#1441 Sweden

Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 63,479 inhabitants as of 2013, out of a municipal population of 85,000. It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County and the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. The town is home to Linnaeus University.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Erik !

Sent on: October 29, 2017

Received on: October 31, 2017

#1426 Malta

For more info about Malta, see received card #886.

About some facts written on the postcard:

Kevin James Borg (born 9 June 1986, in Floriana, Malta), is a Maltese pop singer who lives and works in Sweden. Borg rose to fame as the winner of the fifth series of the Swedish television singing competition Idol in 2008. He was the third male winner and the first in the show's history to be born outside of Sweden, having moved there exactly one year before he was declared winner.

Wikipedia.org

Joseph Calleia (born Joseph Alexander Caesar Herstall Vincent Calleja, August 4, 1897 – October 31, 1975) was a Maltese-born American actor and singer on the stage and in films, radio and television.

Wikipedia.org

Ira Losco M.Q.R. (born 31 July 1981) is a Maltese singer. She represented her country Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, with the song "Walk on Water". Losco also competed for her country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 with "7th Wonder", finishing second, only twelve points behind Latvia the winner.

Wikipedia.org

The Pharaoh Hound is a Maltese breed of dog and the national dog of Malta. In Maltese it is called Kelb tal-Fenek, which means "rabbit dog". It is traditionally used for hunting rabbit in the Maltese Islands.

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The Azure Window (Maltese: it-Tieqa Żerqa), also known as the Dwejra Window (Maltese: it-Tieqa tad-Dwejra), was a 28-metre-tall (92 ft) limestone natural arch on the island of Gozo in Malta. It was located in Dwejra Bay, within the limits of San Lawrenz, close to the Inland Sea and the Fungus Rock, and was one of Malta's major tourist attractions. The arch, together with other natural features in the area, has appeared in a number of international films and media productions.

The formation was created by the collapse of a sea cave, probably during the 19th century. It consisted of a pillar of rock rising from the sea and joined to the cliff by a horizontal slab. Following decades of natural erosion that caused parts of the arch to fall into the sea, the slab and pillar collapsed completely in stormy weather on 8 March 2017.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Silvan !

Sent on: October 7, 2017

Received on: October 13, 2017

#1285 Estonia - Italy - Serbia - Ukraine - Belarus - the Netherlands

Thank you all !

Sent on: December 6, 2016

Received on: May 8, 2017

#1180 Kazakhstan

Thank you, Assel !

Sent on: November 4, 2016

Received on: November 10, 2016

#1174 Belgium

Date of Issue: May 13, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Aitäh, Mk !

Sent on: October 13, 2016

Received on: October 17, 2016

#1166 Lapithos, Northern Cyprus

Cyprus (Greek: Κύπρος; Turkish: Kıbrıs), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti), is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and Palestine, north of Egypt, and southeast of Greece.

Wikipedia.org

About some facts written on the postcard:

Makarios III (Greek: Μακάριος Γ΄), born Michail Christodoulou Mouskos (Greek: Μιχαήλ Χριστοδούλου Μούσκος; August 13, 1913 – August 3, 1977), was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Church of Cyprus, a Greek Orthodox Church (1950–1977), and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus (1960–1974 and 1974–1977). In his three terms as President of Cyprus (1959–1977), he survived four assassination attempts and a 1974 coup.

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Anna Vissi (Greek: Άννα Βίσση; born 20 December 1957), also known as Anna Vishy, is a Greek recording artist and actress. Born in Cyprus, she studied music at conservatories and performed locally before moving to the professional scene in Athens, Greece in 1973, where she signed with Minos and simultaneously collaborated with other musical artists and released promotional singles of her own while studying at the University of Athens.

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Pavlos Kontides (Greek: Παύλος Κοντίδης, born 11 February 1990) is a Cypriot sailor. He became the first Cypriot athlete ever to win an Olympic medal for his country, by winning the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Men's Laser class behind Tom Slingsby.

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Olympus, or Chionistra, at 1,952 metres (6,404 ft), is the highest point in Cyprus. It is located in the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus. Mount Olympus peak and the "Troodos Square" fall under the territory of Platres in Limassol District. A British long range radar currently operates at Mount Olympus' peak. The Mount Olympus Ski resort consists of the Sun Valley and North Face areas. Each area has its own chairlifts and runs.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: May 12, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Bianca !

