San Marino (2)

REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO

Sent by San Marino Tourism.

This is from Wikipedia : San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino (i/sæn məˈriːnoʊ/ san-mə-ree-noh; Italian: Repubblica di San Marino, also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino), is a state situated on the Italian peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over 61 km2 (24 sq mi) with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino. San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe.

San Marino is the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, as the continuation of the monastic community founded on 3 September 301, by stonecutter Marinus of Rab. Legend has it that Marinus left Rab, then the Roman colony of Arba, in 257 when the future emperor, Diocletian, issued a decree calling for the reconstruction of the city walls of Rimini, which had been destroyed by Liburnian pirates.

The constitution of San Marino, enacted in 1600, is the world's oldest constitution still in effect. The country's economy mainly relies on finance, industry, services and tourism. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP (per capita), with a figure comparable to some of the more developed Italian regions, such as Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. San Marino is considered to have a highly stable economy, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, no national debt and a budget surplus.

San Marino (1)

REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO
Aerial view of the town.

Sent by San Marino Tourism.

San Marino - San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano

San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano.
First Tower and panorama.

Sent by San Marino Tourism.

San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano covers 55 ha, including Mount Titano and the historic centre of the city which dates back to the foundation of the republic as a city-state in the 13th century. San Marino is inscribed as a testimony to the continuity of a free republic since the Middle Ages. The inscribed city centre includes fortification towers, walls, gates and bastions, as well as a neo-classical basilica of the 19th century, 14th and 16th century convents, and the Palazzo Publico of the 19th century, as well as the 18th century Titano Theatre. The property represents an historical centre still inhabited and preserving all its institutional functions. Thanks to its position on top of Mount Titano, it was not affected by the urban transformations that have occurred from the advent of the industrial era to today. (Source)

Hungary

Multiviews of Hungary.

Sent by Lilla, a postcrosser from Hungary.

Austria - Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape (2)

Gosausee(933m), the romantic mountain lake, with high roof stone (3,004m).

Sent by Julia, a postcrosser from Austria.

Russia - The Narva Triumphal Gate

The Narva Triumphal Gate. 1814; 1827 - 34.

Sent by Yelena, a postcrosser from St. Petersburg, Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Narva Triumphal Gate (Russian: На́рвские триумфа́льные воро́та) was erected in the vast Narva Square (known as the Stachek Square in Soviet years), Saint Petersburg, in 1814 to commemorate the Russian victory over Napoleon. The wooden structure was constructed on the Narva highway with the purpose of greeting the soldiers who were returning from abroad after their victory over Napoleon. The architect of the original Narva Gate was Giacomo Quarenghi. The program was meant to respond to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris, originally erected to celebrate Napoleon's victory over the Allies at Austerlitz, but the material used was a weather-resistant plaster that was never intended to be permanent.

Between 1827 and 1834 Vasily Stasov redesigned and rebuilt the gate in stone. A similar gate, also by Stasov, was erected on the road leading to Moscow. A sculptor Vasily Demut-Malinovsky was responsible for the gate's sculptural decor. As has been conventional since Imperial Roman times, sculptures of Fame offering laurel wreaths fill the spandrels of the central arch. The main entablature breaks boldly forward over paired Composite columns that flank the opening and support colossal sculptures. Nike, the Goddess of Victory surmounts the arch, in a triumphal car drawn by six horses, sculpted by Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg, instead of the traditional Quadriga.

Neither the gate nor the Russian admiralty were protected from artillery bombardments during the Siege of Leningrad. A small military museum was opened in the upper part of the arch in 1989. At the beginning of 21st century the gate was capitally restored and according to experts, is in a fine condition as of August 2009.

Portugal - Historic Centre of Oporto (4)

Historical part of town called Ribeira in Porto, Portugal. The place is within the Historic Center of Oporto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sent by Liliana, a postcrosser from Porto, Portugal.

Belarus - Traditional Costumes

Traditional costumes of Belarus.

Sent by Tanya, a postcrosser from Minsk, Belarus.

Russia - Statue Of Yaroslav the Wise

Statue of Yaroslav the Wise in the city of Yaroslav.

