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Country Guides

Czechoslovakia (1918-93) Country Guide

Czechoslovakia, a nation situated in the heart of Central Europe, emerged as a sovereign state in the aftermath of World War I, born from the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Established on October 28, 1918, with a commitment to democratic ideals, the First Republic of Czechoslovakia became a beacon of stability and progress in the interwar period. The country’s rich history is marked by its resilience during the challenges of the Munich Agreement, Nazi occupation, and subsequent liberation by the Soviet Red Army in 1945. Striding through the twists of the 20th century, Czechoslovakia witnessed political shifts, including the Communist takeover in 1948 and the transformative Velvet Revolution in 1989, ultimately leading to its peaceful dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. The legacy of Czechoslovakia endures through its cultural contributions, historical landmarks, and the memories of a nation that navigated the currents of change with both courage and determination

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Country Guides

Suriname (1873-) Country Guide

Suriname is a small country on the northeastern coast of South America.

Suriname was visited by Spanish and Dutch explorers but the first attempt to settle in Suriname was by the English in 1630. An interesting historical aside comes, thanks to Lord Willoughby, the governor of Barbados, who in in 1650 decided to start his own colony there called Willoughbyland.

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Country Guides

Montenegro (1874-1918, 1941-45) Country Guide

Where is/was Montenegro?

Montenegro is in South-eastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south and borders Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the north-west, Serbia to the north-east, and Albania to the south-east.

History

Montenegro (meaning black mountain) had been under the nominal rule of the Ottoman Empire since 1528. After the assassination of his Uncle, Prince Nikolas (Nicholas), who was then in Paris studying, assumed the title of Prince of Montenegro. He was 19 at the time and married the daughter of a Montenegran General named Milena who was to bear him 12 children.

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Country Guides

Prussia (1850-67) Country Guide

The territory of the Kingdom of Prussia included the provinces of West Prussia; East Prussia; Brandenburg; Saxony; Pomerania; Rhineland; Westphalia; Silesia; Lusatia; Schleswig-Holstein; Hanover; Hesse-Nassau; and a small detached area in the south called Hohenzollern, the ancestral home of the Prussian ruling family.

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Country Guides

Hamburg (1859-67) Country Guide

Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and 8th largest city in the European Union.

Note: The date above represents the date of the first issue of stamps and the last. Hamburg is very much alive and kicking as is, in theory, not a dead country although in the form in which these stamps were issued no longer exists.

 

 

Hamburg bounces around like a ping pong ball on fire so pay attention.

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Country Guides

Lourenco Marques (1895-1920) Country Guide

Lourenco Marques was a Portuguese colonial province and is located in southeast Africa in the southern portion of Mozambique. It is presently known as Maputo.

Lourenco Marques was a Portuguese trader and explorer who was sent from Mozambique Island in 1544 to investigate two rivers to the south. He reported that beads could be traded for ivory and also that there were numerous herds of elephants in that area. Initially the bay was named after him.

The Portuguese began sending trading vessels from Mozambique Island but did not really venture far inland. A small fort was built but came under attack and was abandoned. Later another fort and trading post was built, named La Goa, which was manned by a single Catholic Friar and a few merchants. This was soon abandoned as well because of an entirely different reason…. swarms of mosquitoes.

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Country Guides

Angola (1870-) Country Guide

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola is a west-coast country of south-central Africa. It is the seventh-largest country in Africa, bordered by Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Angola was first settled by small tribes before coming under control of the Kingdom of Kongo in the north. The Kingdom of Kongo was divided into six provinces and included some dependent kingdoms, such as Ndongo to the south. Most of the kingdoms wealth came from agriculture.

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Country Guides

Reunion (1852, 1885-1974) Country Guide

Reunion can be found floating in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar.

Not much is known about Reunion before the Portuguese stumbled on it in 1513 although Arab traders may have known it as “western island”. The French landed there in 1638 when they deposited a dozen mutineers there from Madagascar. Later those convicts were brought back to France and in 1649 France officially settled in and named the island Ile Bourbon after the Royal House of Bourbon, not after the drink.

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Country Guides

Heligoland (1867-90) Country Guide

Heligoland is a tiny archipelago in the southeastern corner of the North Sea.

The name Heligoland is generally thought to mean “Holy Land” but others believe it to mean “land of banks, which cover and uncover”. Originally property of the Danish king Valdemar it was inhabited by people who worked the sea and the copper mines on the island. It was also a haven for smugglers until the island turned into a resort for wealthy European clientele.

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