The Union of South Africa (Unie van Zuid-Afrika in Dutch, or Unie van Suid-Afrika in Afrikaans) is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa, located at the southernmost region of Africa, with a long coastline that stretches more than 1,553 miles (2,500 kilometers) and along two oceans (the South Atlantic and the Indian). It came into being on May 31, 1910, with the … Continue reading Union of South Africa #23a (1926)
Slovakia (Slovensko), officially the Slovak Republic (Slovenská Republika), is a landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, and Hungary to the south. Slovakia’s territory spans about 19,000 square miles (49,000 square kilometers) and is mostly mountainous. The population is over 5 million and comprises mostly ethnic Slovaks. The capital … Continue reading Slovakia #29 (1939)
The Republic of Singapore, sometimes referred to as the Lion City, the Garden City or the Little Red Dot, is a sovereign city-state in Southeast Asia. It lies one degree (137 kilometers) north of the equator, at the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia, with Indonesia’s Riau Islands to the south. Singapore’s territory consists of 63 islands, including the main island, Pulau Ujong. There are two … Continue reading Singapore #571 (1990)
The present-day Republic of Sierra Leone was first colonized by the British in 1808 and, until it achieved its independence in 1961, had been both a colony and a protectorate of the United Kingdom and was occasionally administered as part of a separate colony or larger entity. For most of that period, it has retained roughly the same boundaries which currently shares borders with Guinea to … Continue reading Sierra Leone #141 (1932)
June 26 is a national observance in Thailand commemorating the birth of the man often called “the Shakespeare of Siam”, Sunthorn Phu. The kingdom’s best-known royal poet, he began his career during the reign of King Rama II. When that king died, Sunthorn Phu resigned from the role and became a monk. Twenty years later, in the reign of King Rama III, he returned to court as … Continue reading Sunthorn Phu Day / วันสุนทรภู่
Siam (สยาม), or as it was officially called until 1939, the Kingdom of Rattanakosin (อาณาจักรรัตนโกสินทร์ — [āːnāːt͡ɕàk ráttanákōːsǐn) was a country at the center of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia with borders defined by its interactions with Western powers, portions of which coincide with the present-day Kingdom of Thailand (ราชอาณาจักรไทย — Ratcha-anachak Thai). It was founded in 1782 with the establishment of Bangkok as the … Continue reading Siam #1 (1883)
The Emirate of Sharjah (إمارة الشارقةّ — Imārat al-Shāriqa) is the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and is the only one to have land on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The emirate covers 1,000 square miles (2,590 square kilometers) which is equivalent to 3.3 per cent of the UAE’s total area, excluding the islands. It has a population of over … Continue reading Sharjah & Dependencies – 12th World Scout Jamboree (1968)
The Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal), is a country in West Africa bordered by Mauritania in the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast, and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest. Senegal also borders The Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal’s southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country. … Continue reading Senegal, Republic of #203 (1961)
A Stamp A Day 