Morocco - Mapcard (2)

Trekking in Merzouga.

Sent by Saadoun from Rabat, Morocco.

This is from Wikipedia : Merzouga is a small village in southeastern Morocco, about 35 kilometers southeast of Rissani, about 45 kilometers from Erfoud, and about 50 kilometers from the Algerian border.

The village is known for it's proximity to Erg Chebbi, a Saharan erg, and it is for this reason a part of the itineraries of many tourists visiting Morocco. Merzouga has the largest natural underground body of water in Morocco.

In 2006 Merzouga experienced devastating flash floods, displacing 1,200 and resulting in some deaths.

Near the dunes of Erg Chebbi there are some other less known villages: Hassilabied 4 km away, Tanamoust 3 km away, Takoujt 1.5 km away, Khamlia 7 km away and Tisserdmine 15 km away.

Morocco - Casablanca

View of Casablanca.

Sent by Saadoun from Rabat, Morocco.

This is from Wikipedia : Casablanca (Arabic: الدار البيضاء‎ Ad Dār al Bayḍā', original name in Berber: Anfa / ⴰⵏⴼⴰ) is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture of Casablanca and 3,631,061 in the region of Grand Casablanca. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat.

Casablanca hosts headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historical position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world, and the largest port of North Africa. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.

Dominican Republic (5)

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Another postcard of Dominican Republic sent by Johanny.

Peru - Andean Kondor (Cóndor Andino)

Andean Kondor, the national bird of Peru.

Sent from England by Sandra.

This is from Wikipedia : The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, it has the largest wingspan (at 3.2 m or 10.5 ft) of any land bird.

It is a large black vulture with a ruff of white feathers surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large white patches on the wings. The head and neck are nearly featherless, and are a dull red color, which may flush and therefore change color in response to the bird's emotional state. In the male, there is a wattle on the neck and a large, dark red comb or caruncle on the crown of the head. Unlike most birds of prey, the male is larger than the female.

The condor is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It prefers large carcasses, such as those of deer or cattle. It reaches sexual maturity at five or six years of age and nests at elevations of up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft), generally on inaccessible rock ledges. One or two eggs are usually laid. It is one of the world's longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 100 years old in captivity.

The Andean Condor is a national symbol of Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador, and plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the Andean regions. The Andean Condor is considered near threatened by the IUCN. It is threatened by habitat loss and by secondary poisoning from carcasses killed by hunters. Captive breeding programs have been instituted in several countries.

Bicycle (2)

Sent by Marianneke, a postcrosser from Amsterdam, Holland.

United Kingdom - England - St. Peter's Church

Dyrham Park, Gluocestershire
St. Peter's from the West Garden. The church has masonry from the 13th century and an early 12th-century font.

Sent by Dan from England.

"The oldest part of this beautiful church dates from 1280. The tower was built about 1420, and the church was considerably enlarged and altered about 50 years later. At the east end of the south aisle is the tomb of George Wynter who died in 1581 and of his wife, Anne. In the church there is also a brass of Sir Morys Russell and his wife which is at least 400 years old."(Source)

Pavone (Pavo Ceistatus)

Indian Peafowl or Blue Peafowl (Pavone in Italian).

Sent by Liana, a postcrosser from Italy.

This is from Wikipedia : The Indian Peafowl or Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is a large and brightly coloured bird of the pheasant family native to South Asia, but introduced and semi-feral in many other parts of the world. The male, peacock, is predominantly blue with a fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers and is best known for the long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colourful eyespots. These stiff and elongated feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. The female lacks the train, has a greenish lower neck and has a duller brown plumage. They are found mainly on the ground in open forest or cultivation where they forage for berries, grains but will also prey on snakes, lizards, and small rodents. Their loud calls make them easy to detect, and in forest areas, often indicate the presence of a predator such as a tiger. They forage on the ground, moving in small groups and will usually try to escape on foot through undergrowth and avoid flying. They will fly up into tall trees to roost, however. It is a bird that is celebrated in Indian and even Greek mythology and is national bird of India.

The Indian Peafowl was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae, and it still bears its original name of Pavo cristatus. The Latin genus name Pavo and the Anglo-Saxon Pawe (from which the word "Peacock" is derived) are believed to be echoic in their origin and based on the usual call of the bird. The species name cristatus refers to the crest.

The earliest usage of the word in written English is from around 1300 and spelling variants include pecok, pekok, pecokk, peacocke, peocock, pyckock, poucock, pocok, pokok, pokokke, and poocok among others. The current spelling was established in the late 17th century. Chaucer (1343–1400) used the word to refer to a proud and ostentatious person in his simile "proud a pekok" in Troilus and Criseyde (Book I, line 210).

