Postage stamps and postal history of Kionga

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Tristan da Cunha.

Postage stamps of Pakistan are those issued since Pakistan's independence in 1947. Pakistan Post has issued more than 600 sets and singles totalling more than 1300 stamps. Immediately after the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the new Pakistan government was preoccupied with setting up the government so British Indian stamps continued in use without an overprint as was the practice in other countries. The history of postage stamps in the region dates back to 1852, when Sir Bartle Frere of the British East India Company became the Chief Commissioner of Sind in 1851 and in 1852. Following the British example set by Rowland Hill, Frere improved upon the operations of the postal system of Sindh, introduced a cheap and uniform rate for postage (independent of distance travelled) and initiated the production of the Scinde Dawk stamps. These became the forerunners of the adhesive stamps to be used throughout India, Burma, the Straits Settlements and other areas controlled by the British East India Company. Their usage ceased with the introduction of official British Indian stamps in 1854.

Postage stamps and postal history of Hejaz and Nejd

Postage stamps and postal history of Syria

Postage stamps and postal history of Newfoundland

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Natal. Natal was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia. The first stamps of Natal were issued on 26 May 1857. They were uncoloured designs embossed in plain relief on coloured wove paper and were imperforate. The first stamps of Natal after these were issued in 1859, with the Chalon head portrait of Queen Victoria. Between 1869 and 1895, postage stamps of 1859-67 and fiscal stamps were overprinted 'POSTAGE' in various styles or additionally surcharged 'Half-Penny'. Stamps of King Edward VII were issued between 1902 and 1909. Six official stamps of King Edward were also issued.

Postage stamps of Pakistan are those issued since Pakistan's independence in 1947. Pakistan Post has issued more than 600 sets and singles totalling more than 1300 stamps. Immediately after the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the new Pakistan government was preoccupied with setting up the government so British Indian stamps continued in use without an overprint as was the practice in other countries.

Postage stamps and postal history of Obock

Since 1963 Western New Guinea has been part of Indonesia. The Indonesian postal service is responsible for mail in the region, and has issued a few stamps in honor of the area.

Postage stamps and postal history of Lesotho

Postage stamps and postal history of Kuwait

Postage stamps and postal history of Kiribati

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Indochina.

Postage stamps and postal history of Kampuchea

The African territories of Ruanda and Urundi came under Belgian control as Ruanda-Urundi after they were seized from Germany during World War I in 1916. They had previously formed part of German East Africa. The territory was under Belgian military occupation from 1916 to 1922, and stamps of Belgian Congo were overprinted for the occupied territories with bilingual inscriptions "EST AFRICAIN ALLEMAND OCCUPATION BELGE / DUITSCH OOST AFRIKA BELGISCHE BEZETTING" in French and Flemish. Ruanda-Urundi later became a Belgian-controlled Class B Mandate under the League of Nations from 1922 to 1945. Stamps of Belgian Congo overprinted "Ruanda-Urundi" were issued in 1924. The first series of definitive stamps featuring local themes was issued in 1931. The territory became a Trust Territory of the United Nations in 1946. Ruanda-Urundi gained independence in 1962 as two separate countries of Rwanda and Burundi.

Postage stamps and postal history of Liechtenstein

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Grenada. Grenada is an island country in the British Commonwealth consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Grenada is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela, and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Postage stamps and postal history of Pietersburg

Postage stamps and postal history of Nigeria

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Pietersburg. After the fall of Pretoria to the British in June 1900 during the Boer War, the Transvaal government re-located to Pietersburg but by March 1901 supplies of stamps were short and the Boer government authorised a series of type-set stamps for use within their area of control. The stamps were issued on 20 March 1901 and remained in use until Pietersburg was captured on 9 April, and as late as May in other places.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Germany and philatelically related areas. The main modern providers of service were the Reichspost (1871–1945), the Deutsche Post under Allied control (1945–1949), the Deutsche Post of the GDR (1949–1990), the Deutsche Bundespost (1949–1995), along with the Deutsche Bundespost Berlin (1949–1990), and are now the Deutsche Post AG (since 1995).

Postage stamps and postal history of West Irian

Postage stamps and postal history of Tristan da Cunha

The history of postage stamps and postal history of Malaysia, a state in Southeast Asia that occupies the south of the Malay peninsula and Sarawak and Sabah in the north Borneo, includes the development of postal services in these periods:
* the sultanates as British protectorates (1874-1941, 1948-1957),
* Japanese occupation during the Second World War (1941-1945),
* British military administration (1945-1948) and
* independence of the state (since 1957). Malaysia has been issuing stamps after independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, first as the Federation of Malaya, then the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. The national postal operator is Pos Malaysia.

Postage stamps and postal history of Mauritius

Postage stamps and postal history of Senegal

Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island country in the Leeward Islands, consisting of the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1883, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla were united into one colony. Anguilla formally separated from the union in 1980.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of New Brunswick.

Postage stamps and postal history of Santander

Postage stamps and postal history of Malaysia

Postage stamps and postal history of Tanzania

Namibia, formerly known as South West Africa and German South West Africa, has a long history of postal services, starting in 1814 with postal runners delivering messages among mission stations. The first stamps were printed during the German colonial period. Currently NamPost is responsible for running postal services, managing 135 postal offices in the country.

Postage stamps and postal history of Mount Athos

During its time as a French colony, Obock issued its own postage stamps. At first the inhabitants used the general stamps of the French Colonies, but in 1892 they were overprinted with "OBOCK", as were stamped post cards. Later in the year some of these were also surcharged with values from 1 centime to 5 francs. By the end of the year, a supply of the omnibus Navigation and Commerce issues became available, inscribed OBOCK in red or blue. 1893 and 1894 brought the stamps for which Obock is most famous among philatelists: a series of imperforate stamps with simulated perforations, a scalloped line resembling the outline of a perforated stamps, printed all around the design. In addition, the 2-franc and higher denomination stamps are in the shape of a large equilateral triangle. While the low values are relatively common, the triangular stamps are more scarce. Although with the departure of the government from Obock, it is hard to believe that much mail came or went from the little port town, used stamps are no more valuable than unused. Authentic uses on cover are not often seen however. Stamps issued for the whole French Somali Coast superseded the stamps of Obock.

Posten, the Swedish mail service, was established in 1636 by Axel Oxenstierna, and by the 18th century it had been extended throughout the country. The same century also saw the introduction of a practice unique to Sweden, that of attaching a feather to the wax seal of a letter to indicate that it needed to be delivered more quickly.

Postage stamps and postal history of Holstein

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси), is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia, formerly part of the Soviet Union. It has been an independent republic since December 1991.

Postage stamps and postal history of Ruanda-Urundi

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of India. Indian postal systems for efficient military and governmental communications had developed long before the arrival of Europeans. When the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish and British displaced The Marathas who had already defeated the Mughals, their postal systems existed alongside those of many somewhat independent states. The British East India Company gradually displaced other powers and brought into existence a British administrative system over most of India, with a need to establish and maintain both official and commercial mail systems.

Postage stamps and postal history of Stellaland Republic

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Greenland. Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Postage stamps and postal history of Niger

During the period when Heligoland (a German island in the North Sea) was a British possession, about 20 postage stamps were issued between 1867 and 1890. There were up to eight printings of a single denomination and also a large volume of reprints which are known as the Berlin, Leipzig and Hamburg Reprints, respectively. The Berlin reprints are sometimes better quality than the originals. The reprints were done between 1875 and 1895. Consequently, many "old" collections contain reprints rather than originals. Some believe there were seven million reprints as compared to the known 1½ million originals, of which perhaps half were sold through the post office and the remainder sold to dealers when withdrawn from use. A few printings were never postally sold but nevertheless found their way in

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Tolima. Tolima Department is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the Andean region, in the center-west of the country. The department of Tolima was created in 1861 from a part of what had been Cundinamarca.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Northern Cyprus, otherwise known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Northern Cyprus is not a member of the Universal Postal Union. International mail for Northern Cyprus travels via Turkey.

Western Australia, a state of Australia and formerly a British colony, established its postal service soon after the British settled in 1829; in December of that year, Fremantle's harbourmaster was appointed postmaster. A post office in Albany opened on 14 October 1834, and the main post office moved to Perth in 1835.

Postage stamps and postal history of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania

German South West Africa was a German colony in Africa, established in 1884 with the protection of the area around Lüderitz and abandoned during World War I, when the area was taken over by the British. The postal history of the colony started on 7 July 1888 at Otjimbingwe, when the regular postal service began using German postage stamps and postmarks reading OTYIMBINGUE. The service continued in this fashion for a number of years, eventually expanding to additional post offices in Windhoek (1891) and Swakopmund (1895).

Postage stamps and postal history of Zurich

Postage stamps and postal history of German South-West Africa

This article is about the postage stamps and postal history of Hamburg from the medieval messengers until the entry of the Hamburg Postal Administration into the Northern German Postal District in 1868.

The postal system of Norway dates from 1647, when Christian IV of Denmark-Norway granted a concession to a private company who established the Postvesenet (now Posten Norge). The Postvesenet primarily provided a way for various parts of the country to communicate with the central government in Christiania (now Oslo). Although Norway came under rule of the Swedish king in 1815, the postal service remained independent of the Swedish post, and continued to gradually established routes throughout the country.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Korea.Before a strict isolationist country, Korea began to open up in the second half of the 19th century.