Sent by Evgeny, a postcrosser from Yaroslav, Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus', known as Yaroslav the Wise (Old East Slavic and Russian: Ярослав Мудрый; Old Norse: Jarizleifr; Ukrainian: Ярослав Мудрий, (c. 978 – February 20, 1054) was thrice Grand Prince of Novgorod and Kiev, uniting the two principalities for a time under his rule.

A son of the Varangian (Viking) Grand Prince Vladimir the Great, he was vice-regent of Novgorod at the time of his father’s death in 1015. Subsequently, his eldest surviving brother, Svyatopolk the Accursed, killed three of his other brothers and seized power in Kiev. Yaroslav, with the active support of the Novgorodians and the help of Varangian mercenaries, defeated Svyatopolk and became the grand prince of Kiev in 1019. Under Yaroslav the codification of legal customs and princely enactments was begun, and this work served as the basis for a law code called the Russkaya Pravda ("Russian Justice"). During his lengthy reign, Rus' reached the zenith of its cultural flowering and military power.

The early years of Yaroslav's life are shrouded in mystery. He was one of the numerous sons of Vladimir the Great, presumably his second by Rogneda of Polotsk, although his actual age (as stated in the Primary Chronicle and corroborated by the examination of his skeleton in the 1930s) would place him among the youngest children of Volodymyr. It has been suggested that he was a child begotten out of wedlock after Volodymyr's divorce from Rogneda and marriage to Anna Porphyrogeneta, or even that he was a child of Anna Porphyrogeneta herself. Yaroslav figures prominently in the Norse Sagas under the name of Jarisleif the Lame; his legendary lameness (probably resulting from an arrow wound) was corroborated by the scientists who examined his remains. In his youth, Yaroslav was sent by his father to rule the northern lands around Rostov but was transferred to Novgorod, as befitted a senior heir to the throne, in 1010. While living there, he founded the town of Yaroslavl (literally, "Yaroslav's") on the Volga. His relations with his father were apparently strained, and grew only worse on the news that Volodymyr bequeathed the Kievan throne to his younger son, Boris. In 1014 Yaroslav refused to pay tribute to Kiev and only Volodymyr's death prevented a war.

During the next four years Yaroslav waged a complicated and bloody war for Kiev against his half-brother Sviatopolk, who was supported by his father-in-law, Duke Bolesław I Chrobry of Poland. During the course of this struggle, several other brothers (Boris, Gleb, and Svyatoslav) were brutally murdered. The Primary Chronicle accused Svyatopolk of planning those murders, while the Saga of Eymund is often interpreted as recounting the story of Boris's assassination by the Varangians in the service of Yaroslav.

Yaroslav defeated Svyatopolk in their first battle, in 1016, and Svyatopolk fled to Poland. But Svyatopolk returned with Polish troops furnished by his father-in-law, seized Kiev and pushed Yaroslav back into Novgorod. Yaroslav at last prevailed over Svyatopolk, and in 1019 firmly established his rule over Kiev. One of his first actions as a grand prince was to confer on the loyal Novgorodians (who had helped him to gain the Kievan throne), numerous freedoms and privileges. Thus, the foundation of the Novgorodian republic was laid. For their part, the Novgorodians respected Yaroslav more than they did other Kievan princes; and the princely residence in their city, next to the marketplace (and where the veche often convened) was named Yaroslavovo Dvorishche ("Yaroslav's Court") after him. It probably was during this period that Yaroslav promulgated the first code of laws in the East Slavic lands, "Yaroslav's Justice" (now better known as Ruskaia Pravda, "Rus Truth [Law]").

Honduras - Santa Rosa de Copán

A church in Santa Rosa de Copán.

Sent by Bryan from Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras.

This is from Wikipedia : Santa Rosa de Copán is the departmental capital of the Honduran department of Copán. It is set at an elevation of approximately 1,150 metres (3,773 ft) above mean sea level.

Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, is the largest and most important city in western Honduras with a population of 42,803. Santa Rosa is the governmental hub of the department of Copán. The city is connected through the International Highway of the West (CA-4) with San Pedro Sula to the North and with the borders of El Salvador at El Poy and Guatemala at Agua Caliente to the west. Santa Rosa has a subtropical climate with temperatures ranging from 25 °C (77 °F) to 29 °C (84 °F) in the summer (March-June), and from 13 °C (55 °F) to 15 °C (59 °F) in the winter (December-February).

The historical center of Santa Rosa de Copán has been declared a Honduran national monument, with preservation of its Republican or Neoclassical architecture and cobblestone streets that has its origins in a prosperous tobacco farming industry of the 18th century. Santa Rosa is situated at a strategic point between Copán Ruinas and Gracias, Lempira, and the Celaque National Park, ideal for those eager of visiting this interesting and must seen region. The La Flor de Copán cigar factory is located in the city.

The city was founded in the early 18th century. 1705. on 8 August of that year. Mr. Captain Don Juan García de la Candelaria place to purchase the Spanish crown and founded his estate with four ranches; settlers at the site called "Los Llanos",later the first settlers named out as Santa Rosa, and later as Santa Rosa de Los Llanos;An industrie of Tobacco was develop in early 18th Century and was picked as the site for La Real Factoria del Tabacos, the Royal Tobacco Company a Spanish crown company in 1765. Later, the province of Gracias a Dios was split in two departments, becoming Copán and Lempira. 1862. (May 7) As the nation's President Mr. Don Victoriano Castellanos Cortes, issued the Legislative Decree No. 3 in which is given the title of "REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS" to our country, therefore, no longer called "State of Honduras." In 1865, it was renamed Santa Rosa de Copan.

USA - Virginia/West Virginia - State Bird

Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
The state bird of 7 states, including West Virginia and Virginia.

Sent by JR from USA.

"West Virginia designated the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) as official state bird in 1949. One of America's favorite backyard birds, cardinals are distinctive in appearance and song - known for their "cheer cheer cheer," "whit-chew whit-chew" and "purty purty purty" whistles.

Male cardinals are a brilliant scarlet red, females a buffy brown with reddish wings - both have a jet -black mask, pronounced crest, and heavy bill. The cardinal sings nearly year-round, and the male aggressively defends his 4-acre territory (male cardinals have been seen attacking small red objects mistaken as other males).

Northern cardinals breed 2-3 times each season. The female builds the nest and tends the hatchlings for about 10 days while the male brings food. The male then takes over the care of this first brood while the female moves on to a new nest and lays a second clutch of eggs.

The cardinal is the state bird of 7 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia."(Source)

USA - Alaska - Denali National Park (2)

Between 1935 and 1943 the WPA's Federal Art Project printed over two million posters in 35,000 different designs to stir the public's imagination for education, theater, health safety, and travel. Due to their fragile nature only two thousand posters have survived. This contemporary design illustrates many of the WPA era posters, including those of our National Parks.

Sent by Liz from Fairbanks, Alaska.

USA - Florida - Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA
Home of the state's Capitol, Florida State University and Florida A&M University.

Sent by Kelly from Tallahassee, Florida.

This is from Wikipedia : Tallahassee (/ˌtæləˈhæsi/) is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 181,376 , and the Tallahassee metropolitan area is 367,413..

Tallahassee is one of Florida's most prominent college cities, and is home to several colleges and universities, most notably Florida State University and Florida A&M University. The Florida A&M University – Florida State University College of Engineering is a joint project of the two institutions. Other schools in Tallahassee include Tallahassee Community College and branches of Saint Leo University, Thomas University, Keiser University, Barry University, and Flagler College.

Tallahassee is a regional center for trade and agriculture in the Florida Panhandle, and is served by Tallahassee Regional Airport. With one of the fastest growing manufacturing and high tech economies in Florida, its major private employers include a General Dynamics Land Systems manufacturing facility (military and combat applications), the Municipal Code Corporation, which specializes in the publication of municipal and county legal references; and a number of national law firms, lobbying organizations, trade associations and professional associations, including the Florida Bar and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. It is recognized as a regional center for scientific research, and is home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the largest and highest-powered magnet research laboratory in the world.

