthouse, designed by James Nicholas Douglass, began construction in November 1887 and became operational in March 1890. It is an octagonal tower with balcony and lantern. The rotating lens was removed in 2020 and replaced by a static flashing LED light.

ISRAEL

ISRAEL / יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ - إِسْرَائِيل

Modern ports.
Port of Elat.
First stamp in a set of 3, issued on 19.02.1969.
Face value: 0.30 Israeli lira.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 1,648,000 copies.
Size: 61 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- Israel Philatelic Federation No. 449.
- Michel No. 433.
- Scott No. 378.
- StampWorld No. 432.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 405.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 371.

Elat or Eilat (Hebrew: אֵילַת; Arabic: إِيلَات) is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of 52,299 in 2019, a busy port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The name Elat was given to Umm al-Rashrash (أم الرشراش) in 1949 by the Committee for the Designation of Place-Names in the Negev. The name refers to Elath, a location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible that is thought to be located across the border in modern Jordan. During the British Mandate era, a British police post existed in the area, which was known as Umm Al-Rashrash. The area was designated as part of the Jewish state in the 1947 UN Partition Plan. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the abandoned police post was seized without a fight on March 10, 1949, as part of Operation Uvda. This marked the end of Israel's war for independence. Eilat's airport was built in 1949 and the port opened in 1955. Elat began to develop rapidly after the Suez Crisis in 1956, when the tourist industry began to flourish in the city. In the stamp you can also see the Elat Mountains (Hebrew: הרי אילת Harei Eilat), with a maximum elevation of 899 m (2,949 ft).

WALLIS AND FUTUNA

WALLIS AND FUTUNA / WALLIS ET FUTUNA - UVEA MO FUTUNA.

Landscapes.
Lake Lalolalo, in Wallis ('Uvea) Island.
Airmail. First stamp in a set of 4, issued on 01.12.1975.
Face value: 10 CFP francs.
Design: Pierrette Lambert (b. 1928).
Printed by Edila.
Printing: Photogravure.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 269.
- Scott No. C65.
- StampWorld No. 269.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 249.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA67.

The Lake Lalolalo is a volcanic crater lake surrounded by jungle to the Mu'a district, southwest of Wallis (’Uvea), a French island in Polynesia, in the South Pacific. The 15.2-hectare lake is almost a perfect circle with rocky cliffs that drop 30m (98ft) into dark waters 80m (262ft) deep, and the largest of several on the island. It is important to the local mythology of Wallis and Futuna, as the indigenous population considers it a vital force that regenerates life, which they call vao tapu, which is why its surroundings are considered sacred. At the end of World War II, the US Army dumped equipment and ammunition. Scuba dives in the lake have found various calibers of ammunition from that era. The surrounding jungle is inhabited by tropical birds and flying foxes, and the waters have a significant population of eels, which in traditional religious beliefs are tutelary deities who protect freshwater sources. In 2018, a viewpoint was built from which tourists can see the lake.

GUERNSEY

GUERNSEY / GUERNESEY - GERNÉSI.

Bailiwick Views.
Petit Bot Beach.
First stamp in a set of 2, issued on 28.03.1988.
Face value: 12 Guernsey penny.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 26.3 x 34.3 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 408.
- Michel No. 413A.
- Scott No. 372.
- StampWorld No. 408.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 306b.
- Unificato No. 417.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 417.

Petit Bot Bay, with its beach, sits at the base of two wooded valleys in a sheltered section of Guernsey's south coast. The Martello Tower is seen on the stamp, one of the two towers that have survived of the fifteen that were built on the coast of the island between 1778 and 1779 to deter possible French attacks after France declared itself an ally of the Americans in the American Revolutionary War. The tower, open to the public, features a small interpretive exhibit. These towers were designed to accommodate muskets only (i. e. there was no provision for artillery), and their manning was the responsibility of the Royal Guernsey Militia.

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

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.