The Vatican post office has operated its own postal service and issued its own postage stamps since 1929. The postal history of Vatican City begins shortly after its official foundation on 11 February 1929. Two days later, the Vatican post office began operating with supplies and equipment donated by the Italian government. Vatican City became a member of the Universal Postal Union on 1 June, and then on 29 July Vatican City and Italy signed a postal agreement, going into effect on 1 August, providing for the routing of its mail through Rome.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Malawi. Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size is over 118,000 km2 (45,560 sq mi) with an estimated population of more than 13,900,000. Its capital is Lilongwe.

Postage stamps and postal history of Ubangi-Shari

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Slovakia. Slovakia is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava.

Postage stamps and postal history of Tanganyika

Postage stamps and postal history of Hungary

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Jordan, formerly Transjordan.

Postage stamps and postal history of Reunion

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Venezuela. Venezuela is a country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea. The republic is a former Spanish colony, that won its independence in 1821.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Slovenia. Slovenia is a country in Central Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy on the west, the Adriatic Sea on the southwest, Croatia on the south and east, Hungary on the northeast, and Austria on the north. The capital and largest city of Slovenia is Ljubljana. Slovenia covers an area of 20,273 square kilometres and has a population of over 2 million. The majority of the population speaks Slovene which is also the country's official language. Other local official languages are Hungarian and Italian.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Transvaal, formerly known as the South African Republic (Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, ZAR).

Postage stamps and postal history of Northern Epirus

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory covers 6.843 square kilometres (2.642 sq mi) and shares a land border with Spain to the north. Gibraltar has historically been an important base for the British Armed Forces and is the site of a Royal Navy base. The philately of Gibraltar is inexorably linked to its strategic position and military connections.

Postage stamps and postal history of Greenland

Solomon Islands is a sovereign nation state since 1978, formerly a British protectorate known as the British Solomon Islands. They comprise nearly 1,000 islands and lie to the south-east of Papua New Guinea. On 14 February 1907, the first postage stamps were issued in the Solomon Islands, marked British Solomon Islands Protectorate. From 1913, stamps were marked British Solomon Islands. From 1975, leading up to independence in 1978, stamps were marked "Solomon Islands" and all stamps since then have been so marked.

Peru declared independence from Spain in 1821 and decisively defeated colonial forces at the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824. Peru began using lithographed stamps in 1857 that initially were provided by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. Most copies of Peru's PSNC stamps in circulation are forgeries. Around 1860 Peru acquired a French-made device (the so-called "Lecoq" press) that was used to print, emboss and cut imperforate stamps from paper strips. The commemorative stamp illustrated to the right was one of the last Peru produced on this rare machine.

Postage stamps and postal history of Malawi

Postage stamps and postal history of Mozambique

Postage stamps and postal history of Malta

The postal history of Portuguese India goes back to the earlier days of the colony. The postal history begins with communication between the Viceroy and the Court at Lisbon soon after the conquest of Old Goa by Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510. Letters, written in triplicate, were carried by separate ships because of the hazards of the voyage. Mail was carried by an overland route, as well. The early communications of Portuguese India had an official character and the correspondence is now to be found in museums and governmental and ecclesiastical archives.

Postage stamps and postal history of Macau

Postage stamps and postal history of Kastellórizo

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Nigeria.s

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Samoa. Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa, is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and Savai'i.

Côte d'Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast, is a country in West Africa established as a French colony in 1893, and becoming independent in 1960.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Nicaragua.

North Borneo, located in the northern part of the island of Borneo, was a British protectorate from 1888 and a British Crown colony after 1946.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Penrhyn. Penrhyn is the most remote and largest atoll of the 15 Cook Islands in the south Pacific Ocean.

Guadeloupe issued stamps from 1884 using French colonies stamps overprinted with G.P.E or GUADELOUPE. The first definitives for Guadeloupe were issued in 1892. Guadeloupe has used stamps of France since 1947.

French Sudan (Soudan Francais) was established in the late nineteenth century and occupied roughly the same territory as modern Mali.

Postage stamps and postal history of Southern Nigeria

Postage stamps and postal history of Grenada

St. Lucia a former British dependency in the Windward Islands began using stamps in 1860. It achieved Associated Statehood on 1 March 1967.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. It has a population estimated at 6.5 million and is a former British Colony.

Postage stamps and postal history of Luxembourg

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Jamaica.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Senegal. Senegal is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. It is externally bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south; internally it almost completely surrounds the Gambia, namely on the north, east and south, exempting Gambia's short Atlantic Ocean coastline.

Postage stamps and postal history of Latakia

Postage stamps and postal history of Zaire

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Sudan. Sudan was governed by the United Kingdom and Egypt from 1898. Independence was proclaimed on January 1, 1956.

Postage stamps and postal history of South Moluccas

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Iran.

Postage stamps and postal history of Sweden

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Guinea-Bissau, formerly known as Portuguese Guinea. Guinea-Bissau is located in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west.

The Kionga Triangle was a tiny territory on the border between German East Africa (present-day United Republic of Tanzania) and the Portuguese colony of Mozambique (present day Republic of Mozambique), originally German, but occupied by Portuguese forces in 1916. The triangle was the only German territory that the post-war Treaty of Versailles awarded to Portugal. On May 29, 1916, 100-reis postage stamps from Lourenço Marques were overprinted with "KIONGA" and one of the denominations ½c, 1c, 2½c, and 5c. These were the only stamps issued for Kionga. Most of the stock of the Marques stamps lacked gum, and in 2013, the Scott Catalogue listed the average purchase price of a high-quality set without gum at US$ 97.50. Examples with original gum will command a premium.

Stellaland was a short-lived Boer republic from 1882 until 1885, located in southern Bechuanaland, west of the then South African Republic, with Vryburg as its capital. It was incorporated in British Bechuanaland in 1885. British Bechuanaland was subsequently incorporated into the Cape of Good Hope in 1895.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Ghana, known as the Gold Coast before independence. Ghana is located in West Africa, borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east and the Gulf of Guinea to the south.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Newfoundland. Newfoundland is a large Canadian island off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The first postage stamps of Newfoundland were issued in 1857. When Newfoundland entered into confederation with Canada in 1949, the new province stopped issuing its own stamps, and adopted the stamps already in use in the rest of Canada. Newfoundland was the centre for attempts at making the first trans-Atlantic flights and several generated both stamps and covers.

Postage stamps and postal history of Iraq

Postage stamps and postal history of Tete

Postage stamps and postal history of Slovakia

The postage stamps and postal history of Norfolk Island depended on Australia until 1947, when the island, an Australian territory since 1914, received its own stamps and postal autonomy. After the transfer of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands' philatelic and postal services to Australia Post, Norfolk had been the last Australian territory to be postally independent. Consequently, the stamps issued by Norfolk had no value in Australia, and those of Australia Post could not be used in the island.

The story of Japan's postal system with its postage stamps and related postal history goes back centuries. The country's first modern postal service got started in 1871, with mail professionally travelling between Kyoto and Tokyo as well as the latter city and Osaka. This took place in the midst of the rapid industrialization and social reorganization that the Meiji period symbolized in Japanese history. Given how the nation's railroad technology was in its infancy, Japan's growing postal system relied heavily on human-powered transport, including rickshaws, as well as horse-drawn methods of delivery. For example, while commemorating the 50th anniversary of Japan's postal service, the country's 1921 government released decorative postcards depicting intrepid horseback riders carrying the mail. In terms of communications, British technicians had already been employed in assisting with Japanese lighthouses, and the country's budding mail system looked to hybridize British ideas with local practicalities. Shipping along the nation's coastline in particular demonstrates a key instance of how the Japanese economy developed: the government closely working with private companies to industrially expand in a way that met social needs while also allowing for large profits. Mitsubishi's contract for mail transport by sea proved lucrative enough that it assisted with the firm becoming one of the famous "zaibatsu". Since 2007, the nation's post offices have been managed by the firm Japan Post Network, which is itself a part of the larger Japan Post Holdings conglomerate. As of December 2017, the smaller company has been managed by CEO Koji Furukawa. The simple Japanese postal mark, introduced in 1887, is still used to this day.

The postal history of Turkey and its predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, dates to the 18th century when foreign countries maintained courier services through their consular offices in the Empire. Although delayed in the development of its own postal service, in 1863 the Ottoman Empire became the second independent country in Asia (after Russia) to issue adhesive postage stamps, and in 1875, it became a founding member of the General Postal Union, soon to become the Universal Postal Union. The Ottoman Empire became the Republic of Turkey in 1923, and in the following years, its postal service became more modernized and efficient and its postage stamps expertly designed and manufactured. The Ottoman Empire's early or "classic" stamp issues between 1863 and 1888 are popular among philatelists, and its postal cancellations have received extensive study. Philatelists collect stamps used in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, such as Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Greece. Turkey's stamps also have a complex history of overprints of interest to philatelists.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Kiribati. The Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. It is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, and straddling the equator. Kiribati was formerly the Gilbert Islands, part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands which split into Kiribati and Tuvalu upon gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1978 and 1979.

Postage stamps and postal history of United Kingdom

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Niger, a former French colony that obtained independence in 1960. Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east. Niger covers a land area of almost 1,270,000 km2, over 80 percent of which is covered by the Sahara desert. The capital city is Niamey.

