On March 1, 1565, the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was formally founded by the Portuguese who had first encountered Guanabara Bay on January 1, 1502 (hence the name, “January River”), Today, Rio is anchor to the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area and the second-most populous municipality in Brazil and the sixth-most populous in the Americas. Rio de Janeiro is the capital of … Continue reading The Founding of Rio & Its Subsequent History
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras was born on Febuary 25, 1778, at Yapeyú, Corrientes, in the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata — modern-day Argentina. Known simply as José de San Martín or El Libertador of Argentina, Chile and Peru, he was a Spanish-Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern and central parts of South America’s successful struggle for independence … Continue reading José de San Martín
May 22 is an Argentinian public holiday known as Primer gobierno patrio (the “First National Government”), commemorating the May Revolution and the creation on May 25, 1810, of the Primera Junta, which is considered the first patriotic government of Argentina. Along with July 9, which commemorates the Declaration of Independence, it is considered a National Day of Argentina. Commemorations of the May Revolution have been … Continue reading Primer gobierno patrio de Argentina
On May 24, 1813, South American independence leader Simón Bolívar entered the city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador (“The Liberator”). Born on July 24, 1783, into a wealthy, aristocratic Creole family, Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco was a Venezuelan military and political leader who played a leading role in … Continue reading Simón Bolívar, El Libertador de Venezuela
Yes, I do learn something new everyday when preparing articles for A Stamp A Day. Often, the stamps lead me on wholly unexpected journeys. Having spent much of my life in the American Southwest, I tend to mix Spanish and English: Today, I was going through scans of stamps from Ecuador and translating inscriptions in my head. I came close to choosing one that translated … Continue reading Hat Weaving in Ecuador
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (República Bolivariana de Venezuela in Spanish), is a federal republic located on the northern coast of South America. It is bordered by Colombia on the west, Brazil on the south, Guyana on the east, the Dutch Caribbean ABC islands to the north and the islands of Trinidad and Tobago to the north-east. Venezuela covers 353,841 square miles (916,445 km2) and has a … Continue reading Venezuela #265 (1915)
The Republic of Suriname (Republiek Suriname in Dutch), is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. Suriname is situated between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic coast. The southernmost borders with French Guiana and Guyana are disputed by these countries along the Marowijne and … Continue reading Suriname #335 (1966)
The Republic of Peru (República del Perú in Spanish, Piruw Republika in Quechua or Piruw Suyu in Aymara) covers 496,225 square miles (1,285,216 km²) of western South America. It borders Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Andes mountains run parallel to the Pacific Ocean; they define … Continue reading Peru #378 (1938)
A Stamp A Day 