Finland - Kouvola

FINLAND
Kouvola

Sent by Maini, a postcrosser from Finland.

Kouvola is a town and municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located 134 kilometres (83 mi) northeast of the capital, Helsinki.

The city has a population of 87,331 (28 February 2013) and covers an area of 2,883.30 square kilometres (1,113.25 sq mi) of which 325.06 km² (125.51 sq mi) is water. The population density is 34.14 inhabitants per square kilometre (88.4 /sq mi).

Kouvola's central location within Finland's borders and as a border post between the European Union and Russian Federationmakes it a quite lively town. The town originally grew up around the junction of the north–south and east–west rail tracks. It was also a major road transport junction.

In January 2009, the six municipalities – Kouvola, Kuusankoski, Elimäki, Anjalankoski, Valkeala and Jaala – were consolidated, forming the new municipality of Kouvola. Kouvola can now claim the natural beauty of Valkeala and Jaala as well as the cultural heritage of Elimäki and Anjalankoski as its own. Kouvola has also assumed the slogan Kymijoen kaupunki (the town of Kymijoki) previously used by Anjalankoski. (Source)

Ukraine - Mapcard (2)

Sent by Elena, a postcrosser from Ukraine.

Germany - Bonn (2)

Multiviews of Bonn with the bronze statue/monument of Beethoven that stands on the Münsterplatz in Bonn.

Sent by Rose, a postcrosser who lives near Cologne.

Burundi - Lake Tanganyika

BURUNDI 
Lake Tanganyika 

Sent by Ally from Bujumbura in Burundi.

Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and thesecond deepest, in both cases, after only Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake. The lake is divided among four countries – Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia, with Tanzania (46%) and the DRC (40%) possessing the majority of the lake. The water flows into the Congo River system and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean.

The lake is situated within the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the geographic feature known as the East African Rift, and is confined by the mountainous walls of the valley. It is the largest rift lake in Africa and the second largest lake by volume in the world. It is the deepest lake in Africa and holds the greatest volume of fresh water. It extends for 676 km (420 mi) in a general north-south direction and averages 50 km (31 mi) in width. The lake covers 32,900 km² (12,700 sq mi), with a shoreline of 1,828 km (1,136 mi) and a mean depth of 570 m (1,870 ft) and a maximum depth of 1,470 m (4,820 ft) (in the northern basin) it holds an estimated 18,900 cubic kilometres (4,500 cu mi). It has an average surface temperature of 25 °C and a pH averaging 8.4.

The enormous depth and tropical location of the lake can prevent 'turnover' of water masses, which means that much of the lower depths of the lake is so-called 'fossil water' and is anoxic (lacking oxygen). The catchment area of the lake covers 231,000 km², with two main rivers, flowing into the lake, numerous smaller rivers and streams (due to the steep mountains that keep drainage areas small), and one major outflow, the Lukuga River, which empties into the Congo River drainage.

The major river that flows into this lake, beginning 10.6 ka, is the Ruzizi River, entering the north of the lake from Lake Kivu. TheMalagarasi River, which is Tanzania's second largest river, enters the east side of Lake Tanganyika. The Malagarasi is older than Lake Tanganyika and before the lake was formed directly drained into the Congo river.

The lake's high altitude, great depth, slow rate of refill and mountainous location in a turbulently volcanic area that has undergone changing climate have all given the lake a complex history of changing flow patterns, with its outflow to the sea apparently historically unusual: it has been described as 'practically endorheic' for this reason. The lake's connection to the sea is dependent on a high water level allowing water to overflow out of the lake through the Lukunga into the Congo.

Because of rapid evaporation from the tropical location of the lake, this in turn depends on a high inflow through the Ruzizi out of Lake Kivu to keep the lake high enough to overflow. This outflow is apparently not more than 12,000 years old, caused by lava flows blocking and diverting the Kivu basin's previous outflow into Lake Edward and then the Nile system, and causing Tanganyika's water level to rise up to its current overflow level: ancient shorelines indicate that at times Tanganyika may have been up to 300 m lower than its present surface level, with no outlet to the sea. Even its current outlet is intermittent and may not have been operating when first visited by Western explorers in 1858.

