NAMIBIA ~ Birds ~

... One more African beauty... postcard showing many beautiful birds... home to ± 600 bird species including the worlds largest bird the Ostrich and heaviest bird the Kori Bustard.... with only one true endemic bird, the Dune Lark and 14 near endemic species... the contrasting and diverse landscape with its variety of habitats provides for a wide diversity of bird species.... making it a paradise for birding enthusiasts and one of the best birding places in Africa🦅... Hééél Erg Bedankt Julien en Annie!!¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Gaining independence in 1990, Namibia is one of Africa’s “newer” nations.

Namibia is politically stable and a safe country to visit offering spectacular scenery, untouched wildernesses, vast game reserves, superb wildlife and fascinating cultural experiences. It has the second lowest population density (6.6 people per sq mi) of any country in the world (Mongolia has the lowest).

Stamp

Frogs of Namibia
(Issued 23-03-2011)

NAMIBIA ~ Kudu ~

... Beautiful artwork in a "typical" Namibian style... Thanks a lot Brenda!! (✿ ♥‿♥)

Lutz Menge, born in Tsumeb 1924, has been a life long painter and captured northern Namibian sceneries. He lived most of his life on the farm "Sachsenwald" by Grootfontein.

Kudu is a type of an antelope. There are two species of kudu: Lesser Kudu and Greater Kudu. Both of them live in areas characterized by dense bushes or in the forests. Kudu can be found in eastern and southern parts of the Africa. Local people hunt them for their meat and horns (which are used as music instruments, containers for honey or as a symbol of the male potency).

Stamp:

Large Canines of Namibia
(30-09-2016)

NAMIBIA ~ Cape Cross - Skeleton Coast National Park ~

...Fantastic views of famous tourist attractions... the seal colony... this reserve is the home of one of the largest colonies of Cape Fur Seals in the world.... there seems to be also an amazingly offensive smell ヅ... but when you stick around for a while you will be rewarded with great behavior displays... and there is also an interesting memorial commemorating the first landing by Portuguese explorers... Big Thanks Belinda!! (✿ ♥‿♥)

Photo: © Mark Van Aardt
Cape Cross is  is a small headland located in the South Atlantic in Skeleton Coast, western Namibia around 120km north of Swakopmund.

It was the landing site of the first European explorers visiting Namibia. In 1486 the Portuguese explorer Diego Cao erected a stone cross about 2m high and 360kg to mark and commemorate the first European to ever set foot on Namibian soil and also as a tribute to Portuguese King Joao 11. He was searching for a sea route via cape to the east.

One of the most endearing features of Cape fur seals ( Brown fur seals)  are their ears, this sets them apart from true seals. Cape fur seals have external ears, but true seals don’t.

With an area of 16,000 square kilometres it is the third-largest National Park of Namibia. . Its name comes from the numerous shipwrecks lying on the shore.

Stamp:
Large Canines of Namibia
(Issued 30-09-2016)

NAMIBIA ~ Desert sunset ~

....A  stunning pink and purple sky sunset over the dunes between Sesriem and Sossusvlei... a desolate landscape... these ghostly trees have been dead for centuries... when the Tsauchab River flooded many aeons ago, shallow pools were created... when the drought came, the pools dried up and the trees died with no water... Thanks so much Belinda!! (✿ ♥‿♥)

Photo: © Mark Van Aardt
One of the oldest and largest deserts, the Namib stretches inland from the Atlantic Ocean, covering large swathes of Namibia and parts of Angola and South Africa. This arid hotspot surprisingly supports a diverse number of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

The Sossusvlei belongs to the southern Namib with about 32.000 km², between the rivers Koichab and Kuiseb. The dunes in the more red color are the oldest dunes in Sossusvlei. These dunes are supposed to be among the highest of all around the globe. The highest is "Big Daddy" with 380m.