The Greek word for peacock was taos and was related to the Persian "tavus" (as in Takht-i-Tâvus for the famed Peacock Throne). The Hebrew word tuki (plural tukkiyim) has been said to have been derived from the Tamil tokei but sometimes traced to the Egyptian tekh.

REO Wolverine Brougham 1928

REO Wolverine Brougham 1928.

Sent by Britta, a postcrosser from Finland.

Bicycle (1)

Just started collecting postcards of bicycle(s). This is our first. Sent by Sabine, a postcrosser from Germany.

USA - Illinois - Historic Lee County

HISTORIC LEE COUNTY
Upper Left : Amboy Depot Museum, Amboy, IL
Upper Right : H.I. Lincoln Building, Franklin Grove, IL
Lower Left : Franklin Creek Grist Mill, Franklin Grove, IL
Lower Right : Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, Dixon, IL

Sent by McCoy Family, a postcrosser from Illinois, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 36,031, which is a decrease of 0.1% from 36,062 in 2000. Its county seat is Dixon.

The Dixon Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Lee County.

Lee County was formed in 1839 out of Ogle County. The County is named in honor of Lighthorse Harry Lee, officer in the Revolutionary War, or Richard Henry Lee, member of the Continental Congress. The Declaration of Independence was adopted pursuant to Lee's Resolution.

Netherlands - Nijmegen (3)

De Waalbrug in Nijmegen.

Sent by Adri, a postcrosser from Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Germany - Lüneburg Heath

A map of Lüneburg Heath or Lüneburg Heidi.

Sent by Sandra, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Lüneburg Heath (German: Lüneburger Heide; also Lunenburg Heath in English) is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve. Northern Low Saxon is still widely spoken in the region.

The Lüneburg Heath has extensive areas of heathland, typical of those that covered most of the North German countryside until about 1800, but which have almost completely disappeared in other areas. The heaths were formed after the Neolithic period by overgrazing of the once widespread forests on the poor sandy soils of the geest, as this slightly hilly and sandy terrain in northern Europe is called. The Lüneburg Heath is therefore a historic cultural landscape. The remaining areas of heath are kept clear mainly through grazing, especially by a North German breed of moorland sheep called the Heidschnucke. Due to its unique landscape, the Lüneburg Heath is a popular tourist destination in North Germany.

Ukraine - Mailbox

This is how mailboxes in Ukraine look like.

Sent by Sasha, a postcrosser from Kiev in Ukraine.

Germany - Kiel Canal

Nord-Ostsee-Kanal or Kiel Canal.

Sent by Enno, a postcrosser from Kiel, Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Kiel Canal (German: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, NOK), known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a 98-kilometre (61 mi) long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of 250 nautical miles (460 km) is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula. This not only saves time but also avoids potentially dangerous storm-prone seas. According to the canal's website, it is the most heavily used artificial seaway in the world; over 43,000 vessels passed through in 2007, excluding small craft.

Besides its two sea entrances, the Kiel Canal is linked, at Oldenbüttel, to the navigable River Eider by the short Gieselau Canal.

The first connection between the North and Baltic Seas was constructed while the area was ruled by Denmark-Norway. It was called the Eider Canal, which used stretches of the Eider River for the link between the two seas. The Eiderkanal was completed during the reign of Christian VII of Denmark in 1784 and was a 43-kilometre (27 mi) part of a 175-kilometre (109 mi) long waterway from Kiel to the Eider River's mouth at Tönning on the west coast. It was only 29 metres (95 ft) wide with a depth of three metres (ten feet), which limited the vessels that could use the canal to 300 tonnes displacement.

During the 19th century, after Schleswig-Holstein had come under the government of Prussia (from 1871 the German Empire) following the Second Schleswig War in 1864, a combination of naval interests — the German navy wanted to link its bases in the Baltic and the North Sea without the need to sail around Denmark — and commercial pressure encouraged the development of a new canal.

In June 1887, construction works started at Holtenau, near Kiel. The canal took over 9,000 workers eight years to build. On June 20, 1895, the canal was officially opened by Kaiser Wilhelm II for transiting from Brunsbüttel to Holtenau. The next day, a ceremony was held in Holtenau where Wilhelm II named it the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal (after Kaiser Wilhelm I), and laid the final stone. The opening of the canal was filmed by British director Birt Acres and surviving footage of this early film is preserved in the Science Museum in London.