Postage stamps and postal history of United States

Karelia has appeared in philately several times; first as a breakaway republic from Soviet Russia in 1922, later when Eastern Karelia was occupied by Finland during the Continuation War of 1941 to 1944, and in the post-Soviet period when provisional stamps and cinderellas were issued. Additionally, there were Zemstvo stamps used in the early 20th century on the territory of the contemporary Republic of Karelia.

The postal history of Malta began in the early modern period, when pre-adhesive mail was delivered to foreign destinations by privately owned ships for a fee. The earliest known letter sent from Malta during the rule of the Order of St. John is dated 1532. The first formal postal service on the islands was established in 1708, with the post office being located at the Casa del Commun Tesoro in Valletta. The first postal markings on mail appeared later on in the 18th century. The postal service was reformed in 1798 during the French occupation of Malta, before the islands were taken over by the British who established their own postal services. British postage stamps began to be used in August 1857. Malta's first postage stamp – the Halfpenny Yellow – was issued in 1860 for use on local mail, while letters sent to foreign destinations continued to be franked with British stamps. In 1885, the Malta Post Office was set up and British stamps were no longer valid in Malta. A set of six definitive stamps along with several types of postal stationery were issued. Malta continued to issue stamps and stationery throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. At some points from the 1880s to the 1980s, postage stamps were also valid for fiscal use, but at times separate revenue stamps were issued. Postage due stamps were issued between 1925 and the 1990s. In 1995, the private limited company Posta Limited was set up to run the postal service. The public limited company MaltaPost took over in 1998, and was gradually privatized between 2002 and 2008.

Postage stamps and postal history of Norway

Postage stamps and postal history of Honduras

Postal history in the territory that now constitutes Latvia began during the 13th century, when the Archbishopric of Riga was included to the area of postal operations of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights and the Hanseatic League. In 1580 the Hanseatic League issued their first known regulations on courier work and payroll (German: Botenordnung), regulations that also were active in the territory that now constitutes Latvia.

The West Ukrainian National Republic was a short-lived republic that existed in late 1918 and early 1919 in eastern Galicia. The republic managed to issue about one hundred types of postage stamps during its brief existence, all but two of which are overprints on existing stamps of Austria or Bosnia.

Postage stamps and postal history of New Brunswick

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Guinea. The Republic of Guinea (Fr: République de Guinée) is a country in West Africa formerly known as French Guinea. Conakry is the capital, the seat of the national government, and the largest city. Guinea forms a crescent by curving from its western border on the Atlantic Ocean toward the east and the south. Its northern border is shared with Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Mali, the southern one with Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d'Ivoire. The Niger River arises in Guinea and runs eastward.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Wallis and Futuna Islands. The Wallis and Futuna Islands are a Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west and the main part of Fiji to the southwest.

The postal history of Puerto Rico began around 1518, at least for official mail, when Spain adopted general postal regulations; although the first documentation of Spanish postal regulations specific to the Caribbean was 1794. The first postage stamps were issued 163 years ago for Puerto Rico and Cuba in 1856. Postage stamps just for Puerto Rico followed, and later postal cards and telegraph stamps were issued. United States postal administration began in 1899 and the last stamps specifically for Puerto Rico were issued in 1900. They were superseded by U.S. stamps, which are still used today on the island as it remains a territory serviced by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Puerto Rican stamps have, as one might safely assume, featured matters related to Puerto Rico such as its places, events, works, and personalities.

Postage stamps and postal history of South West Africa

Postage stamps and postal history of Soruth

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Iceland. Regular mail service in Iceland was first established by a charter of 13 May 1776, and on 1 January 1873, Iceland issued its first postage stamps. The design was the same as for the of the time (numeral of value surmounted by a crown all inside an oval), denominated with values ranging from 2 to 16 skilling, and inscribed ÍSLAND. All are scarce or rare, and used copies are especially hard to find.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Seychelles, a 115 island nation spanning an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, some 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar. Seychelles was administered as a dependency of Mauritius from 1810 to 1903. Independence was granted in 1976.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Mount Athos.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Luxembourg. Luxembourg is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (999 sq mi).

The postal history of Monaco can be traced to the principality’s first postmark in 1704. Stampless covers are known with both manuscript and handstamp postmarks for Monaco and Fort d'Hercule (1793-1814 French occupation); as the principality was once much larger, postmarks of the communes of Menton and Roquebrune prior to their 1848 secession might also be included. Monaco used Sardinian stamps from 1851 until 1860, when by the Treaty of Turin, Sardinia ceded to France the surrounding county of Nice and relinquished its protectorate over Monaco; French stamps with Monaco or Monte-Carlo postmarks were used thereafter. Two forms of cancellation are known for the French period. With the first, the postmark is on the cover away from the stamps; an obliterator with an identifying post office number 4222, or later 2387, inside a diamond of ink dots cancelled the actual stamps. The second applied the postmark directly on the stamps, as both a date stamp and cancel. All of these postal forerunners, particularly usages of Sardinian stamps with Monaco cancels, are far more valuable than the same stamps postally used in the issuing countries. The first Monegasque postage stamps were issued on 1 July 1885, and featured the image of Prince Charles III of Monaco. In 1937, the Principality responded to a growing interest from philatelists by creating a Stamp Issuing Office. The 1949 accession of Prince Rainier III led to increased importance for the principality’s philatelic issues. During his reign, the prince was personally involved in all aspects of the design and format of the principality’s philatelic issues, and he was quoted as stating that stamps were “the best ambassador of a country.” The prince was a noted philatelist and his collection was the basis of Monaco’s Museum of Stamps and Coins. Monaco joined the Universal Postal Union in 1955 and PostEurop in 1993. Monaco’s postage stamps, which are tied to French postal rate, continue to be popular among collectors and are considered to be a source of revenue for the principality.

The postage stamps of New Guinea, part of present-day Papua New Guinea, were issued up to 1942.

Postage stamps and postal history of South Arabia

Postage stamps and postal history of Uzbekistan

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Griqualand West, a former British colony that is now part of South Africa.

Postage stamps and postal history of Tuscany

During the period when Heligoland (a German island in the North Sea) was a British possession, about 20 postage stamps were issued between 1867 and 1890. There were up to eight printings of a single denomination and also a large volume of reprints which are known as the Berlin, Leipzig and Hamburg Reprints, respectively. The Berlin reprints are sometimes better quality than the originals. The reprints were done between 1875 and 1895. Consequently, many "old" collections contain reprints rather than originals. Some believe there were seven million reprints as compared to the known 1½ million originals, of which perhaps half were sold through the post office and the remainder sold to dealers when withdrawn from use. A few printings were never postally sold but nevertheless found their way into the hands of dealers. The stamps were printed by the Prussian State Printing Office in Berlin. They were denominated in the Hamburg Schilling until 1875, when both German Reich and British values appeared on each stamp issue (the Farthing/Pfennig issues). All are embossed with a silhouette of Queen Victoria excepting the four highest values which represent Heligoland escutcheons. Mint stamps of Heligoland are moderate to medium priced but with some running to 1000 euros (2005) . Some have brought 4800 euros at auction and some covers have brought 10 or 12 thousand euros. This is an inducement for forgery. Because used stamps are often more valuable than mint stamps, are plentiful and are the rule on purported high-value items. Because of the many forged cancellations and many reprints collectors of Heligoland stamps are advised either to become expert or to rely on specialists; most reputable dealers will not handle them because of the prevalence of reprints and forgeries. The collector who wishes to become expert is advised to acquaint himself with the Michel Deutschland Spezial Katalog and acquire, at least, 's "Helgoland Philatelie". Most of the philatelic literature is in German. The Heligoland post office used German-style adhesive paper seals to close official post office envelopes. At least two examples of a pale blue version are known to exist, together with one red.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Indonesia. Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, consisting of 17,508 islands. With a population of around 230 million people, it is the world's fourth most populated country.

The postal history of Monaco can be traced to the principality’s first postmark in 1704. Stampless covers are known with both manuscript and handstamp postmarks for Monaco and Fort d'Hercule (1793-1814 French occupation); as the principality was once much larger, postmarks of the communes of Menton and Roquebrune prior to their 1848 secession might also be included. Monaco used Sardinian stamps from 1851 until 1860, when by the Treaty of Turin, Sardinia ceded to France the surrounding county of Nice and relinquished its protectorate over Monaco; French stamps with Monaco or Monte-Carlo postmarks were used thereafter. Two forms of cancellation are known for the French period. With the first, the postmark is on the cover away from the stamps; an obliterator with an identifying post office nu

Postage stamps and postal history of Prince Edward Island

Postage stamps and postal history of Transvaal

Postage stamps and postal history of Republic of the Congo

Postage stamps and postal history of Samoa

Postage stamps and postal history of Suriname

The postal history of Northern Epirus, a region in the western Balkans, in southern modern Albania, comprises two periods; 1912–1916 and 1940-41. Northern Epirus was under Greek administration during the First Balkan War (1912–1913), but it was then awarded to the newly founded Albanian state by the Florence Protocol (1913). During this period, Greek stamps were used. Greece withdrew from the region in early 1914. The people of Epirus were unwilling to be part of Albania, though, and launched a revolution. Under a provisional government, the independent Northern Epirus was formed in February 1914 and it eventually managed to gain full autonomy under nominal Albanian sovereignty, according to the Protocol of Corfu (May 1914). Northern Epirus operated its own postal service and issued postag

Postage stamps and postal history of Swaziland

Solomon Islands is a sovereign nation state since 1978, formerly a British protectorate known as the British Solomon Islands. They comprise nearly 1,000 islands and lie to the south-east of Papua New Guinea. The first mails from the islands are believed to be those sent by the British Resident Commissioner, Charles Woodford, who was appointed in 1896 and established an administrative centre at Tulagi. Letters were sent in a sealed bag to Sydney where New South Wales stamps were affixed. Later, a stock of New South Wales stamps was kept at Tulagi and the stamps were cancelled in Sydney. From April 1906, Woodford used a paid handstamp instead and stamps were again added in Sydney. On 14 February 1907, the first postage stamps were issued in the Solomon Islands, marked British Solomon Islands Protectorate. From 1913, stamps were marked British Solomon Islands. From 1975, leading up to independence in 1978, stamps were marked "Solomon Islands" and all stamps since then have been so marked.

