FRENCH POLYNESIA

My 1st cover from French Polynesia and a new country/postal authority in my collection. French Polynesia (French: Polynésie française) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than 2,000 kilometres in the South Pacific Ocean. The total land area of French Polynesia is 3,521 square kilometres, with a population of abouth 280,000, of which at least 205,000 live in the Society Islands and the remaining population lives in the rest of the archipelago. Among its 121 islands and atolls, 75 were inhabited at the 2017 census. Tahiti, which is in the Society Islands group, is the most populous island, being home to nearly 69% of the population of French Polynesia as of 2017. Papeete, located on Tahiti, is the capital of French Polynesia.

BRAZIL

This cover from Brazil features a stamp issued in 2024 celebrating the Lençois Maranhenses National Park, a national park in Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil, just east of the Baía de São José. Protected on June 2, 1981, the 155,000 ha park includes 70 km of coastline, and an interior composed of rolling sand dunes. During the rainy season, the valleys among the dunes fill with freshwater lagoons, prevented from draining by the impermeable rock beneath. The park is home to a range of species, including four listed as endangered, and has become a popular destination for ecotourists. In July 2024 the site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional beauty and the fact that it is a unique natural aspect in the world.

P. R. CHINA

SRI LANKA

This cover from Sri Lanka depicts 3 different stamps, including a 35.00 stamp (on the right corner) celebrating the Sacred City of Kandy. Kandy is a major city located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. Historically the local Buddhist rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation.

UN VIENNA

Another cover from UNO Vienna, depicting 2 stamps of the same type celebrating the World Heritage Site Jongmyo Shrine. Jongmyo is a Confucian royal ancestral shrine in the Jongno District of Seoul, South Korea. It was originally built during the Joseon period (1392–1397) for memorial services for deceased kings and queens. According to UNESCO, the shrine is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century. Such shrines existed during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period (57–668), but these have not survived. The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995.

UN VIENNA

This cover from UNO Vienna depicts 2 stamps of the same type celebrating the World Heritage Site Hwaseong Fortress, a Korean fortress surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi Province. It was built from 1794 to 1796 by King Jeongjo of the Joseon dynasty to house and honour the remains of his father, Prince Sado. Sado had been executed by being locked alive inside a rice chest by his own father King Yeongjo after failing to obey a command to commit suicide. Located 30 kilometres south of Seoul and enclosing much of central Suwon, the fortress includes King Jeongjo's palace Haenggung. The fortress and enclosed palace were designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1997. It comprises among many other features the palace, a perimeter wall, four main gates, and two sluicegates over the Suwoncheon, Suwon's main stream, which flows through the centre of the fortress.

AUSTRIA

This cover from Austria depicts 2 stamps, including the 0,95€ stamp (on the right corner), celebrating the Benedictine Abbey of Melk, a part of the World Heritage Site Wachau Cultural Landscape. The Wachau is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoisseurs and epicureans" for its high-quality wines. A well-known place and tourist attraction is Dürnstein, where King Richard I of England was held captive by Leopold V, Duke of Austria. The architectural elegance of its ancient monasteries (Melk Abbey and Göttweig Abbey), castles and ruins combined with the urban architecture of its towns and villages, and the cultivation of vines as an important agricultural produce are the dominant features of the valley. The Wachau was inscribed as Wachau Cultural Landscape in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its architectural and agricultural history, in December 2000.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

This cover from Russian Federation depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2024 celebrating the Western Caucasus natural site. The Western Caucasus, extending over 275,000 ha of the extreme western end of the Caucasus mountains and located 50 km north-east of the Black Sea, is one of the few large mountain areas of Europe that has not experienced significant human impact. Its subalpine and alpine pastures have only been grazed by wild animals, and its extensive tracts of undisturbed mountain forests, extending from the lowlands to the subalpine zone, are unique in Europe. The site has a great diversity of ecosystems, with important endemic plants and wildlife, and is the place of origin and reintroduction of the mountain subspecies of the European bison. The site is inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