Africa - Big Five

AFRICA
Elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino became known as the big five by hunters in the early 19 hundreds due to their reputation of being the 5 most dangerous African animals to hunt.

One of the five postcards sent by Whardah from Cape Town, South Africa.

South Africa - Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (3)

CAPE TOWN
Table Mountain experience. Top right clockwise : King Proteas, Dassies, Table Mountain from Rotair and Lion's Head.

One of the five postcards sent by Whardah from Cape Town, South Africa.

South Africa - Stellenbosch

STELLENBOSCH
The university town of Stellenbosch, famous for its wines and specctacular mountain scenery, has many fine examples of architecture dating back to the early 1800'2.

One of the five postcards sent by Whardah from Cape Town, South Africa.

This is from Wikipedia : Stellenbosch ( /ˈstɛlənbɒs/) is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, situated about 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Cape Town, along the banks of the Eerste Rivier. It is the second oldest European settlement in the province, after Cape Town. The town became known as the City of Oaks or Eikestad in Afrikaans and Dutch due to the large number of oak trees that were planted by its founder, Simon van der Stel, to grace the streets and homesteads.

Stellenbosch has its own municipality (incorporating the neighbouring towns of Pniel and Franschhoek), adjoining the greater/metro area of the city of Cape Town. The town is home to Stellenbosch University. Technopark is a modern science park situated on the southern side of the town near the Stellenbosch Golf Course.

The town was founded in 1679 by the Governor of the Cape Colony, Simon van der Stel, who named it after himself — Stellenbosch means "(van der) Stel's forest". It is situated on the banks of the Eerste Rivier ("First River"), so named as it was the first new river he reached and followed when he went on an expedition over the Cape Flats to explore the territory towards what is now known as Stellenbosch. The town grew so quickly that it became an independent local authority in 1682 and the seat of a magistrate with jurisdiction over 25,000 square kilometers (9,700 sq mi) in 1685.

The Dutch were skilled in hydraulic engineering and they devised a system of furrows to direct water from the Eerste Rivier in the vicinity of Thibault Street through the town along van Riebeeck Street to Mill Street where a mill was erected. Early visitors commented on the oak trees and gardens.

During 1690 some Huguenot refugees settled in Stellenbosch, grapes were planted in the fertile valleys around Stellenbosch and soon it became the centre of the South African wine industry.

In 1710 a fire destroyed most of the town and including all the Company property and twelve houses. Only two or three houses were left standing.

The first school had been opened in 1683 but education in the town began in earnest in 1859 with the opening of a seminary for the Dutch Reformed Church. Rhenish Girls' High School, established in 1860, is the oldest school for girls in South Africa. A gymnasium which was known as het Stellenbossche Gymnasium was established in 1866. In 1874 some higher classes became Victoria College and then in 1918 University of Stellenbosch. The first men's hostel to be established in Stellenbosch was Wilgenhof, in 1903. In 1909 an old boy of the school, Paul Roos, captain of the first national rugby team to be called the Springboks, was invited to become the sixth rector of the school. He remained rector till 1940. On his retirement the school's name was changed to Paul Roos Gymnasium.

In the early days of the Second Boer War (1899–1902) Stellenbosch was one of the British military bases, and was used as a 'remount' camp; and in consequence of officers who had not distinguished themselves at the front being sent back to it, the expression 'to be Stellenbosched' came into use; so much so, that in similar cases officers were spoken of as 'Stellenbosched' even if they were sent to some other place.

South Africa - Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (2)

CAPE TOWN
Chapman's Peak Drive is a spectacular mountain pass which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean between Hout Bay and Noordhoek.

One of the five postcards sent by Whardah from Cape Town, South Africa.

South Africa - Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (1)

CAPE TOWN
The wonder world of beauty, history and splendour. The Republic's legislative capital beneath Table Mountain with the magnificent V&A Waterfront in the foreground.

One of the five postcards sent by Whardah from Cape Town, South Africa.

The Cape Floral Region is located in the south-west corner of South Africa in the Cape Province. The site's eight clusters form a representative sample of the eight phytogeographical centres of the region. Elevations range from 2,077 m in the Groot Winterhoek to sea level in the De Hoop Nature Reserve. A great part of the area is characterized by rugged mountain passes, rivers, rapids, cascades and pools.

