#760 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Parliament Hill (French: Colline du Parlement), colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural elements of national symbolic importance. Parliament Hill attracts approximately 3 million visitors each year.

Originally the site of a military base in the 18th and early 19th centuries, development of the area into a governmental precinct began in 1859, after Queen Victoria chose Bytown as the capital of the Province of Canada. Following a number of extensions to the parliament and departmental buildings and a fire in 1916 that destroyed the Centre Block, Parliament Hill took on its present form with the completion of the Peace Tower in 1927. Since 2002, an extensive $1 billion renovation and rehabilitation project has been underway throughout all of the precinct's buildings; work is not expected to be complete until after 2020.

wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: October 12, 2007

Date of Issue: April 23, 2014 - Roses

Thank you, Rachel !

Sent on: November 19, 2014

Received on: December 2, 2014

#748 Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous city in Scandinavia, with 905,184 people living in the municipality, approximately 1.4 million in the urban area and a total population close to 2.2 million in the metropolitan area. The city is spread across 14 islands on the coast in the southeast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Mälaren, by the Stockholm archipelago and the Baltic sea. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC and was founded as a city in 1252 by Birger Jarl.

Stockholm is the cultural, media, political, and economic centre of Sweden. The region alone accounts for over a third of the country's GDP and is among the top 10 regions in Europe by GDP per capita. It's an important global city and the main centre for corporate headquarters in the Nordic region. The city is home to some of the Europe's top ranking universities, such as the Karolinska Institute and hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet at the Stockholm Concert Hall and Stockholm City Hall. One of the city's most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited non-art museum in Scandinavia. The Stockholm metro, opened in 1950, is well known for its decoration of the stations; it has been called the longest art gallery in the world. Sweden's national football arena is located north of the city centre, in Solna. Ericsson Globe, the national indoor arena, is in the southern part of the city. The city was the host of the 1912 Summer Olympics.

Stockholm is the seat of the Government of Sweden and most government agencies, including the highest courts in the Judiciary and the official residencies of the Swedish monarch and the Prime Minister. The Government has its seat in the Rosenbad building, the Riksdag is seated in the Parliament House and the Prime Minister's residence is adjacent at the Sager House. The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the Swedish monarch, while the Drottningholm Palace, a World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Stockholm, serves as the Royal Family's private residence.

Wikipedia.org

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Sent on: November 16, 2014

Received on: November 19, 2014

#732 Romania

The eight Romanian Orthodox Churches of Moldavia are located in Suceava County, northern Moldavia, and were built approximately between 1487 and 1583.

Wikipedia.org

Humor Monastery located in Mănăstirea Humorului, about 5 km north of the town of Gura Humorului, Romania. It is a monastery for nuns dedicated to the Dormition of Virgin Mary, or Theotokos. It was constructed in 1530 by Voievod Petru Rareş and his chancellor Teodor Bubuiog. The monastery was built over the foundation of a previous monastery that dated from around 1415. The Humor monastery was closed in 1786 and was not reopened until 1990.

 Wikipedia.org

Property No #598

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 1993

Extension: 2010

Thank you, Mihnea !

Sent on: September 29, 2014

Received on: October 10, 2014

#557 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Dubai is an emirate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) federation. The main city of the emirate is also called Dubai. The emirate is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is one of the seven emirates that make up the country. It has the largest population in the UAE (2,106,177) and the second-largest land territory (4,114 km²) after the capital, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. The city of Dubai is located on the emirate's northern coastline and heads up the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.

The earliest mention of Dubai is in 1095 AD, and the earliest recorded settlement in the region dates from 1799. Dubai was formally established on June 9th, 1833 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti Al-Maktoum when he persuaded around 800 members of his tribe of the Bani Yas, living in what was then the Second Saudi State to follow him to the Dubai Creek by the Abu Falasa clan of the Bani Yas. It remained under the tribe's control when the United Kingdom agreed to protect the Sheikhdom in 1892 and joined the nascent United Arab Emirates upon independence in 1971 as the country's second emirate. Its strategic geographic location made the town an important trading hub and by the beginning of the 20th century, Dubai was already an important regional port.

Today, Dubai has emerged as a cosmopolitan metropolis that has grown steadily to become a global city and a business and cultural hub of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region. It is also a major transport hub for passengers and cargo. Although Dubai's economy was historically built on the oil industry, the emirate's Western-style model of business drives its economy with the main revenues now coming from tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services. Dubai has recently attracted world attention through many innovative large construction projects and sports events. The city has become symbolic for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. In addition, Dubai is home to other ambitious development projects including man-made islands, hotels, and some of the largest shopping malls in the region and the world. This increased attention has also highlighted labor and human rights issues concerning the city's largely South Asian workforce. Dubai's property market experienced a major deterioration in 2008–2009 following the financial crisis of 2007-2008, but is making a gradual recovery with help from neighboring emirates.

