2057 UNITED KINGDOM (Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) - St James' Church in Jamestown, Saint Helena

Founded in 1659, Jamestown is the capital of both the island of Saint Helena and the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Being the island's only port, the town is the only entrance to the island to visitors, and can be especially busy with tourists when a cruise ship stops just off the coast, mainly that its population is only 714 inhabitants.

2054, 2055 CANADA ( Alberta) / UNITED STATES (Montana) - Blackfoot Confederacy

2054 Bull Bear, a Siksika warrior

The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsitapi (meaning "original people") is the collective name of three First Nation band governments in the province of Alberta, in Canada, and also a Native American tribe in  Montana, United States. There are three tribes in Canada, the Siksika (Blackfoot), the Kainai or Kainah (Bloods) and the Northern Piegan (Poor Robes) or Peigan or Pikuni, and one tribe in the United States: the Southern Piegan (Poor Robes) or Pikuni in Montana.

2055 A Blakfoot little girl (ca. 1900)

Historically, the member peoples of the Confederacy were nomadic bison hunters and trout fishermen, who ranged across large areas of the northern Great Plains of Western North America, specifically the semi-arid shortgrass prairie ecological region. They followed the bison herds as they migrated between what are now the United States and Canada, as far north as the Bow River. In the first half of the 18th century, they acquired horses and firearms from white traders and their Cree and Assiniboine go-betweens.

2053 BELARUS (Brest) - Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Brest Fortress

2053 Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Brest Fortress

In 1795, when the Poland-Lithuania Commonwealth was partitioned for the third time, the city of Brest was annexed by Russia. In the 19th century, the Russians demolished the Polish Royal Castle and most of the Old Town "to make room" for a large fortress which was built in and around the city. During the years 1851-1876 an Orthodox Church was built in the fortress, dedicated to Saint Nicholas.

2052 GERMANY (Bremen) - Bremen Hauptbahnhof

Situated to the Northeast of the city centre, Bremen Hauptbahnhof (German for Bremen main station) sees 100 long-distance and 410 regional trains per day. About 100,000 passengers per day use the station, which features nine platform tracks. The sculptures on the façade, among other railway-related symbolisms, depict the coats of arms of the cities of Bremen and Hamburg, the original destinations of the line. In front of the rail station is a sculpture by Jörg Immendorff, Affentor I (Ape Gate).

2051 UNITED STATES (Delaware) - Delaware map

Located in the Northeastern region of the U.S. and bordered by Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Atlantic Ocean, Delaware is the second smallest, the sixth least populous, but the sixth most densely populated of the 50 United States. It is interesting that most of the boundary with Pennsylvania was defined by an arc extending 12 miles from the cupola of the courthouse in the city of New Castle. Its name comes from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, Virginia's first colonial governor.

1072, 2050 UNITED STATES (West Virginia) - West Virginia map

1071 Wste Virginia map (1)

Posted on 29.04.2014, 19.11.2015
Bordered by Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, West Virginia is located in the Appalachian Mountains, being nicknamed The Mountain State and having the motto Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers are always free). The capital and largest city is Charleston, founded at the end of the 18th century. Natural resources, such as salt, coal and later natural gas contributed to the growth of the city. West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions, in which 50 northwestern counties of Virginia whose landowners owned few to no slaves decided to break away from Virginia during the American Civil War, being the only one which was formed by seceding from a Confederate state. The new state was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key Civil War border state.

2050 Wste Virginia map (2)

Before the arrival of europeans, the area was inhabited by Siouan language tribes such as the Moneton, but the Iroquois drove out them to reserve the upper Ohio Valley as a hunting ground in the 1670s, during the Beaver Wars. The colonies of Pennsylvania and Virginia claimed territorial rights before the American Revolutionary War, and afterwards became the western part of the state of Virginia. It is noted for its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor history. It is also one of the most densely karstic areas in the world. The karst lands contribute to much of the state's cool trout waters. It is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and hunting.

2049 UNITED STATES (Hawaii) - Papalaua Falls in Molokai

Located east of Oahu and north of Lanai, Molokai Island developed from two distinct shield volcanoes known as East Molokai and the much smaller West Molokai. Today, East Molokaii volcano is what remains of the southern half of the original mountain. The northern half suffered a catastrophic collapse about 1.5 million years ago and now lies as a debris field scattered northward across the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. What remains of the volcano on the island include the highest sea cliffs in the world.

