A postcard from each corner of the World
I noticed many collectors of Сountries, US states, UNESCO WH sites, and similar lists use printed or written lists of their collections to keep track of what they already have and what is still needed. For those who like to check boxes or cross out words on physical paper, I’ve made a couple of printable lists: FOTW collection and Russian Regions.
Mayotte It is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, between Madagascar and the African continent. It is an overseas region of France, and therefore it’s a region of the European Union, and part of the eurozone. The traditional outfit in the country is the salouva, made up of three pieces: the salouva itself, a large strip of fabric sewn and tied at the chest, a t-shirt often close to the body also called a “body”, and a kishali, shawl covering the hair or placed on the shoulder. This postcard depicts ladies wearing the kishali.
Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation, located off the eastern coast of Africa. It’s capital is Port Louis. The island was first discovered in the 9th century. At that time the island was uninhabited and covered in a dense forest. Today little original forest is left, and Mauritius is known for its beaches, lagoons and reefs. The country was colonized by the Netherlands, France and Great Britain, and gained its independence in 1968.
Printable list of all Flags of the World postcards available from postcardsmarket.com — a very popular type of postcard design to collect.
This list contains only countries available from the original site that came up with this collection, but there’s enough room to write-in any additional countries and regions that you may wat to collect.
Click here to open FOTW List full size version (A4 size)
Also see my other printable lists for collectors »
Martinique is a Caribbean island and an overseas region of France. And thus it is a part of the European Union, and its currency is the euro. It was discovered on 15 January 1502 by Christopher Columbus. Today its economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Its largest town and the capital is Fort-de-France, where this postcard was sent from. Fun facts: Martinique served as a home port for French pirates, and was the first coffee-growing area in the Western hemisphere.
This postcard has “digital” postmark, which contains ROC (Référentiel des Organisations du Courrier, or Repository of Mail Organizations, used by French La Poste to identify distribution offices and mail processing centers) has number 19460A , which according to various sources I found online corresponds to the regular postal code 97200 of Fort-de-France.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands is an island country in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of 29 coral atolls and five islands, of which 24 are inhabited. Rising waters due to the climate change threatens the very existence of the islands, as many atolls lie barely a meter above sea level. The Marshall Islands were administered by the United States after WWII, and they are now a sovereign nation under a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Postal services are provided by USPS too, as seen on the postmark on this card.
Malta is an island country located in the Mediterranean Sea. It comprises five islands, three of which are inhabited. The official language is the Maltese language, which developed from a dialect of Arabic. It is the only form of Arabic to be written in the Latin alphabet. With Mediterranean climate Malta is a popular summertime tourist destination. The name of the country literally means “place of honey” or “sweetness”. The whole territory of Malta constitutes a single urban region, and it is increasingly referred to as a city-state.
The Djinguereber Mosque is a famous learning center of Mali. It was built in 1327, and it is UNESCO World Heritage Site. Timbuktu, where the mosque is located, is an ancient city in the Republic of Mali. It not the capital city, but is one of the regional centers in the country. The city is located on the southern edge of the Sahara desert. Once a major trade center and a known academic spot of the medieval world, today Timbuktu is in uneasy situation because of regional crisis.
Check out the Postcards From Timbuktu project if you’d like a postcard from this special city.
The Maldives, independent island country, is renowned for its white sandy beaches, strikingly blue water, unique underwater marine life, and luxury resorts. The archipelago consists of 1,190 coral islands in the Indian Ocean with the capital of Malé — part of Malé Atoll pictured on this postcard. All uninhabited islands in Malé Atoll are tourist resorts today. The official language of the Maldives is Dhivehi, which is a unique language (with roots in Sanskrit) spoken only by the people of Maldives.
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.