Sent on: September 9, 2016

Received on: October 5, 2016

#1159 Estonia - Belarus - Azerbaijan - Serbia - Italy

Thank you !

Sent from Estonia to Belarus: May 17, 2016

From Belarus to Azerbaijan: ??

From Azerbaijan to Serbia: ??

From Serbia to Italy: ??

From Italy to Estonia: ??

Received from Italy: September 26, 2016

#1148 Portugal

The Flag of Portugal (Portuguese: Bandeira de Portugal) is the national flag of the Portuguese Republic. It is a rectangular bicolour with a field unevenly divided into green on the hoist, and red on the fly. The lesser version of the national coat of arms (i.e. armillary sphere and Portuguese shield) is centred over the colour boundary at equal distance from the upper and lower edges. On June 30, 1911, less than a year after the downfall of the constitutional monarchy, this design was officially adopted for the new national flag, after selection by a special commission whose members included Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, João Chagas and Abel Botelho.

The conjugation of the new field colours, especially the use of green, was not traditional in the Portuguese national flag's composition and represented a radical republican-inspired change that broke the bond with the former monarchical flag. Since a failed republican insurrection on January 31, 1891, red and green had been established as the colours of the Portuguese Republican Party and its associated movements, whose political prominence kept growing until it reached a culmination period following the Republican revolution of October 5, 1910. In the ensuing decades, these colours were popularly propagandized as representing the hope of the nation (green) and the blood (red) of those who died defending it, as a means to endow them with a more patriotic and dignified, therefore less political, sentiment. Although the flag flown from the Oporto city hall in the morning of January 31, 1891, symbol of the republican uprising was red and green. Totally red with a green circle in the center, to which were added the inscriptions referring to the republican center to whom it belonged - the Centro Democrático Federal 15 de Novembro.'

The current flag design represents a dramatic change in the evolution of the Portuguese standard, which had always been closely associated with the royal arms, blue and white. Since the country's foundation, the national flag developed from the blue cross-on-white armorial square banner of King Afonso I to the liberal monarchy's arms over a blue-and-white rectangle. In between, major changes associated with determinant political events contributed to its evolution into the current design.

wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: May 9, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Ana Sofia !

Received on: September 1, 2016

#1145 Luxembourg

The flag of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerger Fändel, German: Flagge Luxemburgs, French: Drapeau du Luxembourg) consists of three horizontal stripes, red, white and blue, and can be in 1:2 or 3:5 ratio. It was first used between 1845 and 1848 and officially adopted on June 23, 1972.

Luxembourg had no flag until 1830, when patriots were urged to display the national colors. The flag was defined as a horizontal tricolor of red, white, and blue in 1848, but it was not officially adopted until 1972. The tricolor flag is almost identical to that of the Netherlands, except that it is longer and its blue stripe is a lighter shade. The red, white, and blue coloring was derived from the coat of arms of the county of the Ardennes, renamed county (1339 duchy, 1815 grand-duchy) of Luxembourg after the creation of its identical named capital city in 963 A.D. by then count Siegfried.

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Date of Issue: May 10, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Anne !

Sent on: August 23, 2016

Received on: August 30, 2016

#1137 Estonia - Finland - Germany - Ukraine - Italy

Thank you all !

Sent from Estonia to Finland: June 15, 2016

From Finland to Germany: ?

From Germany to Ukraine: ?

From Ukraine to Italy: July 21, 2016

From Italy to Estonia: ?

Received from Italy: August 15, 2016

#1136 Greece

Date of Issue: May 11, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you !

Sent on: August 1, 2016

Received on: August 12, 2016

#1135 Czech Republic

The national flag of the Czech Republic (Czech: státní vlajka České republiky) is the same as the flag of the former Czechoslovakia. Upon the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic kept the Czechoslovak flag while the Slovak Republic adopted its own flag. The first flag of Czechoslovakia was based on the coat of arms of Bohemia, and was white over red. This was identical to the Flag of Poland, so a blue triangle was added at the hoist in 1920. The flag was banned by the Nazis in 1939, and a horizontal tricolor of white, red, and blue was enforced. The 1920 flag was restored in 1945.