The lake may also have at times had different entries and exits: inward flows from a higher Lake Rukwa, access to Lake Malawi and an exit route to the Nile have all been proposed to have existed at some point in the lake's history.

Because of a lack of major rivers flowing into the lake to naturally replenish it, concern exists that any rise in temperature and evaporation through climate change could cause an extremely rapid collapse in the lake's level. (Source)

Coca Cola Ad Card (2)

Sent by Eileen, a postcrosser from Singapore.

Coca Cola Ad Card (1)

Sent by Christine, a postcrosser from Belgium.

Note :
We started collected Coca Cola ad cards. Our postal workers, however, screwed it up, put a sticker for nothing on it.

Brazil - São Paulo

São Paulo
Praça da Sé

Sent by Vitor & Rose, postcrossers from São Paulo, Brazil.

Praça da Sé (English: See Square) is a public space in São Paulo, Brazil. Considered as the city's central point, it is the point from where the distance of all roads passing through São Paulo are counted. The square was the location of many historic events in São Paulo's history, most notably during the Diretas Já movement. The name originates from the episcopal see of the city, the São Paulo Cathedral.

Originally known as Largo da Sé (Field of the See), the square developed around the religious building which preceded the cathedral and surrounding edifices. At the beginning of the 20th century, older structures were demolished and the downtown area reconstructed according to the urban planning of the time. Its geography has remained mostly unchanged since.

The current landscape is the result of a 1970s project by architects led by José Eduardo de Assis Lefèvre. The opening of a nearby São Paulo Metro station required the leveling of an entire city block, requiring an entirely new landscaping infrastructure.

The architects were heavily influenced by contemporary landscaping works underway in the west coast of the US (such as those by Lawrence Halprin), characterized by rigorous geometry, through multiple levels with reflecting pools and prism-like land masses. (Source)

Germany - Upper Bavaria

Multiviews of Upper Bavaria.

Sent by Stefan, a postcrosser from Germany.

Upper Bavaria (German: Oberbayern) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany.
Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered around the city of Munich. It is subdivided into four regions (Planungsverband): Ingolstadt, Munich, Bayerisches Oberland (Bavarian Highland), and Südostoberbayern (South East Upper Bavaria). It is named 'Upper Bavaria' because the land is higher above sea level than the rest of Bavaria, not because it is farther north. (Source)

USA - West Virginia - State Capitol Building (1)

State Capitol
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston, the state capital is located in the Kanawha River valley. It is west Virginia's largest city. The capitol building, completed in 1932, was designed by Cass Gilbert. Its shiny dome, covered in gold leaf, is 292 feet high and from the center of the gold dome hangs a rock crystal chandelier weighing 2 tons.

Sent by Lisa, a postcrosser from West Virginia.

The West Virginia State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of West Virginia, and houses the West Virginia Legislature and the office of the Governor of West Virginia. Located in Charleston, West Virginia, the building was dedicated in 1932. Along with the West Virginia Executive Mansion it is part of the West Virginia Capitol Complex, a historic district listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.

Prior to the American Civil War, the counties that would ultimately form West Virginia were a part of the state of Virginia; the state capitol was in Richmond, Virginia. After Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, the northwest counties of Virginia loyal to the United States started the process which would ultimately create the State of West Virginia on June 20, 1863.

Settling on a state capital location, however, proved to be difficult. For several years, the capital of West Virginia intermittently traveled between Wheeling and Charleston. In 1877, however, the state's citizens voted on the final location of their capital. Charleston was chosen and, eight years later, the first capitol building was opened. After a fire in 1921, a hastily-built structure was opened but it too burned down in 1927. 

A Capitol Building Commission, created by the Legislature in 1921, authorized construction of the present capitol. Architect Cass Gilbert designed the buff limestone structure that was to have a final cost of just under $10 million. After the three stages of construction were completed, Governor William G. Conley dedicated the capitol on June 20, 1932.

Gilbert liked his design of the West Virginia chamber's interior so well that he reused part of the design for the United States Supreme Court. The U.S. chamber is a larger version of the one found in the West Virginia Capitol's East Wing.

Japan - Okinawa (5)

OKINAWA in Japan.
Eisa Dance
A traditional dance performed during the lunar-calendar Obon holiday season. The powerful drum sound and splendid dancing are impressive.