2048 UNITED STATES (Virgin Islands of the United States) - Charlotte Amalie

2048 Aerial view of Charlotte Amalie and Hassel Island

Located on mid-island on the south shore of Saint Thomas (the largest of the four main islands of Virgin Islands of the United States), Charlotte Amalie is the capital and largest city of this unincorporated territory of the United States. Built on three low volcanic spurs called Frenchman Hill (Foretop Hill), Berg Hill (Maintop), and Government Hill (Mizzentop), it stretches about 1.5 miles around Saint Thomas Harbor, being protected by the peaks of Water Island and  Hassel Island.

2047 RUSSIA (Volgograd Oblast) - The lighthouse located at the east entrance of the Volga-Don Canal

The Lenin Volga-Don Shipping Canal, connecting the Volga River (which flows into the Caspian Sea) and the Don River (which flows into the Black Sea) at their closest points, near today's Volgograd, was constructed between 1938 and 1952 (with an interruption between 1941 and 1945 because of the Eastern Front campaign). The canal and its facilities were mostly built by gulag prisoners. In 1952 (a year before Stalin's death) the number of convicts employed in construction topped 100,000.

1499, 2046 ITALY (Sicily) - Carretto siciliano

1499 A typical carretto siciliano

Posted on 28.03.2015, 18.11.2015
The Sicilian cart (or carretto siciliano in Italian and carrettu sicilianu in Sicilian) is an ornate, colorful style of horse or donkey-drawn cart native to the island of Sicily. Horses were mostly used in the city and flat plains, while donkeys or mules were more often used in rough terrain for hauling heavy loads. The cart has two wheels and is primarily handmade out of wood with iron metal components. There are two types of carts: Carretto del Lavoro (cart for work), used for hauling miscellaneous, and Carretto de Gara, used for festive occasions. They were introduced to the island by the ancient Greeks, and reached the height of their popularity in the 1920s. The Museo del Carretto Siciliano, in Terrasini, in the province of Palermo, is a museum dedicated to the carts.

2046 A carretto siciliano in Taormina

The crews that built carretti included woodcarvers, metal workers, and painters. The woodcarvers carved panels that were often historic reliefs. The metal workers worked the iron, in a 'ferro battuto' style, which included highly decorated metal undercarriages. Each province of Sicily has their own style. The carretti made in the province of Palermo have more of a square box design, those made in Catania are made with more elaborate 'keys', and the carts made in Agrigento have their own distinctive style. Carts are known for being covered with scenes from Sicilian history and folklore as well as intricate geometrical designs. These scenes also served the purpose of conveying historical information to those who were illiterate. The colors of Sicily's flag, yellow and red, feature prominently on the carts.

2044 UNITED STATES (Nebraska) - Nebraska map

Located in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States, between South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming, Nebraska is characterized by treeless prairie (ideal for cattle-grazing), and is a major producer of beef, as well as pork, corn, and soybeans. The climate has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures, and violent thunderstorms and tornadoes are common. Its capital is Lincoln, and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.

0383, 0605, 2043 FRANCE (Île-de-France) - Notre Dame de Paris - part of Paris, Banks of the Seine (UNESCO WHS)

0383 Notre Dame de Paris - Cathedral's Western Facade

Posted on 14.11.2012, 18.04.2013, 17.11.2015
"That most terrible church of the most glorious Virgin Mary, mother of God, deservedly shines out, like the sun among stars", wrote Jean de Jandun in 1323 in his Treatise on the Praises of Paris, about the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris), located on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité. It is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, even if it suffered significant damages during the riots Huguenots in the 16th century, during the French Revolution, and during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV, when they tried to modernize the cathedral. Neither the WWII didn't spare it.

0605 Notre Dame de Paris - Quai Montebello and the Cathedral

Tradition has it that Notre-Dame’s first stone was laid in 1163 in the presence of Pope Alexander III, the initiative of building the cathedral belonging to Maurice de Sully, the bishop of Paris, who wanted to provide a response to the unprecedented development that the city knew at the time. Construction was completed in 1345, with the contribution of many architects, and in the next centuries held periodicaly refurbishments. The cathedral treasury is notable for its reliquary, which houses the purported crown of thorns, a fragment of the True Cross upon which Jesus was crucified, and one of the Holy Nails - all instruments of the Passion.