After the establishment of an independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, the country had been using the red and white flag of Bohemia, identical to the Polish flag. Following calls for a new flag to be adopted by the fledgling state, a committee picked a design by Jaroslav Kursa, an archivist in the Czechoslovak Ministry of the Interior. His design included the red and white horizontal stripes derived from the coat of arms of Bohemia, and added a blue wedge extended halfway along the flag.

The flag was officially approved by the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia on 30 March 1920 and since then, it has been in continuous use, with the exception of the German occupation of Czechoslovakia during World War II. Additionally, during a short period following the Velvet Revolution between 1990 and 1992, the Czech part of the Czechoslovak federated state adopted the previous red and white flag.

During the 1992 negotiations on the split of Czechoslovakia, a clause forbidding the use of the state symbols of Czechoslovakia by either successor state was inserted into the legislation concerning the dissolution of the federation. The Czech Republic violated this clause, passing legislation overruling the previous agreement and keeping the use of the flag.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: May 4, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Michelle !

Sent on: August 6, 2016

Received on: August 11, 2016

#1113 Oslo, Norway

Oslo is the capital and the most populous city in Norway.

Oslo constitutes both a county and a municipality. Founded in the year 1040, and established as a "kaupstad" or trading place in 1048 by King Harald III, the city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V around 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 reduced its influence. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, the city was moved closer to Akershus Fortress during the reign of King Christian IV and renamed Christiania in his honour. It was established as a municipality (formannskapsdistrikt) on 1 January 1838. Following a spelling reform, it was known as Kristiania from 1877 to 1925, at which time its original Norwegian name was restored.

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Date of Issue: May 9, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Tonni !

Sent on: June14, 2016

Received on: June 17, 2016

#1112 Pasvalys, Lithuania

Pasvalys (Polish: Pozwoł) is a city in Panevėžys County, Lithuania, located near the bank of the Svalia River. Its sister city is Götene in Sweden.

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Date of Issue: May 7, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Sigitas !

Sent on: June 15, 2016

Received on: June 17, 2016

#1109 Italy

Piazza Navona is a piazza in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones ("games"), and hence it was known as "Circus Agonalis" ("competition arena"). It is believed that over time the name changed to in avone to navone and eventually to navona.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: May 9, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Matteo !

Sent on: May 26, 2016

Received on: June 8, 2016

#1106 Ptuj, Slovenia

Ptuj (German: Pettau; Latin: Poetovium) is a town in northeastern Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of the Styria region.

Ptuj is the oldest city in Slovenia.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: May 27, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Tadej !

Sent on: May 31, 2016

Received on: June 3, 2016

#1105 Monaco

Monte Carlo (French: Monte-Carlo or colloquially Monte-Carl, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) officially refers to an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally the name also refers to a larger district, the Monte Carlo Quarter (corresponding to the former municipality of Monte Carlo), which besides Monte Carlo/Spélugues also includes the wards of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins, and Saint Michel. The permanent population of the ward of Monte Carlo is about 3,500, while that of the quarter is about 15,000. Monaco has four traditional quarters. From west to east they are: Fontvieille (the newest), Monaco-Ville (the oldest), La Condamine, and Monte Carlo.

Monte Carlo (literally "Mount Charles") is situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps along the French Riviera. Near the western end of the quarter is the world-famous Place du Casino, the gambling center which has made Monte Carlo "an international byword for the extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth". It is also the location of the Hôtel de Paris, the Café de Paris, and the Salle Garnier (the casino theatre which is the home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo).

The eastern part of the quarter includes the community of Larvotto with Monaco's only public beach, as well as its new convention center (the Grimaldi Forum), and the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. At the quarter's eastern border, one crosses into the French town of Beausoleil (sometimes referred to as Monte-Carlo-Supérieur), and just 5 miles (8 km) to its east is the western border of Italy.

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Date of Issue: May 9, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Ricardo !

Sent on: May 23, 2016

Received on: June 2, 2016