#1114 Barbados

Thank you, Carol !

Received on: July 4, 2016

#1096 Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana) is a sovereign state occupying the Eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti,  making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands, along with Saint Martin, that are shared by two countries. Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second-largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,445 square kilometres (18,705 sq mi) and 10.4 million people, of which approximately three million live in metropolitan area of Santo Domingo, the capital city, of whom live in the capital city Santo Domingo.

Christopher Columbus landed on the island on December 5, 1492, which the Taíno people had inhabited since the 7th century. It became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas; namely Santo Domingo, the oldest continuously inhabited city and the first seat of the Spanish colonial rule in the New World. After more than three hundred years of Spanish rule the Dominican people declared independence in November 1821. The leader of the independence movement José Núñez de Cáceres, intended the Dominican nation to unite with the country of Gran Colombia, but no longer under Spain's custody the newly independent Dominicans were forcefully annexed by their more powerful neighbor Haiti in February 1822. Independence came 22 years later after victory in the Dominican War of Independence against Haitian rule in 1844. Over the next 72 years the Dominican Republic experienced mostly internal strife and a brief return to colonial status, the only nation in the hemisphere to do so after gaining its independence, before permanently ousting Spaniard rule during the Dominican War of Restoration of 1865. A United States occupation lasted eight years between 1916 and 1924, and a subsequent calm and prosperous six-year period under Horacio Vásquez Lajara was followed by the dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina until 1961. A civil war in 1965, the country's last, was ended by U.S. military occupation and was followed by the authoritarian rule of Joaquín Balaguer, 1966–1978. Since then, the Dominican Republic has moved toward representative democracy and has been led by Leonel Fernández for most of the time since 1996. Danilo Medina, the Dominican Republic's current president, succeeded Fernandez in 2012, winning 51% of the electoral vote over his opponent ex-president Hipólito Mejía.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Valery !

Received on: May 23, 2016

#1005 Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: República de Costa Rica), is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around 4.5 million, of whom nearly a quarter live in the metropolitan area of the capital and largest city, San José.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you !

Sent on: October 2, 2015

Received on: October 23, 2015

#976 St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles Island arc, in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. The country is also known as St. Vincent.

Its 389 km² (150 sq mi) territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines, which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent Island to Grenada. Most of Saint Vincent lies within the Hurricane Belt.

To the north of Saint Vincent lies Saint Lucia, to the east Barbados. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a densely populated country (over 300 inhabitants/km²) with approximately 120,000 inhabitants.

Wikipedia.org

The Tobago Cays are an archipelago comprising five small uninhabited islands - Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac and Jamesby - located in the Southern Grenadines. The Tobago Cays are now the key element of the Tobago Cays Marine Park, a national park and wildlife preserve run by the St.Vincent and the Grenadines government. The Tobago Cays Marine Park consists of a 1,400-acre (5.7 km²) sand-bottom lagoon which encompasses four uninhabited cays and the 4 km Horseshoe Reef. While the cays are uninhabited, they are surrounded by the three larger inhabited islands of Union Island, Mayreau and Canouan.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Shairee !

Received on: September 18, 2015

#778 Brazil

Copacabana is a bairro (neighbourhood) located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known for its 4 km balneario beach, which is one of the most famous in the world.

Wikipedia.org

Copacabana beach, located at the Atlantic shore, stretches from Posto Dois (lifeguard watchtower Two) to Posto Seis (lifeguard watchtower Six). Leme is at Posto Um (lifeguard watchtower One). There are historic forts at both ends of Copacabana beach; Fort Copacabana, built in 1914, is at the south end by Posto Seis and Fort Duque de Caxias, built in 1779, at the north end. One curiosity is that the lifeguard watchtower of Posto Seis never existed.

Hotels, restaurants, bars, night clubs and residential buildings dot the promenade.

Copacabana Beach plays host to millions of revellers during the annual New Year's Eve celebrations and, in most years, has been the official venue of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

The beach is one of the many areas that suffers from the city's poor waste treatment. In its waters, 'fecal coliform bacteria sometimes spike at 16 times the Brazilian government’s “satisfactory” level.'

Wikipedia.org

The Copacabana promenade is a pavement landscape in large scale (4 kilometres long). It was completed in 1970 and has used a black and white Portuguese pavement design since its origin in the 1930s: a geometric wave. The Copacabana promenade was designed by Roberto Burle Marx.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Bruno !

Sent on: December 9, 2014

Received on: January 13, 2015

#483 Rotterdam, Netherlands | NL-2307996

Zeelandic Flanders (Dutch: Zeeuws-Vlaanderen) is the southernmost region of the province of Zeeland in the south-western Netherlands. It lies south of the Western Scheldt that separates the region from the remainder of Zeeland to the north. Zeelandic Flanders is bordered to the south by Belgium.

Wikipedia.org

On the Stamp: Dutch symbols

On the Stamp: King William Alexander (definitive)

Thank you, Cobi (Cobi51) !

Received on: February 3, 2014

Travel time: 9 days

Distance: 1611 km (1,001 miles)

#435 Pensacola, Florida, USA

Panama City Beach is a city in Bay County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico coast. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 12,018. The city is often referred to under the umbrella term of "Panama City", despite being a distinct municipality from the older and larger inland Panama City to the east, making Panama City and Panama City Beach two separate cities. Panama City Beach's slogan is "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches" due to the unique sugar-white sandy beaches of northwest Florida.