In order to meet the increasing traffic and the demands of the Imperial German Navy, between 1907 and 1914 the canal width was increased. The widening of the canal allowed the passage of a Dreadnought-sized battleship. This meant that these battleships could travel from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea without having to go around Denmark. The enlargement projects were completed by the installation of two larger canal locks in Brunsbüttel and Holtenau.

After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles internationalised the canal while leaving it under German administration. The government under Adolf Hitler repudiated its international status in 1936. After World War II the canal was reopened to all traffic.

Netherlands - Noordwijkerhout

Greetings From Noordwijkerhout.

Sent by Elleniek, a postcrosser from the Netherlands.

This is from Wikipedia : Noordwijkerhout is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 23.40 km² (of which 0.80 km² water) and had a population of 15,121 in May 2006. The town is in the bulb growing region (the Duin- en Bollenstreek) of the Netherlands, famed for its tulips.

The municipality of Noordwijkerhout also includes the following towns, villages and townships: De Zilk.

The coastal dunes where Noordwijkerhout is located have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeological digs in the area just north outside of town have found items and implements from before Christ. During the Roman era, this region was inhabited by a Germanic tribe, called Cananefates by the Roman writer Tacitus.

Noordwijkerhout is about 5 kilometers from the North Sea and provides access to the beach and nearby hiking opportunities through the dunes. Just north of town is the Oosterduinse meer (Eastern Dune's Lake) which is used for swimming and windsurfing.

Noordwijkerhout is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek). In the spring when the bulb flower fields are in bloom, many tourist come to the region to admire them. The town's fair is held during the first week of September.

Taiwan - Taipei - Confucius Temple (1)

Confucius Temple, Taipei.

Sent by Sonia, a postcrosser from Taipei, Taiwan.

This is from Wikipedia : The Taipei Confucius Temple (Chinese: 臺北孔子廟; pinyin: Táiběi Kǒngzǐ Miào; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-khóng-chú-biō) is modeled after the original Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province of China. It is located on Dalong Street, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan. Among the Confucius temples in Taiwan, Taipei's is the only one adorned with southern Fujian-style ceramic adornments. At the main hall of the temple one can see a black plaque with gold lettering which was inscribed by Chiang Kai-shek that reads "Educate without Discrimination." Every year on September 28, a ceremony with traditional music and stylized dancing is held at the temple in honor of Confucius.

The Taipei Confucius Temple was built in 1879 during the Qing Dynasty when Taipei was established as the prefectural capital of Taiwan. During the period in which Japan occupied Taiwan as a colony, the temple was demolished. It was later rebuilt in 1930 by Wang Yi-Shun.

The newly completed temple had only been in use for a few years when World War II broke out. The Japanese ordered an end to traditional Chinese ceremonies, and Japanese Shinto ritual music was played in the temple for a brief period until 1945 when Taiwan was taken under the administration of the Republic of China.

Russia - Princess Zinaida Yusupova

Valentin Serov. (1865 -1911). Portrait of Princess Zinaida Yusupova. Oil on canvas. 181.5 x 133 cm.

Sent by Roman and Anastasia, postcrossers from Kaliningrad, Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova, (Russian: Зинаида Николаевна Юсупова; 2 September 1861, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire – 24 November 1939, Paris, France), (variously transliterated from Russian as Yussupov, Yossopov, Iusupov, Youssoupov, Youssoupoff), was a Russian noblewoman best known as the mother of Prince Felix Yusupov, the murderer of Rasputin.

The greatest Russian heiress of her day, and the last of her line at the House of Yusupov, she married Count Felix Nikolaievich Sumarokov-Elston. She had her own mansion in Liteyny Avenue, where there is the Institute of Economic Relations, Economics and Law now. As a leading figure in pre-Revolutionary Russian society, she was famed for her beauty and the lavishness of her hospitality. In private, she became a severe critic of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna. Her eldest son Nicholas was killed in a duel, an event which cast a shadow over the remainder of her life. Following the Russian Revolution she and her husband lived in Rome. After his death she moved to Paris, dying there in 1939.

Bulgaria - Madara River

Madara Horseman - rock bas-relief, 8th - 9th c. Unique monument of worldwide importance under the protection of UNESCO.

Sent by Fidel, a postcrosser from Sofia, Bulgaria.

The sculptor carved a relief of a majestic horseman 23 m above ground level in an almost vertical 100 m high cliff. The horseman is thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse's feet, while a dog runs after the horseman. In antiquity the Thracian tribes inhabited the plain. There was an ancient Thracian sanctuary in the large open cave under the rocks, which is known today as the Nymphs' Cave.