The area has been called the world's 'hottest hot-spot' for plant diversity and endemism and has been designated as one of the World Centres of Plant Diversity. It has some 44% of the subcontinental flora of 20,367 species (vascular plant species), including endemic and subendemic families and threatened species. The Cape Peninsula contains almost half of these species, with 25% of the flora of the whole region. The richness is due to the wide variety of macrohabitats and microhabitat mosaics resulting from the range of elevations, soils and climatic conditions, including the co-existence of winter-rainfall species with summer-rainfall species from further east. The flora is also characterized by concentrations of relict endemics and massive ongoing speciation due to its isolation in an area of very long established climatic stability. The flora of each area is sufficiently distinct to justify representation of the region by several sites, each of which is large enough to preserve the genetic viability of its types of diversity and to accommodate large-scale natural processes such as fire and drought. Eight phytogeographical centres of endemism have been distinguished in the Cape Floral Region.

The distinctive flora of the region, comprising 80% of its richness, is the fynbos (fine bush), fine-leaved vegetation adapted to both the Mediterranean type of climate and to periodic fires, and defined by the location or dominant species. Plant variety is based on soil types which vary from predominantly coarse, sandy, acidic nutrient-poor soils, to alkaline marine sands and slightly richer alluvials. There are pockets of evergreen forest in fire-protected gorges and on deeper soils; in the east are valley thickets and succulent thickets, which are less fire-dependent, and in the drier north, low succulent Karoo shrubland.

Four other characteristics of the Cape Floral Region of global scientific interest are:

• the responses of the plants to fire;
• seed dispersal by ants and termites;
• the high level (83%) of plant pollination by insects, mainly beetles and flies;
• its linkages to Gondwanaland allowing reconstruction of the flora's ancient connections.

Adaptation to fire include geophytes that sprout from underground and seed storage both underground and in the canopy, some species requiring fire for germination. Ants take the seeds to eat the lipid deposits; about 28% of the region's flora, including over half of the Proteaceae, is dispersed by them. Most of the shrubs so dispersed are both endemic and threatened species but the latter lack a way of regenerating after fire. Pollination and nutrient-cycling by termites, and termite-mound communities are notable and the region has very high levels of bird- and mammal-pollinated plants. (Source)

Hong Kong - HK Island Waterfront

A day view of Hong Kong Island waterfront.

Sent by Sky, a postcrosser from Hong Kong.

This is from Wikipedia : The Waterfront (Chinese: 漾日居) is a private housing estate in Phase I of Union Square, located right above Kowloon Station, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was developed by the consortium led by Wing Tai Asia, including Temasek Holdings, Singapore Land, Keppel Land, Lai Sun Development, World-wide Investment and USI Holdings. It consists of 1,288 apartments in 6 residential towers. It was completed in 2000, together with Dickson Cyber Express, a 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) cyber shopping mall of Dickson Concepts. But Dickson Cyber Express was closed after Internet bubble burst.

Slovenia - Water Tower of Maribor

MARIBOR
Water Tower, 1555
From the book "Maribor - Along the Routes of Old Art".

Sent by Daniela, a postcrosser from Slovenia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Water Tower (Slovene: Vodni stolp ) is a medieval fortified tower in the city of Maribor, Slovenia. The tower directly abuts the river Drava, and dates from 1555. A late-renaissance fortification, it consists of massive stone blocks interspersed with embrasures. It was built to secure the southeast part of the city walls from the direction of the river.

Before the mid-16th century, the southern part of the Maribor city walls was guarded by two round defensive towers, the predecessor of the current Jewish Tower and the predecessor of the Water Tower, known as the Gunpowder Tower (Slovene: Smodniški stolp), mentioned as of 1529. Around 1555, a decision was made to extend the city's defensive fortifications against Turkish raids to include the municipal port. Italian master builders erected two bastions on the Drava, a tower that came to be known as Mariborske Benetke ("Mariborian Venice") to the west and the Water Tower to the east. The city gates once stood between Benetke Tower and the Judgement Tower.