Postage stamps and postal history of Korea

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago lies northeast of Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Trinidad and Tobago was a Spanish colony from the times of Christopher Columbus to 1802, when it was ceded to Britain. The country obtained independence in 1962.

Postage stamps and postal history of Guadeloupe

Postage stamps and postal history of Taiwan

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Pietersburg. After the fall of Pretoria to the British in June 1900 during the Boer War, the Transvaal government re-located to Pietersburg but by March 1901 supplies of stamps were short and the Boer government authorised a series of type-set stamps for use within their area of control. The stamps were issued on 20 March 1901 and remained in use until Pietersburg was captured on 9 April, and as late as May in other places. Although only in use for a short time, the stamps include a very large number of varieties caused by the conditions and method of their production which make them popular with specialists.

Sint Maarten, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, started issuing postal stamps after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010. The Island thus became one of the five postage regions in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The first stamp issued showed the map of the island Saint Martin. Since the first issue, Sint Maarten stamps have been denominated in Netherlands Antillean guilders.

Postage stamps and postal history of Mongolia

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Togo. Togo is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately 57,000 square kilometres (22,000 sq mi) with a population of approximately 6.7 million.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Iraq. It includes special uses under the Ottoman Empire as well as occupation issues.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Holstein, Schleswig-Holstein, Schleswig and incidentally Lauenberg. Separate stamps were issued for Holstein (1850), Schleswig (1864-1867), Holstein (1864-1866), Schleswig-Holstein (1865) and Schleswig (1920).

A survey of the postage stamps and postal history of St. Pierre and Miquelon concerns Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a group of French islands off the coast of Newfoundland that have issued stamps since 1885.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Lesotho, formerly known as Basutoland.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Zambia, formerly known as Northern Rhodesia.

Postage stamps and postal history of Zanzibar

Postage stamps and postal history of Saint Helena

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Syria. Syria, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest. The French were awarded a mandate to govern Syria at the Paris Peace conference of 1918 and Syria attained independence in April 1946, as a parliamentary republic.

Postage stamps and postal history of Tahiti

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Montenegro.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Macau (or Macao).

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of South Africa. The Republic of South Africa, previously The Union of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an independent country wholly surrounded by South African territory.

The Kionga Triangle was a tiny territory on the border between German East Africa (present-day United Republic of Tanzania) and the Portuguese colony of Mozambique (present day Republic of Mozambique), originally German, but occupied by Portuguese forces in 1916. The triangle was the only German territory that the post-war Treaty of Versailles awarded to Portugal.

The postage stamps and postal history of Papua New Guinea were linked to the Australian administration on the eastern part of the island of New Guinea until its independence in 1975. In the South, Papua, formally under British rule, used the stamps of Queensland between 1885 and 1901. With the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia, the philatelic production and postal organisation were decided by an Australian administration and the stamps printed in Brisbane, then Melbourne.

Postage stamps and postal history of French offices in Turkish Empire

Ubangi-Shari, or Oubangui-Chari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent country of the Central African Republic on August 13, 1960. It followed the establishment of the Bangui outpost in 1889, and was named in 1894.

Postage stamps and postal history of New Hebrides

Postage stamps and postal history of Muscat and Oman

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Mali. Mali is a landlocked country in Western Africa bordering Algeria to the north, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire to the south, Guinea to the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania to the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with a population more than 14 million. Its capital is Bamako. The Mali Republic was created in September 1960 and occupies roughly the same territory as the former French Sudan. It replaced the previous, short lived, Mali Federation between French Sudan and Senegal.

Postage stamps and postal history of Ivory Coast

Postage stamps and postal history of Libya

Postage stamps and postal history of Latvia

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Spain. A royal decree of September 12, 1861 established the Fábrica del Sello as the exclusive printer of Spanish stamps. In 1893 the Fábrica del Sello merged with the Casa de la Moneda to form the La Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (FNMT) which has printed the stamps of Spain and her dependencies ever since, except during the Third Carlist War and the Spanish Civil War when concurrent issues were authorized by competing sides. Beginning in the 1950s the printer's initials, "F.N.M.T.", began to appear at the bottom of some stamps. Since 1977, the year of issue has appeared on Spanish stamps.

Postage stamps for Funchal inscribed with the city's name were issued fur use in the archipelago of Madeira from 1892 to 1905 by the postal authorities of Portugal. During this time Madeira was administratively referred to as the District of Funchal. From 1868 to 1881 Madeira had used overprinted stamps of Portugal.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Zanzibar. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of the United Republic of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises most of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The islands were once governed by the Zanzibar Sultanate, a sovereign state with a long trading history within the Arab world. In 1964 it united with Tanganyika to form Tanzania.

Postage stamps and postal history of Pitcairn Islands

Postage stamps and postal history of Solomon Islands

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Kuwait.

Postage stamps and postal history of Madeira

Civil mail from Sharjah went through the post office in Dubai until 1963. Military mail from the British Forces stationed in the area went through the RAF airport in Sharjah. On 10 July 1963, Sharjah opened its own post office and began to issue its stamps and postal stationery under the name of Sharjah & Dependencies (which included Kalba, Khor Fakkan, and Dibba). There were also unauthorized overprints using Hamriyah, a frequently secessionist coastal town but officially subject to Sharjah and which never gained recognition as a Trucial State in its own right.

Postage stamps and postal history of Venezuela

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Romania.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Libya. Libya is a country located in North Africa. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Libya lies between Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west.

Postage stamps and postal history of Turkey

Postage stamps and postal history of Fernando Po

Postage stamps and postal history of Georgia

Postage stamps and postal history of German New Guinea

Postage stamps and postal history of Nauru

Postage stamps and postal history of India

Postage stamps and postal history of Natal

On 1 January 1868, Portugal issued postage stamps for the islands of Madeira, consisting of the current stamps of Portugal overprinted "MADEIRA". Subsequent stamps were also overprinted, through 1881. Unoverprinted Portuguese stamps were used from 1881 to 1892. From 1892 to 1905, while the administrative title of Madeira was changed to the District of Funchal, definitive stamps were issued with the inscription "Funchal". In 1898 a series of stamps commemorating Vasco da Gama was issued with the inscription "Madeira". Subsequently Madeira used stamps of Portugal from 1905, with two exceptions; the first was the of postal tax stamps in 1925, and a variant on the Ceres design, issued 1 May 1928.The 21 values of Ceres stamps were obligatory on all mail for eight days – 1 May, 5 June, 1 July, and 31 December 1928, and 1 January, 31 January, 1 May, and 5 June 1929. The funds raised went to help build a museum. The Ceres stamps were the last to be produced for Madeira until 1980, when Portugal began issuing stamps inscribed "Portugal Madeira" that were valid in both Madeira and continental Portugal, similar to those issued for the Azores.

Postage stamps and postal history of Sierra Leone

Postage stamps and postal history of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Postage stamps and postal history of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

Postage stamps and postal history of Wallis and Futuna

Manchukuo (Japanese for "Manchu State") was a constitutional monarchy in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, the region being the historical homeland of the Manchus who founded the Qing Dynasty of China. In 1931, it was seized by Japan following the Mukden Incident and in 1932, a puppet government was created. This was abolished in 1945 after the defeat of Imperial Japan at the end of World War II. Manchukuo issued its first postage stamps on 26 July 1932. A number of denominations existed, with two designs: the pagoda at Liaoyang and a portrait of Puyi. Originally the inscription read (in Chinese) "Manchu State Postal Administration"; in 1934, a new issue read "Manchu Empire Postal Administration". An orchid crest design appeared in 1935, and a design featuring the "Sacred White Mountains" in 1936. 1936 also saw a new regular series featuring various scenes and surmounted by the orchid crest. Between 1937 and 1945, the government issued a variety of commemoratives: for anniversaries of its own existence, to note the passing of new laws, and to honor Japan in various ways, for instance, on the 2600th anniversary of the Japanese Empire in 1940. The last issue of Manchukuo came on 2 May 1945, commemorating the 10th anniversary of an edict. After the dissolution of the government, successor postal authorities locally handstamped many of the remaining stamp stocks with "Republic of China" in Chinese and so forth. In addition, the Port Arthur and Dairen Postal Administration overprinted many Manchukuo stamps between 1946 and 1949.