Panama City Beach has been a popular vacation destination, especially among people in the Southern United States. The city is also a very popular spring break destination, sometimes having been referred to as "The Spring Break Capital of the World," due to about 100,000+ college and high school students who would arrive during the months of March and April.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Kathie !

Sent on: November 21, 2013

Received on: December 3, 2013

#408 São Paulo, Brazil

Armação dos Búzios (often referred to as just Búzios, is a resort town and a municipality located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2012, its population consisted of 23,463 inhabitants and its area of 69 km². Today, Búzios is a popular getaway from the city and a worldwide tourist site, especially among Brazilians and Argentinians.

In the early 1900s Búzios was popular with the Carioca’s high society, who wanted to escape from the chaotic city life of Rio de Janeiro and enjoy over 23 beaches that the peninsula offers. But it wasn’t until 1964, when the famous French actress Brigitte Bardot visited Búzios, that it grew to be a popular tourist destination.

Today, the peninsula is a travelling site that offers calmness, direct contact with nature and breathtaking views. The west coast beaches offer calm, clear waters while the east coast ones, facing the open sea, are more wild and draw surfers and water sports enthusiasts. Azeda, Ferradura, João Fernandes, Armação, and Geribá, popular for surfing are amongst the most popular beaches in town. At night, Rua das Pedras, Buzios' main street, offers its visitors an active nightlife and a great variety of shopping and restaurants.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Christelle !

Sent on: November 4, 2013

Received on: November 15, 2013

#340 Trinidad and Tobago

Stollmeyer castle

Pigeon Point is also known as Pigeon Point Heritage Park (PPHP) and is often considered Tobago’s most beautiful beach and is home to the famous thatch-roofed jetty which has become an internationally recognised signature of Tobago. The resort includes a long stretch of white sand beach with warm aquamarine waters. There are excellent beach facilities such as bathrooms, showers and beach-chair rentals as well as bars and a restaurant. Tourist amenities include souvenir and water-sports shops.

Wikipedia.org

Sunset at Waterloo Bay, Central Trinidad

Radix Point

Thank you, Reinelle !

Sent on: August 26, 2013

Received on: September 16, 2013

#274 Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Stintino (Sassarese: Isthintini, Sardinian: Istintìnu) is a coastal comune (municipality) in the Province of Sassari in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 200 km north of Cagliari and about 35 km northwest of Sassari.

Stintino is located on the peninsula of the same name, running from Nurra plain to the Asinara Island, part of the Asinara National Park, for which Stintino is the nearer embarkment place. The municipality borders with Sassari and its northernmost point, a cape in which is located the town, is in front of the Asinara, who belongs to the municipality of Porto Torres.

Stintino was a frazione of the comune of Sassari until 1988.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: December 10, 2012

Thank you, Nicola !

Sent on: July 18, 2013

Received on: July 25, 2013

#269 Portland, Oregon, USA

The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately 363 miles (584 km) from the Columbia River in the north to the Oregon–California state border in the south. The Oregon Coast is not a specific geological, environmental, or political entity but, instead, includes the entire coastline of Oregon, including the Columbia River Estuary

Wikipedia.org.

Thank you, Francis !

Sent on: July 4, 2013

Received on: July 11, 2013

#205 Freeport, Bahamas

The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a country consisting of more than 3,000 islands, cays and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, north of Cuba and Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the U.S. state of Florida and east of the Florida Keys. Its capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence. Geographically, the Bahamas lie near to Cuba, which is part of the Greater Antilles, along with Hispaniola and Jamaica. The designation of "Bahamas" refers to the country and the geographic chain that it shares with the Turks and Caicos Islands. The three West Indies/Caribbean island groupings are: The Bahamas, The Greater Antilles and The Lesser Antilles. As stated on the mandate/manifesto of The Royal Bahamas Defence Force, The Bahamas territory encompasses 180,000 square miles of ocean space. From the Cay Sal Bank and Cay Lobos (just off of the coast of Cuba) in the west, to San Salvador, The Bahamas is much larger than is recorded in some sources.

Originally inhabited by the Lucayans, a branch of the Arawakan-speaking Taino people, the Bahamas were the site of Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492. Although the Spanish never colonized the Bahamas, they shipped the native Lucayans to slavery in Hispaniola. The islands were mostly deserted from 1513 until 1648, when English colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera.

The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718, when the British clamped down on piracy. After the American War of Independence, thousands of American Loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to the Bahamas and set up a plantation economy. The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807, and many Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy were settled in the Bahamas during the 19th century. Slavery in the Bahamas itself was abolished in 1834, yet still remains a political issue there. Today the descendants of slaves form the majority of the population.

In terms of Gross Domestic Product per capita, the Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas (following the United States and Canada).

Wikipedia.org

On the stamp: Prince Harry of Wales.

Thank you, Niki !

Sent on: February 17, 2013

Received on: March 14, 2013

#131 Germany | DE-1503527

Nature's Valley is a holiday resort and small village on the Garden Route along the southern Cape coast of South Africa, tucked between the Soutrivier, the foothills of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, the Indian Ocean and the Groot River lagoon. It has a balmy climate and the unusual status of being surrounded by the Tsitsikamma National Park.

Wikipedia.org 

Date of Issue: February 3, 2011

Thank you very much, Melanie (mellovesfairies) !

Received on: September 4, 2012

Travel time: 30 days

Distance: 1483 km (921 miles)

#92 Tulum, Mexico

Tulum (Yucatec: Tulu'um) is the site of a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city serving as a major port for Cobá. The ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) tall cliffs, along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Mayans, it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have been the cause of its demise.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Katrina !

Sent on: May 18, 2012

Received on: June 22, 2012