A postcard from each corner of the World
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city of Malaysia. It has population of over 2.2 million people. Kuala Lumpur means “muddy confluence” in Malay — the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers. As seen on this postcard Kuala Lumpur is contemporary city, its modern skyline is filled with gleaming skyscrapers, with the 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers dominating over the rest. The city is said to be in an unofficial rivalry with nearby Singapore.
Malawi is rather small country in southeastern Africa, and is known as the “Warm Heart of Africa” for its friendly people. Its defining feature is Lake Malawi — the world’s first freshwater national park, Lake Malawi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake takes up 1/5 of country’s area. The country’s landscape showcases the breathtaking Great Rift Valley and majestic Mount Mulanje. Malawi achieved it’s independence from British rule in 1964.
Autonomous Region of Madeira is one of two autonomous regions of Portugal (the other is Azores). And Funchal is the capital city of Madeira. The city name comes from the impressive amount of fennel (funcho in the Portuguese language) growing in this where the city is located. The postcard shows the magnificent view of the city, but you probably can observe even better views from a gondola riding the Madeira Cable Car.
I’ve been asked, occasionally, by collectors to send mail (covers mostly) around Russia on their behalf, for their “Russian regions” collections, so I know it’s a “thing” for some philatelists, at least. I’m sure most people keep their lists in digital form, but for those who like to check boxes or cross out words on physical paper, I’ve made this printable list of all Russian Regions (actual as of early 2024).
Click here to open Russian Regions List full size version (A4 size)
Also see my other printable lists for collectors »
or just Macedonia, as it was called when I received this postcard, is a European country located in the geographical region that was part of ancient Kingdom of Macedonia. Throughout the history it was part of Roman and Byzantine Empires, ruled by Ottomans, was part of Yugoslavia… imagine the historical footprint of this land! I bet there are a lot to see and explore there.
Macau or Macao – known as the “Las Vegas of the East” – is a city and a special administrative region of China. Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. In the 16th century, China gave Portugal the right to settle in Macau in exchange for clearing the area of pirates. It effectively became a Portuguese colony in 1887, and on 20 December 1999 Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region of China, ending over 400 years of Portuguese administration.
Luxembourg (or The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) is a small European country, surrounded by Belgium, France and Germany. Here are some cool facts I learned about it: Luxembourg has the lowest population of all the EU countries, but it’s not the smallest one (it is larger that 6 other European countries); the minimum wage is €2,571 per month (2023) (wow), and there are there are over 70 castles there.
Some of the attractions pictured on this postcard are:
Lithuania is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It was a powerful empire that dominated much of eastern Europe in the 14th–16th centuries. The national flag of Lithuania, pictured on this postcard, was established in 1918. The yellow in the flag is meant to symbolize the sun and prosperity, the green is for the forests, the countryside, liberty, and hope, and the red represents the blood and bravery of those who have died for Lithuania.
Liechtenstein a microstate located in Europe, the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. It is only is about 25 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide. With resident population of roughly 39,000 more than half of Liechtenstein’s workforce commutes into the country every day from neighboring countries. Liechtenstein has one of the highest gross domestic products per person in the world.
Every year, on August 15 — Liechtenstein’s national holiday, the Vaduz Castle palace (pictured on this postcard) opens its doors, inviting all residents, and anyone else willing to make the journey. Guests can enjoy a beer in the gardens, as well as a party and fireworks in the town center.
The State of Libya is a country in North Africa. Over centuries this area was influenced and controled by different cultures and nations: Berber tribes, Phoenicians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Ottomans, Italians… I received this postcard without any indication of what exactly is pictured here, but thanks to the amazing modern technologies (Google Reverse Image Search), I found out that this postcard depicts The Temple of Apollo at Cyrene (top) and Ancient Greek baths in Cyrene (bottom).
Cyrene was founded in the 7th century BC, and was the oldest and most important Greek city in North Africa. The city became one of the greatest intellectual and artistic centers of the Greek world, and was famous for its medical school, learned academies, and architecture. Today it is an archeological UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Interesting fact: The modern name of “Libya” is an evolution of the “Libu” name, from Greek Λιβύη, generally encompassing the people of Cyrenaica and Marmarica. The “libu” name likely came to be used in the classical world as an identity for the natives of the North African region.