Postage stamps and postal history of Sealand

Nevis, a British colony in the Leeward Islands, began issuing stamps in 1861. The first stamps depicted the seal of the colony showing women at a medicinal spring. Issues from 1879 featured the portrait of Queen Victoria. Between 1890 and 1903 it used the stamps of Leeward Islands. Between 1903 and June 1980 it used the stamps of St. Kitts and Nevis (St. Christopher Nevis Anguilla from 1952), concurrently with the issues of the Leeward Islands until 1956. Although Nevis is part of St. Kitts and Nevis, in June 1980 a separate postal administration was established on the island and it began producing its own sets of stamps.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Réunion. Réunion Island, formerly known as Île Bourbon, is a French island of about 800,000 population located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 kilometres (120 mi) south west of Mauritius, the nearest island. It is an overseas department of France and an integral part of the French Republic.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Qatar.

Postage stamps and postal history of Indonesia

Finland has produced postage stamps for use since 1856.

Oltre Giuba (Italian for Beyond Juba, Somali: Dadw Jubba) formerly Trans-Juba, is the southwesternmost part of Somalia, on the far side of the Juba River (thus "Trans"-Juba), bordering Kenya. Italian Trans-Juba was established in 1924, after Britain ceded the northern portion of the Jubaland region to Italy as a reward for the Italians having joined the Allies in World War I.

Postage stamps and postal history of Mauritania

Postage stamps and postal history of Madeira islands

The postage stamps and postal history of Palestine emerges from its geographic location as a crossroads amidst the empires of the ancient Near East, the Levant and the Middle East. Postal services in the region were first established in the Bronze Age, during the rule of Sargon of Akkad, and successive empires have established and operated a number of different postal systems over the millennia.

Postage stamps and postal history of South Africa

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Kenya.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Yemen. Yemen is located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. It has an estimated population of more than 23 million people and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the south, and Oman to the east. Yemen is just under 530,000 km2 (200,000 sq mi) in land area. Its territory includes over 200 islands and its capital is Sana'a.

Postage stamps and postal history of Italy

Postage stamps and postal history of Italian East Africa

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Muscat and Oman, including the present day Sultanate of Oman.

Postage stamps and postal history of Paraguay

Postage stamps and postal history of French West Africa

The postal history of Kyrgyzstan began when the nation declared independence in August 1991. Under the Soviet Union, the Kyrgyz SSR postal service was an integral part of the Soviet system. The republic was periodically recognized in sets of stamps honoring the different parts of the USSR. Kyrgyzstan is a member state of the Universal Postal Union since 1993 with its two designated postal operators - and "Kyrgyz Express Post" LLC.

Postage stamps and postal history of Guinea

The French Congo was the original French colony established in the present-day area of the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic. It began in 1880 as a protectorate, and its borders with Cabinda, Cameroons, and the Congo Free State were established by treaties over the next decade. French Congo was temporarily divided between Gabon and Middle Congo in 1906, before being reunited as French Equatorial Africa in 1910 in an attempt to copy the relative success of French West Africa. The first postage stamps for the colony were overprints issued in 1891 on the generic issue for the French colonies. They read "Congo francais" followed by the value; either 5c, 10c, or 15c. In 1892 the omnibus Navigation and Commerce issue included stamps inscribed "CONGO FRANCAIS". A pictorial series followed in 1900; its images included a leopard, woman, and a coconut grove, printed in pairs of colors, some rather garish. A couple of provisional surcharges on the Navigation and Commerce stamps proved necessary in 1900, and two more were needed on the pictorials in 1903. The watermarks of the pictorials of 1900 are unlike any other watermarks used in the French area: they are plant branches, with thistle for the low values (up to 15c), rose for middle values (up to 75c), and an olive branch for the three franc values. Stamps of French Congo were replaced by the issues of Gabon and Middle Congo in 1904.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Liechtenstein. The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked Alpine microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over 160 square kilometres (62 sq mi), and it has an estimated population of 37,000. Its capital is Vaduz and the biggest town is Schaan. The postal history of the principality pre-dates introduction of the first postage stamps in 1850. The principality was obliged to use Austrian stamps until 1912 when the first Liechtenstein issues were produced, although these were still issued under Austrian direction. Following the collapse of Habsburg Austria in 1918, Liechtenstein secured postal independence and began issuing its own stamps from July 1920.

The story of Japan's postal system with its postage stamps and related postal history goes back centuries. The country's first modern postal service got started in 1871, with mail professionally travelling between Kyoto and Tokyo as well as the latter city and Osaka. This took place in the midst of the rapid industrialization and social reorganization that the Meiji period symbolized in Japanese history. Given how the nation's railroad technology was in its infancy, Japan's growing postal system relied heavily on human-powered transport, including rickshaws, as well as horse-drawn methods of delivery. For example, while commemorating the 50th anniversary of Japan's postal service, the country's 1921 government released decorative postcards depicting intrepid horseback riders carrying the m

Postage stamps and postal history of Lubeck

Postage stamps and postal history of Funchal

The postage stamps of Vietnam were issued by a variety of states and administrations. Stamps were first introduced by the French colonial administration. Stamps specifically for Vietnam were first issued in 1945. During the decades of conflict and partitioning, stamps were issued by mutually hostile governments. The reunification of Vietnam in 1976 brought about a unified postal service.

Postage stamps and postal history of Ryukyu Islands

Postage stamps and postal history of Queensland

Postage stamps and postal history of Schleswig-Holstein

Postage stamps and postal history of North Borneo

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Prince Edward Island.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Mozambique.

Honduras became independent from Spain in 1838. It began producing its own stamps in 1866.

Postage stamps and postal history of Griqualand West

Postage stamps and postal history of Middle Congo

The People's Republic of Tannu Tuva issued postage stamps between 1926 and 1936. They were popular with stamp collectors in the Western world in the mid-twentieth century because of the obscurity and exoticism of Tannu Tuva and the stamps' quirky, colorful designs. The validity of many stamps purportedly issued by Tannu Tuva has been questioned by philatelists.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Mauritania. Mauritania is a country in North Africa bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest. The capital and largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast. It was a constituent part of French West Africa from the mid-19th Century until it achieved independence in 1960.

Postage stamps and postal history of Slovenia

Postage stamps and postal history of Saint Kitts and Nevis

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Taiwan, otherwise known as Formosa, and currently governed by the Republic of China. The Republic of China comprises the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other minor islands, which are located off the east coast of mainland China. Neighboring states include the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the north-east, and the Philippines to the south.

Postage stamps and postal history of Penrhyn

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Lithuania.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Martinique. Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados. It is an overseas region of France.

Postage stamps and postal history of Saint Lucia

In June 1920, Spain issued postage stamps of its existing colony Río de Oro overprinted "LA AGÜERA", and followed those up in 1922 with a series portraying King Alfonso XIII and inscribed "SAHARA OCCIDENTAL / LA AGÜERA". These were superseded in 1924 by stamps of Spanish Sahara, as La Güera was incorporated to the Spanish colony of Rio de Oro. The stamps of La Agüera are not rare, typically costing about US$1 either used or unused, but because of the small population (probably fewer than 1,000 persons) and short period of validity, non-philatelic uses on cover are likely to be hard to find.

Postage stamps and postal history of New Britain

Postage stamps and postal history of Tunisia

Postage stamps and postal history of Montenegro

Postage stamps and postal history of Israel and Palestine

Postage stamps and postal history of Peru

Postage stamps and postal history of St. Pierre and Miquelon

Postage stamps and postal history of Nicaragua

Guatemala has been independent from Spain since 1847. The first adhesive stamps of Guatemala were revenue stamps issued in 1868. The first postage stamps were produced in 1871.

Postage stamps and postal history of Tolima

Postage stamps and postal history of West Ukrainian National Republic

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Spain. A royal decree of September 12, 1861 established the Fábrica del Sello as the exclusive printer of Spanish stamps. In 1893 the Fábrica del Sello merged with the Casa de la Moneda to form the La Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (FNMT) which has printed the stamps of Spain and her dependencies ever since, except during the Third Carlist War and the Spanish Civil War when concurrent issues were authorized by competing sides. Beginning in the 1950s the printer's initials, "F.N.M.T.", began to appear at the bottom of some stamps. Since 1977, the year of issue has appeared on Spanish stamps. Stamps in Spain are distributed and sold by the Spanish postal service known as the Correos y Telégrafos, and beginning in 2001 officially a governmental corporation, the Sociedad Estatal de Correos y Telégrafos, S.A. Since 2011 the corporation and its subsidiaries are known as the "Grupo Correos".

Postage stamps and postal history of Romania

Postage stamps and postal history of Nevis

Postage stamps and postal history of Guinea-Bissau

Postage stamps and postal history of Zimbabwe

Postage stamps and postal history of Liberia

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Tibet.

Postage stamps and postal history of Northern Rhodesia

Postage stamps and postal history of Upper Volta

Postage stamps and postal history of Southern Nigeria Proctectorate

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of India. Indian postal systems for efficient military and governmental communications had developed long before the arrival of Europeans. When the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish and British displaced The Marathas who had already defeated the Mughals, their postal systems existed alongside those of many somewhat independent states. The British East India Company gradually displaced other powers and brought into existence a British administrative system over most of India, with a need to establish and maintain both official and commercial mail systems. Although the Indian Post Office was established in 1837, Asia's first adhesive stamp, the Scinde Dawk, was introduced in 1852 by Sir Bartle Frere, the British East India Company's administrator of the province of Sind. The Indian postal system developed into an extensive, dependable and robust network providing connectivity to almost all parts of India, Burma, the Straits Settlements and other areas controlled by the British East India Company (EIC). Based on the model postal system introduced in England by the reformer, Rowland Hill, efficient postal services were provided at a low cost and enabled the smooth commercial, military and administrative functioning of the EIC and its successor, the British Raj. The Imperial Posts co-existed with the several postal systems maintained by various Indian states, some of which produced stamps for use within their respective dominions, while British Indian postage stamps were required for sending mail beyond the boundaries of these states. Telegraphy and telephony made their appearance as part of the Posts before becoming separate departments. After the Independence of India in 1947, the Indian postal service continues to function on a countrywide basis and provides many valuable, low cost services to the public of India.