As of 2012, Dubai is the 22nd most expensive city in the world and the most expensive city in the Middle East. Dubai was rated as one of the best places to live in the Middle East by American global consulting firm Mercer.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Patricia !

Sent on: March 15, 2014

Received on: April 4, 2014

#554 Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur (Often abbreviated as K.L., is the federal capital and most populous city in Malaysia. The city covers an area of 243 km² (94 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 1.6 million as of 2012. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 6.9 million as of 2010. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in the country, in terms of population and economy.

Wikipedia.org

On the right: The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers (Malay: Menara Petronas, or Menara Berkembar Petronas) are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)'s official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101, but they remain the tallest twin buildings in the world. The buildings are the landmark of Kuala Lumpur with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower.

Wikipedia.org

On the right: The Kuala Lumpur Tower (Malay: Menara Kuala Lumpur; Chinese: 吉隆坡塔; abbreviated as KL Tower) is a tall tower located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Its construction was completed on 1 March 1995. It is used for communication purposes and features an antenna that reaches 421 metres (1,381 feet). The roof of the pod is at 335 metres (1,099 feet). The rest of the tower below has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a revolving restaurant, providing diners with a panoramic view of the city.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Shee Hui !

Sent on: March 11, 2014

Received on: March 31, 2014

#409 São Paulo, Brazil

Received card #365 for more information.

Property No #1100

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 2012

Thank you, Christelle !

Sent on: November 4, 2013

Received on: November 15, 2013

#405 Germany

Hamburg, officially Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg (Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg), is the second largest city in Germany and the ninth largest city in the European Union. It is also the thirteenth largest German state. It is home to over 1.8 million people, while the Hamburg Metropolitan Region (including parts of the neighboring Federal States of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein) has more than 5 million inhabitants. On the river Elbe, the port of Hamburg is the second largest port in Europe (after the Port of Rotterdam) and tenth largest worldwide.

The official name reflects its history as a member of the medieval Hanseatic League, as a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire, and that it is a city-state, and one of the 16 states of Germany. Before the 1871 Unification of Germany, it was a fully sovereign state. Prior to the constitutional changes in 1919, the stringent civic republic was ruled by a class of hereditary grand burghers or Hanseaten.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: June 14, 2012

Thank you, Anna !

Received on: November 11, 2013

#367 Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Atlanta is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia, with an estimated 2011 population of 432,427. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, home to 5,457,831 people and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States. Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, and a small portion of the city extends eastward into DeKalb County.

Atlanta was established in 1837 at the intersection of two railroad lines, and the city rose from the ashes of the Civil War to become a national center of commerce. In the decades following the Civil Rights Movement, during which the city earned a reputation as "too busy to hate" for the progressive views of its citizens and leaders, Atlanta attained international prominence. Atlanta is the primary transportation hub of the Southeastern United States, via highway, railroad, and air, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world's busiest airport since 1998.

Atlanta is considered an "alpha(-) world city," and with a gross domestic product of US$270 billion, Atlanta's economy ranks 15th among world cities and sixth in the nation. Although Atlanta’s economy is considered diverse, dominant sectors include logistics, professional and business services, media operations, and information technology. Topographically, Atlanta is marked by rolling hills and dense tree coverage. Revitalization of Atlanta's neighborhoods, initially spurred by the 1996 Olympics, has intensified in the 21st century, altering the city's demographics, politics, and culture.
Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: January 17, 2013 - Apples

Date of Issue: September 10, 2013 - Battle of Lake Erie

Date of Issue: July 13, 2013 - New England Coastal Lighthouses

Thank you, Renew Family !

Sent on: October 1, 2013

Received on: October 7, 2013

#318 Qurum, Oman

Nizwa (Arabic: نزوى‎) is the largest city in the Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Oman proper. Nizwa is about 140 km (1.5 hours) from Muscat. The population is estimated at around 70,000 people including the two areas of Burkat Al Mooz and Al Jabel Al Akhdar.

Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman and it was once a center of trade, religion, education and art. Its Jama (grand mosque) was formerly a center for Islamic learning. Nizwa acquired its importance because it has been an important meeting point at the base of the Western Hajar Mountains. Set amid a verdant spread of date palms, it is strategically located at the crossroads of routes linking the interior with Muscat and the lower reaches of Dhofar thus serving as the link for a large part of the country. Today, Nizwa is a diverse prosperous place with numerous agricultural, historical and recreational aspects. Nizwa is a center for date growing and is the market place for the area.