A site called Pristan ("quay") or Lent had earlier developed outside the walls, serving as the mercantile center of old Maribor. Until the construction of the Carinthian railway between Maribor and Klagenfurt in 1863, the Benetke port building saw annual eastward-bound traffic of up to 800 šajke (characteristic local barges) and 1200 rafts.

During the 1960s, the Drava was dammed at Melje for the Zlatoličje hydroelectric plant, causing the water levels to rise. Much of the old urban core of Maribor was due to be submerged in the resultant accumulation lake, including the Water Tower, which was originally slated for demolition so as not to pose a hazard to navigation.

Between 1966 - 1967, the Benetke Tower and many medieval houses on the riverbanks were torn down, but the position of the Water Tower made it a better prospect for salvageability. The tower was saved by the efforts of builder Jože Požauk (1908–1995), who directed a project to raise the 1500 t mass by 2.6 metres over seven months in 1967 and 1968.

At present, the Water Tower houses a wine shop which specializes in top-quality Slovenian wines. It is Slovenia's oldest wine cellar, and is situated in what is now the center of Maribor. The shop is on the ground floor. The top floor of the tower contains a large, round hall with a high ceiling, reminiscent of a medieval banquet hall, which is dedicated entirely to wine tasting. The world's oldest grapevine is located on the side of a building a few hundred m away.

Poland - Stargard

The Mill Gate (The Harbour Gate), in the middle of 15th century - the only gate by the river in Poland.

Sent by my friend Patrycja from Poland.

This is from Wikipedia : Stargard Szczeciński [ˈstarɡart ʂt​͡ʂɛˈt​͡ɕiɲski] (German: Stargard in Pommern; Kashubian: Stôrgard) is a city in northwestern Poland, with a population of 71,017 (2005). Situated on the Ina River it is the capital of Stargard County and since 1999 has been in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship; prior to that it was in the Szczecin Voivodeship (1975–1998). Stargard is a major railroad junction, where the southwards connection from Szczecin splits into two directions - one towards Poznań and the other towards Gdańsk. There is also another minor line to Pyrzyce from the town.

Stargard, which was first mentioned in around 1140, received Magdeburg city rights in 1243 from the Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania.

In 1363 the city joined the Hanseatic League and was then strongly fortified. During the 15th century the Pomeranian dukes chose it as their residence.

During the Thirty Years' War the city burnt down and in the 1648 Peace of Westphalia it was incorporated, together with the rest of Further Pomerania, into Brandenburg-Prussia. In 1701 Stargard became part of the Kingdom of Prussia and in 1818, after the Napoleonic Wars, Stargard became part of the new district Saatzig within the Province of Pomerania.

As a result of the unification of Germany in 1871 the city became part of the German Empire. On 1 April 1901 it became an independent city, separate from the Saatzig District.

During World War II the large prisoner-of-war camp Stalag II-D was located near Stargard. There were Kashubians and later thousands of Canadians captured at Dieppe imprisoned there, one of whom was Gerald MacIntosh Johnston, a Canadian actor, who was killed trying to escape.

In 1945 the city was placed under Polish administration, according to the postwar Potsdam Agreement, and since then has remained part of Poland. The German population was expelled and replaced by Poles, mainly from the eastern Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union.

In 2004 a north-western part of the town was made into an industrial park - Stargardzki Park Przemysłowy.

Wood Anemone

Wood Anemone or Anemone Nemorosa.

Sent by Chloe, a postcrosser from Canada.

This is from Wikipedia : Anemone nemorosa is an early-spring flowering plant in the genus Anemone in the family Ranunculaceae. Common names include wood anemone, windflower, thimbleweed and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, growing in early spring from 5 to 15 cm tall.

The plants start blooming soon after the foliage emerges from the ground. The leaves are divided into three segments and the flowers, produced on short stems, are held above the foliage with one flower per stem. They grow from underground root-like stems called rhizomes and the foliage dies back down by mid summer (summer dormant). The rhizomes spread just below the soil surface, forming long spreading clumps that grow quickly, contributing to its rapid spread in woodland conditions, where they often carpet large areas.