SRI LANKA

NEW ZEALAND

P. R. CHINA

GERMANY

Two special UNESCO covers from Germany, celebrating the ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz. The ShUM communities, named after the initial letters of Hebrew city names Speyer, Worms, and Mainz, were crucial in the development of the Ashkenazi culture in central Europe, especially between the 10th and 13th centuries. The sites, which comprise the Jewish Cemetery in Worms, Worms Synagogue, Jewish courtyard in Speyer (pictured), and the Old Jewish Cemetery in Mainz, were influential in the architecture of Jewish communities in Germany, northern France, and England. The site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2021.

UNITED KINGDOM - SCOTLAND

This cover from United Kingdom was posted in Edinburgh, Scotland, and depicts 4 differente stamps. The stamp on the left top shows a drawing of the Old Town of Edinburgh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. The Old Town of Edinburgh was founded in the Middle Ages, and the New Town was developed in 1767–1890. It contrasts the layout of settlements in the medieval and modern periods. The layout and architecture of the new town, whose designers include William Chambers and William Playfair, influenced European urban design in the 18th and 19th centuries.

SRI LANKA

P. R. CHINA

BELARUS

SRI LANKA

This cover from Sri Lanka features a joint issue with Egypt, both stamps celebrating World Heritage Sites: the Sacred City of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka and Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, in Egypt. Anuradhapura was the first capital of Sri Lanka and a Buddhist spiritual centre. It was founded in the 4th century BCE. It was attacked by the Tamils in the 2nd century BCE and sacked by the Pandyas in the 9th century CE. The monuments were subsequently restored but the city was finally destroyed in 993 by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I and the capital was moved to Polonnaruwa. In the following centuries it was overgrown by jungle. Monuments that remain today include the Abhayagiri vihāra (pictured) and the Ruwanwelisaya stupa, as well as the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a tree that grew from a cutting from the Bodhi Tree under which Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. It is inscribed as a World Heritage Site since 1982. The capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt has some extraordinary funerary monuments, including rock tombs, ornate mastabas, temples and pyramids. In ancient times, the site was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.

P. R. CHINA

This cover from P. R. China features a joint issue with France, both stamps celebrating two UNESCO sites: the Mount Tai in China and the Mont Saint Michel in France. Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an. It is the highest point in Shandong province, China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak, which is commonly reported as being 1,545 meters.Mount Tai is known as the eastern mountain of the Sacred Mountains of China. It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. Mount Tai has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and served as one of the most important ceremonial centers of China during large portions of this period. Because of its sacred importance and dramatic landscape, it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey is an abbey located within the city and island of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, in the department of Manche. The abbey is an essential part of the structural composition of the town the feudal society constructed. On top, God, the abbey, and monastery; below this, the Great halls, then stores and housing, and at the bottom (outside the walls), fishermen's and farmers' housing. The abbey has been protected as a French monument historique since 1862. Since 1979, the site as a whole – i.e., the Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay – has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux. The abbey is among the most visited cultural sites in France.

FRANCE

This cover from France features a joint issue with P.R. China, both stamps celebrating two UNESCO sites: the Mount Tai in China and the Mont Saint Michel in France. Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an. It is the highest point in Shandong province, China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak, which is commonly reported as being 1,545 meters.Mount Tai is known as the eastern mountain of the Sacred Mountains of China. It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. Mount Tai has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and served as one of the most important ceremonial centers of China during large portions of this period. Because of its sacred importance and dramatic landscape, it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey is an abbey located within the city and island of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, in the department of Manche. The abbey is an essential part of the structural composition of the town the feudal society constructed. On top, God, the abbey, and monastery; below this, the Great halls, then stores and housing, and at the bottom (outside the walls), fishermen's and farmers' housing. The abbey has been protected as a French monument historique since 1862. Since 1979, the site as a whole – i.e., the Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay – has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux. The abbey is among the most visited cultural sites in France.