The fortress and a large farm (villa rustica) prospered at the foot of the cliff for more than three centuries during Roman times, until it fell into disuse with the decline of the Roman Empire. The pitched towers of the fortress were rebuilt when the first Bulgarian capital, Pliska, was established nearby.

During the difficult times at the end of the 7th century the relations of the young Bulgarian state and Byzantium were very complex. The Bulgarians won the right to establish their state in a victorious battle, but Byzantium considered itself an heir to the Roman Empire and never gave up its claim on this territory. When the dethroned Byzantine Emperor Justinian asked for help from the Bulgarian Khan Tervel, he was obliged to accept the Bulgarian conditions. The Emperor was reinstalled on the throne in Constantinople thanks to the Bulgarian army. These events took place in the year 705: thus, only a quarter of a century after the Bulgarian state had been founded, it was not only recognized by but also received tribute from Byzantium.

The Madara Horseman was carved at the very beginning of the 8th century, about three decades after the foundation of the Bulgarian State (681). The sculpture marks a triumph: the Byzantine Empire had recognized the new state. The relief is not an abstract symbolic scene but presents a particular image with its own historical background and profound symbolism. The place chosen is such that the bulge of the rock allows some parts of the relief to project more than the rest. Other elements of the composition are almost flat because they had to be accommodated in the slope of the rock surface.

The sculptor used three methods for the carving of the figures. First he outlined the images with a 1.5 cm wide and 2 cm deep groove in the rock (only the lion is not surrounded by such a groove). Then he hewed out the surrounding surface so that the figures project from it. The third method used was to cover the figures in red plaster so as to outline them even better against the rock. Most of this plaster has been destroyed by the elements, but some traces are still visible. The letters of the inscriptions were also filled with the same plaster. The sculptor worked carefully on the composition in order to ensure that the relief would be seen clearly from a distance. The elements of this skilful composition are arranged in such a way as not to distract but emphasize the impact.

The sculpture offers an original combination of dynamic and static character, of formal gestures and realistic details. The image is of a particular event but it implies a sense of triumph beyond the limits of time. However, although this monumental work of art combines the concrete with the abstract, the inscription cut in the left and right sides of the composition provided curt, precise and simple information about the event and some of the circumstances related to it. The profound historical meaning of the relief is further clarified by the inscriptions around the figures. These inscriptions were made in three consecutive stages and are related to important events. They are the earliest proto-Bulgarian inscriptions and the earliest written data on Bulgarian history.

However, these traditions began with the texts on the Madara relief. These three texts not only mark the beginning of the historic annals but are also related to the images and meaning of the relief, of the victorious scene presented. The existence of a state acquires its complete meaning only through its international recognition, and these texts mark precisely the events connected with the international recognition of the state, with its introduction into international relations as a respected partner. (Source)

Poland - Battle of Grunwald

Battle of Grunwald.

Sent by Zuzanna, a postcrosser from Warsaw, Poland.

This is from Wikipedia : The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila (Władysław Jagiełło) and Grand Duke Vytautas (Witold), decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. Most of the Teutonic Knights' leadership were killed or taken prisoner. While defeated, the Teutonic Knights withstood the siege on their fortress in Marienburg (Malbork) and suffered only minimal territorial losses at the Peace of Thorn (1411) (Toruń). Territorial disputes continued until the Peace of Melno was concluded in 1422. However, the Knights never recovered their former power and the financial burden of war reparations caused internal conflicts and an economic downturn in their lands. The battle shifted the balance of power in Eastern Europe and marked the rise of the Polish–Lithuanian union as the dominant political and military force in the region.

The battle was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and is regarded as the most important victory in the history of Poland and Lithuania. It was surrounded by romantic legends and nationalistic propaganda, becoming a larger symbol of struggle against invaders and a source of national pride. During the 20th century, the battle was used in Nazi and Soviet propaganda campaigns. Only in recent decades have historians made progress towards a dispassionate, scholarly assessment of the battle reconciling the previous narratives, which differed widely by nation.

The battle was fought in the territory of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Order, on the plains between three villages: Grünfelde (Grunwald) to the west, Tannenberg (Stębark) to the northeast, and Ludwigsdorf (Łodwigowo, Ludwikowice) to the south. Jogaila referred to the site in Latin as in loco conflictus nostri, quem cum Cruciferis de Prusia habuimus, dicto Grunenvelt. Later Polish chroniclers interpreted the word Grunenvelt as Grünwald, meaning "green forest" in German. The Lithuanians followed suit and translated the name as Žalgiris. The Germans named the battle after Tannenberg ("fir" or "pine" "hill" in German). Thus there are three commonly used names for the battle: German: Schlacht bei Tannenberg, Polish: Bitwa pod Grunwaldem, Lithuanian: Žalgirio mūšis. Its names in the languages of other involved peoples include Belarusian: Дубровенская бітва, Ukrainian: Грюнвальдська битва, Russian: Грюнвальдская битва, Czech: Bitva u Grunvaldu, Romanian: Bătălia de la Grünwald.