Postage stamps and postal history of Laos

The early issues from 1853 had the monarch's head, white and featureless, embossed on a coloured background. The most valuable stamps from this period are Gibbons catalogue nos 8 and 9 from the 1853 issue: the 100 reis lilacs. The first pictorial issue in 1894 commemorated the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator's birth. Vasco da Gama's voyage to India in 1497-1498 was the subject of an 1898 issue. The Vasco da Gama designs were also used in the African colonies and were inscribed Africa instead of Portugal. This was the only general issue for colonies. Volumes increased from the 1960s.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Liechtenstein. The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked Alpine microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over 160 square kilometres (62 sq mi), and it has an estimated population of 37,000. Its capital is Vaduz and the biggest town is Schaan.

Postage stamps and postal history of Tannu Tuva

The postal history of Hungary is strongly linked to the history of Hungary. While a messenger system was brought to the Carpathian Basin by Árpád as early as 895, modern mail delivery was first organized by the Habsburgs under the Austrian Empire.

Postage stamps and postal history of Kenya and Uganda

Postage stamps and postal history of Lithuania

The early issues from 1853 had the monarch's head, white and featureless, embossed on a coloured background. The most valuable stamps from this period are Gibbons catalogue nos 8 and 9 from the 1853 issue: the 100 reis lilacs. The first pictorial issue in 1894 commemorated the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator's birth. Vasco da Gama's voyage to India in 1497-1498 was the subject of an 1898 issue. The Vasco da Gama designs were also used in the African colonies and were inscribed Africa instead of Portugal. This was the only general issue for colonies. The 1910 definitives were overprinted Republica after the revolution and the first republican issue was the familiar Ceres type of 1912. Aeroplanes were first depicted in 1923 following the Gago Coutinho–Sacadura Cabral flight from Portugal to Brazil in 1922. In 1924, the first literary issue commemorated the birth of epic poet Luís de Camões in 1524. The common Caravel type first appeared in 1943, the Medieval Knight in 1953 and Portugal's first railway stamp in 1956. Volumes increased from the 1960s.

The French Congo was the original French colony established in the present-day area of the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic. It began in 1880 as a protectorate, and its borders with Cabinda, Cameroons, and the Congo Free State were established by treaties over the next decade. French Congo was temporarily divided between Gabon and Middle Congo in 1906, before being reunited as French Equatorial Africa in 1910 in an attempt to copy the relative success of French West Africa. Stamps of French Congo were replaced by the issues of Gabon and Middle Congo in 1904.

Postage stamps and postal history of Singapore
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Singapore. Singapore is an island city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 km north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. Singapore is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia.

Postage stamps and postal history of Martinique

Postage stamps and postal history of Spanish Guinea

The postal history of Hungary is strongly linked to the history of Hungary. While a messenger system was brought to the Carpathian Basin by Árpád as early as 895, modern mail delivery was first organized by the Habsburgs under the Austrian Empire. After continued development, the postal systems of Austria and Hungary were formally separated following the Compromise of 1867, with both becoming fully independent after 1908. Both world wars caused heavy damage to the infrastructure. The Hungarian Post was nationalized after 1947. Until 1990, the Post Office controlled not only mail and package delivery, but also the full range of telecommunications, including radio, telephone and television transmissions. When the Post Office was split into separate companies, Magyar Posta JSC was established to handle postal administration.

Postage stamps and postal history of Jamaica

The postage stamps and postal history of Norfolk Island depended on Australia until 1947, when the island, an Australian territory since 1914, received its own stamps and postal autonomy. After the transfer of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands' philatelic and postal services to Australia Post, Norfolk had been the last Australian territory to be postally independent. Consequently, the stamps issued by Norfolk had no value in Australia, and those of Australia Post could not be used in the island. Norfolk Island ceased having its own postal service and issuing postage stamps in July 2016. Australia Post continues to issue stamps inscribed “Norfolk Island, Australia”.

The postal history of Malta began in the early modern period, when pre-adhesive mail was delivered to foreign destinations by privately owned ships for a fee. The earliest known letter sent from Malta during the rule of the Order of St. John is dated 1532. The first formal postal service on the islands was established in 1708, with the post office being located at the Casa del Commun Tesoro in Valletta. The first postal markings on mail appeared later on in the 18th century.

Postage stamps and postal history of Mali

Postage stamps and postal history of Iceland

Postage stamps and postal history of Santander Department

Suriname, a former Dutch colony on the north-east coast of South America, has issued stamps since 1873. The earlier issues until it gained state autonomy in December 1954, mostly featured the head of the Dutch monarch on them. Suriname gained full independence in November 1975.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Ryukyu Islands. The Ryukyu Islands are a chain of islands in the western Pacific Ocean, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. The largest of the islands is Okinawa Island. The Ryukyu Kingdom was formally annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1872, although the kingdom had been part of the feudal Satsuma Domain in Kyushu since 1609. During World War II, the islands came under the occupation of the United States military in 1945, and a civilian government was set up under American control in 1952. The islands reverted to the control of Japan in 1972.

Postage stamps and postal history of Vatican City

Postage stamps and postal history of Isle and Man

Postage stamps and postal history of Togo

Postage stamps and postal history of South Georgia

Postage stamps and postal history of Oltre Giuba.

The Mexican postal system has its roots in the Aztec system of messengers which the Spanish adopted after the Conquest. A postal service was established in 1580, mainly to communicate between the viceroyalty of New Spain with the motherland Spain. During the 18th century, Spain established a formal postal system with regular routes. In 1856, Mexico issued its first adhesive postage stamps, with "district overprints", a unique feature among postal systems worldwide, employed to protect from theft of postage stamps.

On 1 January 1868, Portugal issued postage stamps for the islands of Madeira, consisting of the current stamps of Portugal overprinted "MADEIRA". Subsequent stamps were also overprinted, through 1881. Unoverprinted Portuguese stamps were used from 1881 to 1892. From 1892 to 1905, while the administrative title of Madeira was changed to the District of Funchal, definitive stamps were issued with the inscription "Funchal".

Postage stamps and postal history of Guatemala

Postage stamps and postal history of Portugal

Postage stamps and postal history of Israel and Palestine (disambiguation)

The postal history of Puerto Rico began around 1518, at least for official mail, when Spain adopted general postal regulations; although the first documentation of Spanish postal regulations specific to the Caribbean was 1794. The first postage stamps were issued 163 years ago for Puerto Rico and Cuba in 1856. Postage stamps just for Puerto Rico followed, and later postal cards and telegraph stamps were issued. United States postal administration began in 1899 and the last stamps specifically for Puerto Rico were issued in 1900. They were superseded by U.S. stamps, which are still used today on the island as it remains a territory serviced by the United States Postal Service (USPS).

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, formerly Southern Rhodesia is a landlocked country located in the southern part of Africa between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east.

Postage stamps and postal history of Sharjah

Postage stamps and postal history of Spain

Postage stamps and postal history of South Sudan

Postage stamps and postal history of Russia

Nevis, a British colony in the Leeward Islands, began issuing stamps in 1861. The first stamps depicted the seal of the colony showing women at a medicinal spring. Issues from 1879 featured the portrait of Queen Victoria. Between 1890 and 1903 it used the stamps of Leeward Islands. Between 1903 and June 1980 it used the stamps of St. Kitts and Nevis (St. Christopher Nevis Anguilla from 1952), concurrently with the issues of the Leeward Islands until 1956.

Postage stamps and postal history of Indochina

The postage stamps and postal history of Papua New Guinea were linked to the Australian administration on the eastern part of the island of New Guinea until its independence in 1975. In the South, Papua, formally under British rule, used the stamps of Queensland between 1885 and 1901. With the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia, the philatelic production and postal organisation were decided by an Australian administration and the stamps printed in Brisbane, then Melbourne. In the North, New Guinea was under the control of the German Empire and used its stamps between 1888 and 1897. The colony got stamps bearing its name after 1897. Consequently, to the Australian conquest in 1914, the remaining German colonial stamps and some Australian ones, were overprinted. After the Territory of New Guinea became a League of Nations mandate entrusted to Australia, this country organised the postal system and philatelic production in New Guinea. After the Japanese occupation of New Guinea and the suppression of civil administration in Papua at the beginning of 1942, the stamps of Australia were used between 1945 and 1953, before the two united territories got their own stamps. Progressively, it obtained its philatelic and postal autonomy, and finally independence in September 1975. Note: concerning the western part of the island of New Guinea or Irian Barat, see Postage stamps of Western New Guinea.

