#74 FOTW - Paramaribo, Suriname

The flag was designed as a result of a national competition, with the winning design being accepted by the Surinamese parliament in 1975. Jack Pinas, an art teacher and graphic designer, won the design competition. 

The green horizontal band on both the top and bottom of the flag represents the richness of the country's agricultural lands; the white horizontal band represents freedom and independence and red symbolizes progress and hope. The star on the centre of the flag reflects the sacrifices endured for the Surinamese independence as well as the unity of the country and a bright future. The Surinamese political parties are indicated by the different colours that are used in the flag.

 

A pug with a cat - Torgelow, Germany

Torgelow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in north-eastern Germany. It is situated on the river Uecker, 12 km south of Ueckermünde, and 41 km northwest of Szczecin, Poland. 

 

Large Letter Reprint - Jersey City, New Jersey

Nickname: The Garden State

Motto: Liberty and prosperity

New Jersey has the highest population density in the USA - 400 people per 1 km2, which is an average 13 times higher than the national average. It is also home to the densest network of highways and railways in the US. The street names in Atlantic City come from... the popular board game "Monopoly".

 

Map of Brazil - Sao Paulo, Brazil

São Paulo is a cosmopolitan, melting pot city, home to the largest Arab, Italian, and Japanese diasporas, with examples including ethnic neighbourhoods of Bixiga, Bom Retiro, and Liberdade. 

São Paulo was one of the host cities of the 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. Additionally, the city hosted the IV Pan American Games, Miss Universe 2011, and the São Paulo Indy 300.

 

JAL DREAM EXPRESS 90 - Omuta, Japan

Japan Airlines Dream Express 90 - Boeing 767-346(ER) to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse.
For most of its history, Ōmuta was a coal town. The closure of the Miike mine caused rapid depopulation and redirection of the local economy. The economy of Ōmuta is mixed, with agriculture, commercial fishing, commerce, light manufacturing and chemicals. Another main industry is aluminium refining.

 

#74 GF - Magong, Taiwan

The Penghu or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, located approximately 50 km west of the main island of Taiwan across the Penghu Channel. The archipelago collectively forms Penghu County of Taiwan and is the smallest county in Taiwan. The largest city is Magong, located on the largest island.

 

Le Frecce Tricolori - Coevorden, The Netherlands

The Frecce Tricolori, officially known as the 313th Acrobatic Training Group, National Aerobatic Team (PAN) Frecce Tricolori", is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force. Based at Rivolto Air Base, province of Udine, it was created on 1 March 1961 as a permanent group for the training of Air Force pilots in air acrobatics.

 

Lucia vine on Big Sur in California - Čatež, Slovenia

The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Monterey County, California. It is part of the larger Monterey AVA and is located in the Santa Lucia Mountains above the Salinas Valley. Over 931 ha of vineyards are planted in the AVA, some as high as 366 m above sea level, with about half of them planted to the Pinot Noir grape. The region enjoys cool morning fog and breezes from Monterey Bay followed by warm afternoons thanks to direct southern exposures to the sun.

EUROPA stamp 2015 - "Old toys"

 

Whitsunday Region - Airlie Beach, Australia

Airlie Beach is a coastal locality and resort town in the Whitsunday Region of Queensland.

The name is derived from the former town of Airlie and the unbounded locality of Airlie Beach. Airlie was named following a request by the Lands Department in December 1935 for the Proserpine Shire Council to provide a name for a new subdivision on the coast. It is almost certain that the town was named for the parish of Airlie, in Scotland, as the name was suggested by the chairman of the former Proserpine Shire Council, Robert Shepherd, who was born in nearby Montrose, Scotland. 

 

Tausendschön PK721 - Cologne, Germany

Cologne Cathedral is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 6 million people a year. At 157 m, the cathedral is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe after Ulm Minster, and the third tallest church of any kind in the world.

 

Tiramisù recipe - Varese, Italy

Its origin is disputed between the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The name comes from the Italian tirami su (lit. 'pick me up' or 'cheer me up').