United Kingdom - England - Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (3)

Greetings From Liverpool

Sent by Dan from England.

USA - North Dakota - Theodore Roosevelt National Park

THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK
The Badlands of North Dakota invite the visitor to explore a myriad of outdoor options for fun and relaxation.

Sent by Jodi from South Dakota, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. The park was named for U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, in honor of his achievements in conservation as president and for the landscape's influence on his life. The park covers 110 square miles (285 km2) of land in three sections: the North Unit, the South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit.

The park's larger South Unit lies alongside Interstate 94 near Medora, North Dakota. The smaller North Unit is situated about 80 mi (130 km) north of the South Unit, on U.S. Highway 85, just south of Watford City, North Dakota. Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch is located between the North and South units, approximately 20 mi (32 km) west of US 85 and Fairfield, North Dakota. The Little Missouri River flows through all three units of the park. The Maah Daah Hey Trail connects all three units.

Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison in September 1883. In that first short trip he got his bison and fell in love with the rugged lifestyle and the "perfect freedom" of the West. He invested $14,000 in the Maltese Cross Ranch, which was already being managed by Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield seven miles south of Medora. That winter, Ferris and Merrifield built the Maltese Cross Cabin. After the death of both his wife and mother on February 14, 1884, Roosevelt returned to his North Dakota ranch seeking solitude and time to heal. That summer, he started his second ranch, the Elkhorn Ranch, 35 miles north of Medora, which he hired two Maine woodsmen, Bill Sewall and Wilmot Dow, to operate. Roosevelt took great interest in his ranches and in hunting in the West, detailing his experiences in pieces published in eastern newspapers and magazines. He wrote three major works on his life in the West: "Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail," "Hunting Trips of a Ranchman," and "The Wilderness Hunter." His adventures in "the strenuous life" outdoors and the loss of his cattle in the starvation winter in 1886-1887 were influential in Theodore Roosevelt's pursuit of conservation policies as President of the United States (1901–1909).

USA - South Dakota - Badlands National Park (2)

BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK
South Dakota
Established in 1939 to preserve the unusual examples of erosion by wind and water as well as the remains of prehistoric animals.

Sent by Jodi from South Dakota, USA.

Bullfinch

Bullfinch.

Sent by Nadya, a postcrosser from Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

USA - Kentucky - Mammoth Cave National Park (2)

MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK
Frozen Niagara
A magnificent wall of flowstone, is the centerpiece of the cave's travertine 75 feet high and 50 feet wide.

Sent by Elena, a postrosser from Kentucky, USA.

The Bahamas (2)

THE BAHAMAS
Queen Conch (Strombus gigas Linne), Glass ball float, Bougainvillaea, Allamanda, Hibiscus, Coral, Sanddollar & sea biscuit.

Sent by Leanne from Grand Bahama, Bahamas. This is our first stamped postcard from the Bahamas.

This is from Wikipedia : The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets (rocks). It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States (nearest to the state of Florida). Its land area is 13,939 km2 (5,382 sq mi), with a population of 353,658. Its capital is Nassau. Geographically, The Bahamas lie in the same island chain as Cuba, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands; the designation of Bahamas refers normally to the Commonwealth and not the geographic chain.

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

The Bahamas became a Crown Colony in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. Following the American War of Independence, thousands of pro-British loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to The Bahamas and set up a plantation economy. The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807 and many Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy were settled in The Bahamas during the 19th century. Slavery itself was abolished in 1834 and the descendants of enslaved and liberated Africans form the bulk of The Bahamas's population today.

In terms of GDP, the Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas, (following Bermuda, The United States, Cayman Islands, Canada, and The British Virgin Islands) and one of the richest in the world whose population is predominantly of African ancestry.

Czech Republic - Unesco World Heritage Sites

All the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Czech Republic

Top from left : Historic Centre of Prague, Historic Centre of Český Krumlov, Historic Centre of Telč, Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora, Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, and Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape.

Bottom from left : Holašovice Historical Village Reservation, Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž, Litomyšl Castle, Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, Tugendhat Villa in Brno, and Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč.

Sent by Standa, a postcrosser from Czech Republic.