Sent by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB).

Japan - Okinawa (4)

Kuroshima Island, OKINAWA in Japan.
Folk Dwelling & Hibiscus
You see more cows than people on Kuroshima Island. Okinawa's original scenery, made up of red tile roof houses, captures your heart.

Sent by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB).

Japan - Okinawa (3)

Kuroshima Island, OKINAWA in Japan
Honen-sai Festival
A post-harvest festival of giving thanks for a bountiful harvest and praying for bumper crops. The island bustles with various dedicatory dances.

Sent by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB).

Japan - Okinawa (2)

Naha City, OKINAWA in Japan.
Shuri-jo Castle
A grand festival with traditional performing arts and Ryukyu Kingdom Picture Scroll Parade - where the ancient culture comes to life

Sent by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB).

Japan - Okinawa (1)

Hatenohama Beach / Kumejima Island
A sand-covered deserted island that floats east of Kumejima Island. The world of white sand and azure blue sea and sky stretches on forever.

Sent by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB).

The Okinawa Islands (沖縄諸島 Okinawa Shotō^?) are an island group in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and are the principal island group of the prefecture. The Okinawa Islands are part of the larger Ryukyu Islands group, and are located between the Amami Islands ofKagoshima Prefecture to the northeast and the Sakishima Islands of Okinawa Prefecture to the southwest.

The Okinawa Islands, apart from the four main islands, contain three smaller island groups: the Kerama, Yokatsu, and Iheya-Izena island groups.

The Okinawa Islands are the political, cultural and population center of Okinawa Prefecture. The prefectural capital of Naha is within the island group. 90% of the population of the prefecture reside within the Okinawa Islands, primarily on the largest island of the group,Okinawa Island. Access to the various Okinawa Island is primarily via small airports which connect to Okinawa Airport. Additionally, the islands are connected via ferry service to the Port of Naha in the prefectural capital.

The Okinawa Islands are within the subtropical climate zone, which supports the production of sugarcane, pineapples and cut flowers. The military bases of the United States in Okinawa Prefecture are located on the Okinawa Islands.

Historically the rule of the Ryūkyū Kingdom roughly overlapped the Okinawa Islands and Amami Ōshima. (Source)

Northern Ireland - Belfast City (2)

Belfast City
This vibrant modern city has many historic landmarks and buildings including Belfast City Hall, Queen's University and Belfast Castle.

Sent by Radostina from Belfast City, Northern Ireland.

Tanzania - Tarangire National Park

Baobab Suset Tarangire.

Sent by Hamad, a TravBuddy friend from Arusha, Tanzania.

Tarangire National Park is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania after Ruaha, Serengeti, Mikumi, Katavi and Mkomazi. The national park is located in Manyara Region. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire river that crosses through the park, being the only source of water for wild animals during dry seasons. During the dry season thousands of animals migrate to the Tarangire National Park from Manyara National Park.

It lies a little distance to the south east of Lake Manyara and covers an area of approximately 2,850 square kilometers(1,100 square miles.) The landscape and vegetation is incredibly diverse with a mix that is not found anywhere else in the northern safari circuit. The hilly landscape is dotted with vast numbers of Baobab trees, dense bush and high grasses.

The park is famous for its huge number of elephants, baobab trees and tree climbing lions. Visitors to the park can expect to see any number of resident zebra and wildebeest in addition to the less common animals. Other common animals includewaterbuck, giraffe, and olive baboons.

Home to more than 550 species, the park is a haven for bird enthusiasts who can expect so see dozens of species even in the dry season. The swamps are the focus of the largest selection of breeding birds anywhere in the world. Yellow-collared Lovebirds are a common bird sighting in the trees along the Tarangire River.

The park is also famous for the termite mounds that dot the landscape. Those that have been abandoned are often seen to be home to dwarf mongoose. (Source)

Tanzania - Ngorongoro Conservation Area (4)

Zebras drinking, Ngorongoro Crater.

Sent by Hamad, a TravBuddy friend from Arusha, Tanzania.

Tanzania - Ngorongoro Conservation Area (3)

Buffalos chasing lions in Ngorongoro Crater.