Tiramisu appears to have been invented in the late 1960s or early 1970s, but where, and when exactly is unclear. Some believe the recipe was modelled after sbatudin, a simpler dessert made of egg yolks and sugar. Others argue it originated from another dish, "dolce Torino".

 

Suomen paras olut - The Best Finnish Beer competition - Jämsä, Finland

The purpose of the competition is to improve the appreciation of Finnish beers and to make beers and their producers known. The competition brings an interesting addition to the Finnish beer culture and stimulates discussion about the taste, quality, raw materials and production of beers.

The Best Finnish Beer competition is the only Finnish beer competition that gathers domestic producers together to compete with their products. The products of large and small producers participate in the competition in parallel, in which case the beer itself and the related quality and taste factors are the main points under scrutiny.

 

#73 GF - Stockholm, Sweden

Sweden is a highly developed country ranked fifth in the Human Development Index. Sweden maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens. It has the world's 14th-highest GDP per capita and ranks very highly in quality of life, health, education, protection of civil liberties, economic competitiveness, income equality, gender equality and prosperity.

 

Pin-up girl by Elvgren Gil - Rosto-on-Don, Russia

Gillette Alexander Elvgren (1914-1980) was an American painter of pin-up models, advertising and illustration. Best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow, Elvgren studied at the American Academy of Art. He was strongly influenced by the early "pretty girl" illustrators, such as Charles Dana Gibson, Andrew Loomis, and Howard Chandler Christy.

 

#73 FOTW - Laagri, Estonia

A symbolic interpretation made popular by the poetry of Martin Lipp says the blue is for the vaulted blue sky above the native land, the black for attachment to the soil of the homeland as well as the fate of Estonians — for centuries black with worries, and white for purity, hard work, and commitment.

On 23 February 1989, the Soviet flag was taken down permanently from the Pikk Hermann tower of the Toompea Castle in the capital city of Tallinn. It was replaced with the blue-black-white flag on the next morning, 24 February, upon the 70th anniversary of the Estonian Declaration of Independence (1918).

 

Camino de Santiago in France - Chatenois, France

The Soulac route is a secondary route of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage which runs along the Silver Coast. It offers the pilgrim of Santiago de Compostela an alternative to the four main paths described in the 12th century by Aimery Picaud in his Pilgrim's Guide, namely (from north to south): the via Turonensis, the via Lemovicensis, the via Podiensis and via Tolosane.

The Soulac route starts from Soulac-sur-Mer in France and ends in Irun in Spain. The Jacobean route then continues via the Camino del Norte. It is also possible to join the Camino Francés in Pamplona by continuing on the Baztan route.

 

Large Letter Reprint - Cheyenne, Wyoming

Nicknames: Equality State; Cowboy State; Big Wyoming

Motto: Equal Rights

Wyoming ranks among the top coal producers in the United States. In 1994, a record amount of 3 million tons of coal was mined here per week.

Yellowstone Park is famous for its geysers and hot springs. The most famous of the geysers - Old Faithful - has not changed its habits since its discovery in 1870: every hour it sends a column of water up to 50 m high into the air, which then falls after 20 seconds, ending with clouds of steam.

 

Porto Antonat vintage illustration from 1946 - Lisbon, Portugal

Port wine or simply port, is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties.

EUROPA stamp 2019 - "National birds" (The Azores)

 

French Bulldog - Aachen, Germany

The French Bulldog is a French breed of companion dog or toy dog. It appeared in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, apparently the result of cross-breeding of Toy Bulldogs imported from England and local Parisian ratters. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered dogs in a number of countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

 

#72 GF - Port Louis, Mauritius

Along with the other Mascarene Islands, Mauritius is known for its biodiverse flora and fauna with many species endemic to the country. The main island was the only known home of the dodo, which, along with several other avian species, became extinct soon after human settlement. Other endemic animals, such as the echo parakeet, the Mauritius kestrel and the pink pigeon, have survived and are subject to intensive and successful conservation efforts.