Stamp:

Birds - Coursers
(Issued 10-10-2015)

NAMIBIA ~ Swakopmund Jetty ~

... Amazing panoramic view of the sun setting into the Atlantic Ocean... this Pier is known as the "Jetty" and stretches into the sea a few hundred metres from the main beach... it’s Namibia’s most popular holiday destination,.. Thanks so much Belinda! (✿ ♥‿♥)

Photo: © Mark Van Aardt
Swakopmund  (German for "Mouth of the Swakop") is a coastal city founded in 1892 by the Germans as the main harbor for German South-West Africa. Namibia spent time under German rule and a small part of its population is still German-speaking today.

The city is nestled at the mouth of the Swakop River, with the Namib Desert on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side.

The jetty first started construction in 1904 because of the need for ships to unload their cargo more easily. The original wooden structure was replaced by metal around 1912 by the German government. In more modern times the jetty became a popular place for anglers and walkers, but was soon in disrepair due to lack of maintenance, and closed because it was considered unsafe.  In 2003 work started again and it was restored and rebuild for about 2 thirds and opened to the public at the end of 2006.

Stamp:

Small Antelopes
(Issued 26-06-2015)

NAMIBIA ~ Sossuvlei Sunset - Namib Naukluft National Park ~

...Stunning nature view... .the world’s oldest desert... it is known as the "Sand Sea"... and one of the most spectacular sights in Namibia... during exceptional rainy seasons, Sossusvlei may fill with water... but normally it is bone dry... love the odd shaped stamp too... Thanks a million Belinda!! (♥‿♥)

Photo: ©Wynand du Plessis
Sossusvlei  is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. These dunes are supposed to be among the highest of all around the globe. The highest is "Big Daddy" with 380m.

The name ‘Sossusvlei’ is thought to originate from Afrikaans and Nama, and roughly means “dead end marsh". This name fits as the dunes of Sossusvlei meet to prevent the Tsauchab River from flowing any further.

The Namib Naukluft park is the largest conservation area in Africa, and fourth largest in the world,  measuring about 50,000 km² (19.300square miles).


Stamp:

Hong Kong 2015 Stamp Exhibition - Rhinos forever
(Issued 22-11-2015)

NAMIBIA ~Sossusvlei Desert - Naukluft National Park ~

...Amazing panoramic desert view... and my first written and stamped of Namibia...the sanddunes of Sossusvlei are one of the most spectacular sights in Namibia... and this postcard shows it for sure...
Thanks Manu!!

 With lovely stamp from the Definitive stamps serie:
"Birds of Namibia"
(Issued 15-02-2012)

© PHOTOmagica-Siggi Straube One of the oldest and largest deserts, the Namib stretches inland from the Atlantic Ocean, covering large swathes of Namibia and parts of Angola and South Africa. This arid hotspot surprisingly supports a diverse number of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan created by the Tsauchab river that flows through the Sesriem Canyon every 5 to 10 years. Even in very wet years it does not reach the Atlantic Ocean but drains away between the dunes of Sossusvlei.

The Namib-Naukluft National Park is a national park of Namibia encompassing part of the Namib Desert and the Naukluft mountain range. With an overall area of 49,768 km2 (19,216 sq mi), the Namib-Naukluft is the largest game park in Africa and the fourth largest in the world. Sossusvlei the most well-known area and the main visitor attraction in Namibia.

NAMIBIA ~Himba- ~

This must be one of my lucky postcard weeks... Just look at those children... Although the card comes from Austria, with the matching stamp and special postmark it is for me a really, really special card!! The Un stamps are the Messengers of Peace! Thanks a lot Edna! :-)
(see all the stamps here:http://unstamps.un.org/unpa/index.html?index=1)

On 21 October 2010, the United Nations Postal Administration will issue 18 commemorative stamps in a mini-sheet format of six stamps each on the theme "Indigenous People". This is the second set of stamps on this theme.
Human rights, the environment, endangered species and peace are all subjects of universal concern to the peoples of the world. They are also subjects which the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) has promoted on its stamps.


The Himba are a tribe of nomadic pastoralists who inhabit the Kaokoland area of Namibia. The Himba are actually descendants of a group of Herero herders who fled into the remote north-west after been displaced by the Nama. The Himba have clung to their traditions and the beautiful Himba women are noted for their intricate hairstyles which and traditional jewellery.

Indigenous people are the inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to other people and to the environment. Indigenous people have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, the various groups of indigenous people around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.