Sent by Hamad, a TravBuddy friend from Arusha, Tanzania.

Tanzania - Ngorongoro Conservation Area (2)

Zebra in Lerai Forest.

Sent by Hamad, a TravBuddy friend from Arusha, Tanzania.

Germany - Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps

Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Sent by Michaela, a postcrosser from Germany.

This serial property of 111 small individual sites encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. Excavations, only conducted in some of the sites, have yielded evidence that provides insight into life in prehistoric times during the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Alpine Europe and the way communities interacted with their environment. Fifty-six of the sites are located in Switzerland. The settlements are a unique group of exceptionally well-preserved and culturally rich archaeological sites, which constitute one of the most important sources for the study of early agrarian societies in the region. (Source)

Pixar Movies - Toy Story 3 (2010)

Toy Story 3, 2010.

Sent by Jessica, a postcrosser from Netherlands.

Tanzania - Ngorongoro Conservation Area (1)

A Maasai Dancing, Ngorongoro.

Sent by Hamad, TravBuddy friend from Arusha,Tanzania.

The open plains of the eastern Serengeti rise to the crater highlands of the volcanic massifs of Loolmalasin (3,587 m) and Oldeani (3,168 m) dating from the late Mesozoic and early Tertiary.

Ngorongoro Crater is one of the largest inactive unbroken calderas in the world which is unflooded. It has a mean diameter of 16-19 km, a crater floor of 26,400 ha, and a rim soaring to 400-610 m above the crater floor. The formation of the crater and other highlands are associated with the massive rifting which occurred to the west of the Gregory Rift Valley. The conservation area also includes Empakaai Crater and Olduvai Gorge, famous for geology and associated palaeontological studies.

A variable climate and diverse landforms and altitudes have resulted in several distinct habitats. Scrub heath and the remains of dense montane forests cover the steep slopes. The crater floor is mainly open grassy plains with alternating fresh and brackish water lakes, swamps and two patches of acacia woodland; Lerai Forest, comprising dominant tree species Acacia xanthonhloea and Rauvolfia caffra .

A population of about 25,000 large animals lives in the crater, mainly ungulates, along with the highest density of mammalian predators in Africa. They include the critically endangered black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis , which have declined from about 108 in 1964-66 to between 11-14 in 1995, and hippopotamus, which are very uncommon in the area. There are also many other ungulates: wildebeest (7,000 estimated in 1994), Burchell's zebra (4,000), eland, Grant's and Thomson's gazelles (3,000). The crater has the densest known population of lion, which are classed as vulnerable, numbering only 62 in 2001. On the crater rim are leopard and the endangered African elephant, numbering 42 in 1987 but only 29 in 1992, mountain reedbuck and buffalo (4,000 in 1994). However, since the 1980s the crater's wildebeest population has fallen by a quarter to about 19,000 and the numbers of eland and Thomson's gazelle have also declined whereas buffalos increased greatly, probably due to the prevention of fire which favours high fibrous grasses over shorter, less fibrous types.

In summer enormous numbers of Serengeti migrants pass through the plains of the reserve, including 1.7 million wildebeest, 260,000 zebra and 470,000 gazelle. Waterbuck mainly occur mainly near Lerai Forest; serval widely in the crater and on the plains to the west. Common in the reserve are lion, hartebeest, spotted hyena and jackal. Cheetah, classed as vulnerable although common in the reserve, are scarce in the crater itself. The endangered wild dog Lycaon pictus has recently disappeared from the crater and may have declined elsewhere in the Conservation Area as well. The golden cat has recently been seen in the Ngorongoro forest.

Ngorongoro has palaeontological and archaeological sites over a wide range of dates. The four major sites are Olduvai Gorge, Laetoli site, Lake Ndutu site and the Nasera Rock Shelter. The variety and richness of the fossil remains, including those of early hominids, has made this one of the major areas in the world for research on the human evolution. Olduvai Gorge has produced valuable remains of early hominids includingAustralopithecus and Homo habilis as well as fossil bones of many extinct animals. Nearby, at Laetoli, are fossil hominid footprints from the Pliocene age.

Actually there is considerable controversy about the exact number of people in the NCA partly because pastoral people, being mobile, are difficult to enumerate, but some Maasai live there. (Source)