The flower is 2 cm diameter, with six or seven (and in rare occasions eight, nine or ten) petal-like segments (actually tepals) with many stamens. In the wild the flowers are usually white, but may be pinkish, lilac, blue or yellow and often have a darker tint to the back of the 'petals'. The flowers lack both fragrance and nectar and it has been suggested by some authors that they are primarily self-pollinated, but it has also been demonstrated that they are pollinated by bees and other insects that visit the flowers to collect pollen (Shirreffs 1985).

Yellow wood anemone, Anemone ranunculoides, also known as the buttercup anemone, is a similar plant with slightly smaller flowers of rich yellow colouring.

The plant contains poisonous chemicals that are toxic to animals including humans, but it has also been used as a medicine. All parts of the plant contain protoanemonin, which can cause severe skin and gastrointestinal irritation, burning mouth sensation, burning throat sensation, mouth ulcers, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bitter taste in mouth, blood in vomit

Philippines - Mount Makiling

Mount Makiling, also rarely Mount Maquiling, is located in the province of Laguna on the island of Luzon, Philippines. It is an inactive volcano, which rises to 1,090 m above sea level.

Sent by Ruby, a WiP partner from the Philippines.

This is from Wikipedia : Mount Makiling, also rarely Mount Maquiling, is a potentially active volcano in Laguna province on the island of Luzon, Philippines. It rises to 1,090 m above mean sea level.

Legends surround the mountain, many of which relate to Maria Makiling, said to be the 'guardian fairy' of the mountain. The contour of the mountain is said to be that of her in a reclining position.

The University of the Philippines, Los Baños is designated as the official caretaker of the mountain.

* Makiling National Scout Reservation, a campsite at the foot of Mount Makiling adjacent to U.P. Los Baños, which is being managed by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines this is the site of the 10th World Scout Jamboree in 1959 and 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Jamboree in 2009 and 2010.
* Mud Springs, widely accepted albeit erroneously as the volcanic crater of Mount Makiling
* National Arts Center, a patch of land at the foot of Mount Makiling adjacent to U.P. Los Baños, which is being managed by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the site of the Philippine High School for the Arts, a special school for young artist scholars
* Pook ni Maria Makiling, an eco-tourism site adjacent to the Jamboree Site, National Arts Center and U.P. Los Baños
* University of the Philippines, Los Baños

New Zealand - Tongariro National Park (2)

Mount Ruapehu 2797m: Mount Ruapehu erupting in September 1995 just at sunset, viewed from the National Park township.

Sent by Stephanie, a postcrosser from Auckland, New Zealand.

Finland - Inari

FINLAND
Inari.

Sent by Heli, a postcrosser from Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Inari (Inari Sami: Aanaar, Northern Sami: Anár, Skolt Sami: Aanar, Swedish: Enare) is Finland's largest, sparsely populated municipality with four official languages, more than any other in the country. Its major sources of income are lumber industry and nature maintenance. With the museum Siida in the village of Inari, it is a center of Sami culture. The airport in Ivalo and the country's key north-south European Route E75 (Finland's National Road 4) bring summer and winter vacationers who look for resorts with access to well-preserved, uncrowded outdoors.

The municipality of Inari has a population of 6,779 (31 January 2011).[2] The population density is 0.45 inhabitants per square kilometre (1.2 /sq mi).

Its two largest villages are Ivalo and Inari. Other villages are Törmänen, Keväjärvi, Koppelo, Sevettijärvi–Näätämö, Saariselkä, Nellim, Angeli, Kaamanen, Kuttura, Lisma, Partakko, and Riutula.

The municipality has four official languages: Finnish, Inari Sami (ca. 400 estimated speakers), Skolt Sami (ca. 400 speakers), and Northern Sami (ca. 700 speakers). The estimates of how many people have some command of each of the Sami languages differ from the number of people who list them as their mother tongues. Of the total population of 6,863 in 2010, 6,366 people registered Finnish as their mother tongue and 400 one of the Sami languages. 97 inhabitants were native speakers of other languages.

Only about 1%, 78 persons, were citizens of countries other than Finland in 2010.