Postage stamps and postal history of New Guinea

Postage stamps and postal history of Victoria (Australia)

Mauritius, a small island in the southwest Indian Ocean, is of towering importance in the world of philately for a number of reasons. Its first two postage stamps issued in 1847, called the "Post Office" stamps, are of legendary rarity and value. They were the first stamps issued in any part of the British Empire outside of Great Britain. The unique cover bearing both “Post Office” stamps has been called "la pièce de résistance de toute la philatélie" or "the greatest item in all philately". The cover was sold at auction, in Zurich, on 3 November 1993, for 5.75 million Swiss francs (inclusive of 15% buyers premium), the equivalent of about $4 million – the highest price ever paid for a single philatelic item up to that time. In addition, Mauritius is well known for the subsequent locally produced issues known as "primitives," also prized by collectors.

Postage stamps and postal history of Kyrgyzstan

Between 1851 and 1860, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, an independent Italian state until 1859 when it joined the United Provinces of Central Italy, produced two postage stamp issues which are among the most prized classic stamp issues of the world, and include the most valuable Italian stamp.

Postage stamps and postal history of Serbia

Postage stamps and postal history of Monaco

Postage stamps and postal history of German South West Africa

Postage stamps and postal history of Gibraltar

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Singapore. Singapore is an island city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 km north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. Singapore is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia. The island rose in importance during the 14th century and became an important port until it was destroyed by Portuguese raiders in 1613. In 1819 the Englishman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles established a British trading post on the island. Under British colonial rule, Singapore grew in importance rapidly becoming a major port city. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. After the war, Singapore reverted to British control, with increasing levels of self-government being granted, culminating in Singapore's merger with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963. Singapore became an independent republic on 9 August 1965.

Postage stamps and postal history of Sudan

Postage stamps and postal history of Stellaland

The Mexican postal system has its roots in the Aztec system of messengers which the Spanish adopted after the Conquest. A postal service was established in 1580, mainly to communicate between the viceroyalty of New Spain with the motherland Spain. During the 18th century, Spain established a formal postal system with regular routes. In 1856, Mexico issued its first adhesive postage stamps, with "district overprints", a unique feature among postal systems worldwide, employed to protect from theft of postage stamps. In 1891, the postal and stamp issuing authority was created as an administrative division of the Secretaría de Comunicaciones (Secretariat of Communications). It was called Servicio Postal Mexicano (Sepomex). In 1901, the Dirección General de Correos (General Direction of Mail) was made a separate government agency. The Palacio de Correos de Mexico is used since 1907 as main post office. The Mexican Revolution and ensuing Civil Wars (1910–1920) resulted in numerous provisional and local stamps issued by the factions in control of different areas of the country.

In 1913 and 1914, Portugal issued postage stamps specifically for Tete Province, now part of Mozambique. The 1913 stamps were those of the Vasco da Gama issue of 1898, overprinted "REPUBLICA / TETE" and a new denomination in centavos. Each of the eight values from Macau, Portuguese Africa and Timor were overprinted, yielding a total of 24 stamps. In 1914, the omnibus Ceres issue of Portugal included 16 values for Tete, ranging from 1/4 centavo to one escudo. Subsequently, Tete reverted to using the stamps of Mozambique. Although these stamps are not rare, none costing the collector over about US$10, genuinely-used examples are harder to find, and command a premium of about 50-100% over unused.

The African territories of Ruanda and Urundi came under Belgian control as Ruanda-Urundi after they were seized from Germany during World War I in 1916. They had previously formed part of German East Africa. The territory was under Belgian military occupation from 1916 to 1922, and stamps of Belgian Congo were overprinted for the occupied territories with bilingual inscriptions "EST AFRICAIN ALLEMAND OCCUPATION BELGE / DUITSCH OOST AFRIKA BELGISCHE BEZETTING" in French and Flemish.

Peru declared independence from Spain in 1821 and decisively defeated colonial forces at the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824. Peru began using lithographed stamps in 1857 that initially were provided by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. Most copies of Peru's PSNC stamps in circulation are forgeries. Around 1860 Peru acquired a French-made device (the so-called "Lecoq" press) that was used to print, emboss and cut imperforate stamps from paper strips. The commemorative stamp illustrated to the right was one of the last Peru produced on this rare machine. For a catalogue used by collectors to classify early Peruvian (imperforate) stamps by their cancellations, see Lamy (and Rinck).

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Saint Helena.

Postage stamps and postal history of Zambia

Manchukuo (Japanese for "Manchu State") was a constitutional monarchy in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, the region being the historical homeland of the Manchus who founded the Qing Dynasty of China. In 1931, it was seized by Japan following the Mukden Incident and in 1932, a puppet government was created. This was abolished in 1945 after the defeat of Imperial Japan at the end of World War II.

Postage stamps and postal history of Yemen

Postage stamps and postal history of Macao

Postage stamps and postal history of French Morocco

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Postage stamps and postal history of Qatar

Postage stamps and postal history of Palestine

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Hatay State, formerly the Sanjak of Alexandretta of the French Mandate of Syria.

This is an introduction to the postal and philatelic history of Italy. As Italy was not unified until 1861, its early postal history is tied to the various kingdoms and smaller realms that ruled in the peninsula.

Postage stamps and postal history of Gabon

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Laos. Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the 14th to the 18th century. After a period as a French protectorate, Laos gained independence in 1953. A long civil war ended officially when the Communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975.

Postage stamps and postal history of Kenya

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Uganda. Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which is also bordered by Kenya and Tanzania.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Serbia.

Postage stamps and postal history of Uganda

Postage stamps and postal history of Finland

Postage stamps were issued in the South African-administered colony of South West Africa from 1914 to 1989.

Postage stamps and postal history of Manchukuo

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Queensland, a former British Crown Colony that is now part of Australia.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Nauru. The Republic of Nauru is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, 300 kilometres (186 mi) to the east.

Postage stamps and postal history of Northern Cyprus

Postage stamps and postal history of North Korea

Postage stamps and postal history of Hamburg

The postage stamps and postal history of Palestine emerges from its geographic location as a crossroads amidst the empires of the ancient Near East, the Levant and the Middle East. Postal services in the region were first established in the Bronze Age, during the rule of Sargon of Akkad, and successive empires have established and operated a number of different postal systems over the millennia. In the era of modern postage, the postal administrations in Palestine have included Austrian, French, Italian, German, Egyptian, and Russian post offices (through arrangements made with the Ottoman Empire), the Egyptian Expeditionary Forces, the British Mandate, and various interim authorities in the lead up to and after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Since 1948, postal services have been provided by Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian National Authority. When discussing the pre-1948 postal history, most philatelists refer to this geographic area as Palestine or the Holy Land, though some also use Eretz Israel. This article surveys the postal history leading up to the area's two current postal administrations, that of the State of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority.

The history of postage stamps and postal history of Malaysia, a state in Southeast Asia that occupies the south of the Malay peninsula and Sarawak and Sabah in the north Borneo, includes the development of postal services in these periods:
* the sultanates as British protectorates (1874-1941, 1948-1957),
* Japanese occupation during the Second World War (1941-1945),
* British military administration (1945-1948) and
* independence of the state (since 1957).

Postage stamps and postal history of Seychelles

Postage stamps and postal history of Oubangui-Chari

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Hong Kong.

Postage stamps and postal history of Western Australia

Postage stamps are issued by the Korea Stamp Corporation. North Korea issues copious amounts of stamps. Since the 1970s, the country has outproduced South Korea in terms of issuance. The stamps tend to portray patriotic and nationalist themes and are used as a form of propaganda, but some of them have little connection with the country. Stamps are issued by the Korea Stamp Corporation. The country has been a member of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie since 15 June 1965. There is a museum, the , dedicated to philately in the country.

Postage stamps and postal history of Tibet

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of New South Wales, a former British colony now part of Australia.

Postage stamps and postal history of Palau

Postage stamps and postal history of Namibia

Postage stamps and postal history of aitutaki

The postal history of Turkey and its predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, dates to the 18th century when foreign countries maintained courier services through their consular offices in the Empire. Although delayed in the development of its own postal service, in 1863 the Ottoman Empire became the second independent country in Asia (after Russia) to issue adhesive postage stamps, and in 1875, it became a founding member of the General Postal Union, soon to become the Universal Postal Union. The Ottoman Empire became the Republic of Turkey in 1923, and in the following years, its postal service became more modernized and efficient and its postage stamps expertly designed and manufactured.

Paraguay gained independence from Spain in 1811.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Georgia. Georgia is in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 km² and its population is 4.385 million.

Postage stamps and postal history of Ghana

Postage stamps and postal history of Papua New Guinea

Postage stamps and postal history of Trinidad and Tobago

Postage stamps and postal history of Guyana

Postage stamps and postal history of Japan

Postage stamps and postal history of La Agüera

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Liberia. Liberia is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Monrovia.

During its time as a French colony, Obock issued its own postage stamps. At first the inhabitants used the general stamps of the French Colonies, but in 1892 they were overprinted with "OBOCK", as were stamped post cards. Later in the year some of these were also surcharged with values from 1 centime to 5 francs. By the end of the year, a supply of the omnibus Navigation and Commerce issues became available, inscribed OBOCK in red or blue. Stamps issued for the whole French Somali Coast superseded the stamps of Obock.

Postage stamps and postal history of Heligoland

Postage stamps and postal history of Puerto Rico

Postage stamps and postal history of South Korea

The Republic of South Sudan became independent on 9 July 2011 from Sudan and issued its first stamps on 13 July 2011. Only almost three months later, on 4 October 2011, did South Sudan become a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). Before independence, South Sudan used stamps issued by Sudan. The Directorate of Postal Services of the Ministry of Telecommunication and Postal Services is responsible for postal affairs in South Sudan.