2043 Notre Dame de Paris - The Cathedral viewed from
Pont de l'Archevêché, covered with 'love padlocks'

In the postcard 0383 can be seen the Western Facade of Notre-Dame, "an imposing, simple and harmonious mass whose strength and sombre grandeur is based on interplay between vertical and horizontal lines: four powerful buttresses that spring up to the top of the towers, lifting them heavenwards. They symbolically let us know that this cathedral-church was built for God. Two wide horizontal strips seem to bring the building back down to our mortal earth." Its construction started in 1200, the North Tower being completed in 1240 and the South tower in 1250.

2042 RUSSIA (Primorsky Krai) - Autumn colors

Primorsky (which means "maritime" in Russian) Krai, informally known as Primorye, was established as the easternmost division of the Russian Empire in 1856, after more then 7 centuries of chinese domination. Highlands dominate the territory of the krai, the average elevation being about 500m. Most of the territory, bordered by China, North Korea, and the relatively warm waters of the Sea of Japan, is mountainous, and almost 80% of it is forested. The ranges are cut by the picturesque narrow and deep valleys of the rivers and by large brooks.

2038 NORWAY (Svalbard) - Svalbard Archipelago (UNESCO WHS - Tentative List)

2038 Svalbard - The peak Newtontoppen on Spitsbergen Island

Svalbard, formerly known as Spitsbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, situated about midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. The largest island is Spitsbergen, followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. In 2012, Svalbard had an estimated population of 2,642, and Longyearbyen is the largest settlement. It isn't part of any Norwegian county, but rather forms an unincorporated area administered by a governor.

2037 TUNISIA - Dougga / Thugga (UNESCO WHS), Amphitheatre of El Jem (UNESCO WHS), and Thuburbo Majus

2037 The Roman Tunisia - Dougga (The Capitol);
Amphitheatre of El Jem; Thuburbo Majus

Dougga or Thugga is an ancient Roman city located in the North-west region of Tunisia, perched on the summit of a hill at an altitude of 571 m, dominating the fertile valley of Oued Khalled. Before the Roman annexation of Numidia, Thugga had existed for more than six centuries and was, probably, the first capital of the Numidian kingdom. It flourished under Roman rule but declined during the Byzantine and Islamic periods. The impressive ruins which are visible today give an idea of the resources of a Romanised Numidian town.

2036 BELIZE - The colonial architecture in Belize City

Founded in 1638 by British lumber harvesters on the site of a small Maya city called Holzuz, Belize City was once the capital of the former British Honduras, and remained until today the largest city of the country. Even if it slowly improved its infrastructure, many of the streets built from colonial days are still small and congested, a majority of houses are still susceptible to fire and damage from hurricanes, and the city is always awaiting something calamitous to happen.

2034, 2035 UNITED STATES (Hawaii) - Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea, also called Mauna a Wākea in Hawaiian culture, is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii, standing at 4,205m. Much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over 10,000m tall, significantly taller than Mount Everest. It is about a million years old, and last erupted 6,000 to 4,000 years ago. In Hawaiian mythology, the peaks of the island of Hawaii are sacred, and Mauna Kea is the most sacred of all.

1774, 2033 RUSSIA (Irkutsk Oblast / Republic of Buryatia) - Lake Baikal (UNESCO WHS)

1774 Lake Baikal - Babushka Bay

Posted on 25.07.2015, 13.11.2015
Located in southern Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, Lake Baikal is the largest (by volume) freshwater lake in the world, containing roughly 20% of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water. Also, at 1,642m, it is the world's deepest lake, and is considered among the world's clearest and the world's oldest lake (25 million years). It was formed as an ancient rift valley, having the typical long crescent shape. Known as the "Galapagos of Russia", Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two-thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world.

2033 Lake Baikal -The Turtle Rock

The lake is divided into three basins: North, Central, and South. The North and Central basins are separated by Academician Ridge, while the area around the Selenga Delta and the Buguldeika Saddle separates the Central and South basins. The lake is fed by as many as 330 inflowing rivers, and it drains into the Angara tributary of the Yenisei. It is completely surrounded by mountains. The Baikal Mountains on the north shore and the taiga are technically protected as a national park. It contains 27 islands; the largest, Olkhon, is 72 km long and is the third-largest lake-bound island in the world.

2031 UNITED STATES (Maine) - Maine map and flag

Located in the New England region, and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, New Hampshire, and the  Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, Maine is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior, and picturesque waterways, as well as for its seafood cuisine, especially lobster and clams. In spite of its maritime position, it has a continental climate even in coastal areas such as its largest city, Portland. The capital city is Augusta.