Nizwa fort was built in the 1668 A.D by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Ya'rubi. It is Oman's most visited national monument. The fort was the administrative seat of authority for the presiding Imams and Walis in times of peace and conflict. The main bulk of the fort took about 12 years to complete and was built above an underground stream. The fort is a reminder of the town's significance through turbulent periods in Oman's long history. It was a formidable stronghold against raiding forces that desired Nizwa's abundant natural wealth and its strategic location at the crossroads of vital routes.

Wikipedia.org 

Thank you, Cresalde !

Sent on: August 5, 2013
Received on: September 5, 2013

#313 Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. Its state capital is Lincoln. Its largest city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River.

The state is crossed by many historic trails, but it was the California Gold Rush that first brought large numbers of non-indigenous settlers to the area. Nebraska became a state in 1867.

There are wide variations between winter and summer temperatures, and violent thunderstorms and tornadoes are common. The state is characterized by treeless prairie, ideal for cattle-grazing, and it is a major producer of beef, as well as pork, corn and soybeans.

Nebraska is the 9th least-densely populated state of the United States. Ethnically, the largest group of Nebraskans are German-American. The state also has the largest per capita population of Czech-Americans among U.S. states.

State Capital: Lincoln
Largest City: Omaha
Admission to Union: March 1, 1867 (37th)
Highest Point: Panorama Point 5,424 ft (1654 m)
Lowest point: Missouri River at Kansas border 840 ft (256 m)

Wikipedia.org

Omaha /ˈoʊməhɑː/ is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 10 miles (16 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha is the anchor of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, which includes Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha.

According to the 2010 Census, Omaha's population was 408,958, making it the nation's 42nd-largest city. According to the 2012 Population Estimates, Omaha's population was 421,570. Including its suburbs, Omaha formed the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2010, with an estimated population of 877,110 residing in eight counties. The Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA Combined Statistical Area is 922,051, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2012 estimate. There are more than 1.2 million residents within a 50-mile (80-km) radius of the city's center, forming the Greater Omaha area.

Wikipedia.org

Chimney Rock is a prominent geological rock formation in Morrill County in western Nebraska. Rising nearly 300 feet (91 m) above the surrounding North Platte River valley, the peak of Chimney Rock is 4,226 feet (1,288 m) above sea level. During the middle 19th century it served as a landmark along the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail, which ran along the north side of the rock. It is visible for many miles from the east along U.S. Route 26.

U.S. National Register of Historic Places: October 15, 1966

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Angelique !

Sent on: August 23, 2013

Received on: August 29, 2013

#244 Podkowa Leśna, Poland | PL-674603

Toruń [ˈtɔruɲ] (German: Thorn, Kashubian: Torń, Latin: Thorunium) is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River.

Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.

 Wikipedia.org

Property No #835

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO: 1997

Date of Issue: 2005 - John Paul II (1920-2005)

Date of Issue: 2005 - Roses in Polish Embroidery

Date of Issue: 2011 - Flowers and Fruits - Raspberry

Thank you, Karolina (Aufaul)!

Received on: May 6, 2013

Travel time: 48 days

Distance: 794 km (492 miles)

#133 Rockville, Maryland, USA

Baltimore is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is located in the central area of the state along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. The independent city is often referred to as Baltimore City to distinguish it from surrounding Baltimore County. Founded in 1729, Baltimore is the largest seaport in the Mid-Atlantic United States and is situated closer to Midwestern markets than any other major seaport on the East Coast.

Thank you, Katrina !

Sent on: September 13, 2012

Received on: September 18, 2012

#116 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Established in 1905, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city in 1911. At the close of the 20th century, Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in that century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City, and this image has made Las Vegas a popular setting for films and television programs. There are numerous outdoor lighting displays on Fremont Street, as well as elsewhere in the city.

Las Vegas often refers to the city plus some areas beyond the city limits, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip, and sometimes the entire Las Vegas Valley. The 4.2 mi (6.8 km) stretch of South Las Vegas Boulevard known as the Strip is mainly in the unincorporated communities of Paradise, Winchester, and Enterprise.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Meeli !

Sent on: August 8, 2012

Received on: August 14, 2012

#115 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark Count. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its consolidated casino–hotels and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, Las Vegas is the 31st-most populous city in the United States, with a population at the 2010 census of 583,756. The 2010 population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Katrina !

Sent on: August 8, 2012

Received on: August 14, 2012