The postage stamps and postal history of Guam is an overview of the postage stamps and postal history of the United States territory of Guam. Its postal service is linked to those of the Philippines during the Spanish Empire and, since 1898, to the United States of America. A peculiarity is that, for a short period in the 1930s, Guam had a local post service. Because the US Postal administration issued the same stamps in Guam as in the United States, cancellations are the only way to identify a stamp as having been used in the island. Between the 1930s and 1970s, during the creation of trans-Pacific airways, stops at Guam were commemorated with special illustrated marks.

Guyana became independent from Great Britain on 26 May 1966 and began producing its own stamps as an independent nation from that date. Previously the country was British Guiana and had printed stamps. In 1969, some issues were put on the market cancelled to order in such a way as to be indistinguishable from genuine postally used copies. Between 2010 and 2013, Guyana issued many provisional surcharges.

Postage stamps and postal history of Western New Guinea

Postage stamps and postal history of Siam

The postage stamps and postal history of Guam is an overview of the postage stamps and postal history of the United States territory of Guam. Its postal service is linked to those of the Philippines during the Spanish Empire and, since 1898, to the United States of America. A peculiarity is that, for a short period in the 1930s, Guam had a local post service.

Postage stamps and postal history of Norfolk Island

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Tanganyika under British mandate.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of South Korea. South Korea is a country in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula.

By the on March 8, 1701, Mecklenburg was separated into two duchies with limited autonomy, which formed a collective state–as of 1815, the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Since 1755, they had the same constitution and were under the control of the same parliament. In 1815, both parts became Grand Duchies by the Congress of Vienna.

Postage stamps and postal history of Karelia

Postage stamps and postal history of St. Lucia

Postage stamps and postal history of Hatay

Postage stamps and postal history of Saseno

Postage stamps and postal history of Hong Kong

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Tunisia. Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area is almost 165,000 km², with an estimated population of just over 10.3 million. Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the north-east.

Civil mail from Sharjah went through the post office in Dubai until 1963. Military mail from the British Forces stationed in the area went through the RAF airport in Sharjah. On 10 July 1963, Sharjah opened its own post office and began to issue its stamps and postal stationery under the name of Sharjah & Dependencies (which included Kalba, Khor Fakkan, and Dibba). There were also unauthorized overprints using Hamriyah, a frequently secessionist coastal town but officially subject to Sharjah and which never gained recognition as a Trucial State in its own right. Sharjah and its dependencies joined the United Arab Emirates on 2 December 1971, but continued to issue its own stamps. On 31 July 1972, the UAE assumed full postal responsibilities. Nevertheless, Sharjah continued to use its own stamps until the issuance of the first UAE definitive series on 1 January 1973. Covers with mixed UAE and Sharjah frankings are known.

Like other Colombian states, Santander issued its own postage stamps between 1884 and 1905, with a provisional stamp appearing in 1907. The designs were based on the state's coat of arms, except for a 50c stamp in 1904 featuring a locomotive. All of the stamps of Santander are readily available.

This article surveys the postage stamps and postal history of the Republic of South Moluccas. Historical or political incidents can be found in the main article.

Postage stamps and postal history of Kazakhstan

Postage stamps and postal history of Free City of Danzig

The story of the postage stamps and postal history of Tanzania begins with German East Africa, which was occupied by British forces during World War I. After the war, the territory came under British rule, was named Tanganyika and issued stamps under that name until after a union with Zanzibar in 1964.

Postage stamps and postal history of Southern Nigeria Protectorate

Gabon is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with the Gulf of Guinea to the west, Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, and Cameroon to the north, with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. Its size is almost 270,000 km² with an estimated population of 1,500,000. The capital and largest city is Libreville.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Palau. The Republic of Palau is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, 500 miles east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles south of Tokyo, forming the westernmost part of the Caroline Islands.

Postage stamps and postal history of Vietnam

Postage stamps and postal history of Iran

Postage stamps and postal history of St. Kitts-Nevis

Postage stamps and postal history of Geneva

Postage stamps and postal history of Portuguese India

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Mongolia. Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and the People's Republic of China to the south, east and west. Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city.

This a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the modern Russian Federation.

Postage stamps and postal history of French Sudan

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Kazakhstan. Under the Soviet Union, the Kazakh SSR postal service was an integral part of the Soviet system. The republic was periodically recognized in sets of stamps honoring the different parts of the USSR. Kazakhstan became independent in December 1991, and organized its own post. Its first stamp, depicting a warrior's suit found at the Issyk mound in 1969, was issued 23 March 1992. Overprinted stamps of the USSR are also known from this early period, but the has concluded that their official status is uncertain; although some saw postal usage, they were not generally available in post offices, nor do their values reflect actual postal rates in effect. The first definitive stamps were a set of five issued on 24 January 1993, four of which were a stylized design consisting of a yurt and spaceship (alluding to the country's Baikonur Cosmodrome), along with the higher value of 50 rubles depicting the flag of Kazakhstan. The currency changed to tijn and tenge around the end of 1993. Existing stamps, all denominated in rubles and kopecks, were then sold as if they were in the new currencies. New stamps issued in the first half of 1994 were initially sold as denominated in tijn, then later in tenge. The yurt-and-spaceship design was re-issued in the new currency beginning in July 1994. Kazakhstan has since followed a moderate pattern of issues, averaging 30 to 40 types per year. The space theme is frequent.

Postage stamps and postal history of The Gambia

Postage stamps and postal history of Sint Maarten

Postage stamps and postal history of Guam

Postage stamps and postal history of abu dhabi

Postage stamps and postal history of Germany

Postage stamps and postal history of aden

The postal history of Northern Epirus, a region in the western Balkans, in southern modern Albania, comprises two periods; 1912–1916 and 1940-41. Northern Epirus was under Greek administration during the First Balkan War (1912–1913), but it was then awarded to the newly founded Albanian state by the Florence Protocol (1913). During this period, Greek stamps were used. Greece withdrew from the region in early 1914. The people of Epirus were unwilling to be part of Albania, though, and launched a revolution. Under a provisional government, the independent Northern Epirus was formed in February 1914 and it eventually managed to gain full autonomy under nominal Albanian sovereignty, according to the Protocol of Corfu (May 1914). Northern Epirus operated its own postal service and issued postage stamps, both official and unofficial, during that year. Greek armies returned to occupy Epirus in November 1914, after the outbreak of World War I, but were driven out by Italian forces in 1916. During this time Greek stamps overprinted with B. ΗΠΕΙΡΟΣ (N. Epirus) were used. After the war, the region was confirmed as part of Albania. Epirus briefly came under Greek control again in 1940, after Italy launched an invasion of Greece from Albania. A successful Greek counter-attack occupied much of southern Albania, including Epirus. This lasted until 1941, when Germany invaded and conquered Greece. As earlier, overprinted Greek stamps were used in Epirus during the period of Greek control.

Postage stamps and postal history of La Aguera

Postage stamps and postal history of Pakistan

Postage stamps and postal history of Jordan

Postage stamps and postal history of Labuan

Postage stamps and postal history of afghanistan

Postage stamps and postal history of Straits Settlements

Postage stamps and postal history of New South Wales

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Natal. Natal was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia. The first stamps of Natal were issued on 26 May 1857. They were uncoloured designs embossed in plain relief on coloured wove paper and were imperforate. The first stamps of Natal after these were issued in 1859, with the Chalon head portrait of Queen Victoria. Between 1869 and 1895, postage stamps of 1859-67 and fiscal stamps were overprinted 'POSTAGE' in various styles or additionally surcharged 'Half-Penny'. Stamps of King Edward VII were issued between 1902 and 1909. Six official stamps of King Edward were also issued. In 1910 Natal combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Kazakhstan. Under the Soviet Union, the Kazakh SSR postal service was an integral part of the Soviet system. The republic was periodically recognized in sets of stamps honoring the different parts of the USSR. The first definitive stamps were a set of five issued on 24 January 1993, four of which were a stylized design consisting of a yurt and spaceship (alluding to the country's Baikonur Cosmodrome), along with the higher value of 50 rubles depicting the flag of Kazakhstan.

Postage stamps and postal history of French Congo

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Georgia. Georgia is in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 km² and its population is 4.385 million. At the beginning of the 19th century, Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire. After a brief period of independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia was invaded by Bolshevik armies in 1921 and incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1922. The independence of Georgia was restored in 1991.

Mauritius, a small island in the southwest Indian Ocean, is of towering importance in the world of philately for a number of reasons. Its first two postage stamps issued in 1847, called the "Post Office" stamps, are of legendary rarity and value. They were the first stamps issued in any part of the British Empire outside of Great Britain. The unique cover bearing both “Post Office” stamps has been called "la pièce de résistance de toute la philatélie" or "the greatest item in all philately". The cover was sold at auction, in Zurich, on 3 November 1993, for 5.75 million Swiss francs (inclusive of 15% buyers premium), the equivalent of about $4 million – the highest price ever paid for a single philatelic item up to that time. In addition, Mauritius is well known for the subsequent locally

Postage stamps and postal history of Northern Nigeria

Postage stamps and postal history of Mexico

Postage stamps and postal history of Quatar

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Ryukyu Islands. The Ryukyu Islands are a chain of islands in the western Pacific Ocean, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. The largest of the islands is Okinawa Island.

Postage stamps and postal history of Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Postage stamps and postal history of Mecklenburg