Made In Canarias Postcrossing Blog

Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. The country is a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy with King Bhumibol Adulyadej . The king is officially titled Head of State, the Head of the Armed Forces, an Upholder of the Buddhist religion, and the Defender of all Faiths. The largest city in Thailand is Bangkok, the capital, which is also the country's center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. Thailand is the world's 50th largest country in terms of total area (slightly smaller than Yemen and slightly larger than Spain), with a surface area of approximately 513,000 km 2 , and the 21st most-populous country, with approximately 64 million people. About 75% of the population is ethnically Thai, 14% is of Chinese origin, and 3% is ethnically Malay; the rest belong to minority groups including. The country's official language is Thai. Its primary religion is Buddhism, which is practiced by around 95% of all Thais. ...

Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa. Its area is almost 165,000 km², with an estimated population of just over 10.3 million. Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the north-east. Tunisia is the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range. The south of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and 1,300 km of coastline. It is an export-oriented country, in the process of liberalizing its economy while politically it is a dictatorship in all but name. Tunisia has an authoritarian regime in the guise of a procedural democracy led by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who has governed as President since 1987 and has systematically diminished freedom of press and political pluralism while keeping appearances of democracy. ( source ) Thank you Bodex!

Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km 2 . The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to some two-thirds of the national population. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture. In 1994, the nation became party to an agreement that established the European Economic Area, thus allowing it to diversify from fishing to economic and financial services. In recent years, Iceland has been one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2007, it was ranked as the most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index, and the fourth most productive country per capita. In 2008, the nation's banking system systematically failed, causing significant economic contraction and political u...

The refurbished railway station is the true pride of the citizens of Khabarovsk. Railway square hosts the monument to Erofei Khabarov, the first explorer after whom the city was named. (from the card) Thank you Helen!

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state. It is the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States. The state capital is Montpelier, and the largest city and metropolitan area is Burlington. ( source )     Thank you Crayolamom!

Thank you Rebecca!

Finistère is a département of France, located in Brittany. The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ , meaning end of the earth , as does the Breton name for the region, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel. It is not to be confused with Cape Finisterre in Spain. Agriculture, food processing and various related industries occupy an important place in Finistère's economy. (source) Thank you Karine!

The Commonwealth of Virginia   is a U.S. state of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city and Fairfax County the most populous political subdivision. The state population is nearly eight million. ( source ) Thank you Chrissy!

The Algarve from the Arabic word (اal gharb ) meaning "the west" is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal. It has an area of 5,412 sq km with approximately 458,734 permanent inhabitants, and incorporates 16 municipalities. Tourism and related activities are extensive and make up the bulk of the Algarve's summer economy. Fish, seafood and fruit production, which includes oranges, carob beans, figs and almonds, are other important activities in the region. The Algarve is the most popular tourist destination in Portugal, its population more than doubles in the peak holiday season thanks to a high influx of visitors, and receives an average of 8 million foreign tourists each year. ( source ) Thank you Ferro!

The Mecklenburg Lake District is the largest coherent lakes and canals area in Germany. It is situated in southern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and sometimes called "the land of the thousand lakes". The Seenplatte includes Müritz National Park, which contains Germany's second-largest lake as well as the wildlife reserves Feldberger Seenlandschaft , Mecklenburgische Schweiz and Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide . Like the Pomeranian and Masurian lake plateaus the Mecklenburger Seenplatte was formed during the ice age. The many lakes are remnants of the receding ice from about 12,000 years ago. The area around the Mecklenburg Lake District is flat, sparsely populated and mainly covered by forests, lakes and moors. The lakes themselves are popular for boating and fishing. They are natural habitat for numerous plants and animals, including endangered species. ( source ) Thank you Hauke!

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, which namesake is from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi ("Great River"). The state is heavily forested outside of the Mississippi Delta area, and its catfish aquaculture farms produce the majority of farm-raised catfish consumed in the United States. The state symbol is the magnolia grandiflora tree. Musicians of the state's Delta region were historically significant to the development of the blues. Their laments arose out of the region's hard times after Reconstruction. Although by the end of the 19th century, two-thirds of the farm owners were black, continued low prices for cotton and national financial pressures resulted in most of them losing their land. More problems built up with the boll weevil infestation, when thousands of agricultural jobs were lo...

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is considered part of the Midwest. The word Wisconsin has its origins in the name given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian speaking American Indian groups living in the region at the time of European contact. Wisconsin's capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee. As of 2008 the state has an estimated 5.6 million residents. The economy of Wisconsin is driven by manufacturing, agriculture, and health care. Although manufacturing accounts for a far greater part of the state's income than farming, Wisconsin is often perceived as a farming state. Tourism is also a major industry in Wisconsin – the state's third largest, according to the Department of Tourism. This is attributed to the many resorts in northern Wisconsin and the family attractions in the Wisconsin Dells area. ( source ) Thank you Immaculata!

The Outer Banks is a 320-km long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. They cover approximately half the northern North Carolina coastline, separating the Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean. The Outer Banks is a major tourist destination and is known for its temperate climate and wide expanse of open beachfront. The treacherous seas off the Outer Banks and the large number of shipwrecks that have occurred there have given these seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic.  ( source ) Thank you Immaculata!

Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Schwerin is surrounded by many picturesque lakes. The largest of these lakes, the Schweriner See , has an area of 60 km². In 1358, Schwerin became a part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg, making it the seat of the dukedom from then on. About 1500, the construction of the Schwerin castle began; it was here that the dukes resided. (via Wikipedia ) Thank you Ingo!

Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendor. The city was completely destroyed by the controversial Allied aerial bombing towards the end of World War II. Since the German reunification in 1990, Dresden has re-emerged as a cultural, educational, political and economic centre of Germany. The Elbe Valley of Dresden was an internationally recognized site of cultural significance by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for five years. After being placed on the list of endangered World Heritage Sites in 2006, the city had its status as world heritage site formally removed in June 2009, for the willful breach of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, due to the construction of a highway bridge across the valley within 2 km o...

The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 meters. The region is almost rectangular with a length of 200 km and breadth of 60 km. Hence it has an area of approximately 12,000 km 2 (via wikipedia ). Thank you Susanne!

Thank you Marina!

Turkey is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe.  The territory is more than 1,600 km long and 800 km wide, with a roughly rectangular shape.The capital city of Turkey is Ankara. The territory of Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces for administrative purposes. The biggest city and the pre-Republican capital Istanbul is the financial, economic and cultural heart of the country. Ethnic Turks form the majority of the population, followed by the Kurds. The predominant religion in Turkey is Islam and its official language is Turkish. Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic, with an ancient and historical cultural heritage and is classified as a developed country by the CIA and as a regional power by political scientists and economists worldwide. (via Wikipedia ) Thank you Pinar!

New York is the nation's third most populous state. New York is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City. New York City, which is geographically the largest city in the state and most populous in the United States, is known for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States and its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing center.  Both state and city were named for the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart, future James II and VII of England and Scotland. About one third of all of the battles of the Revolutionary War took place in New York. New York became an independent state on July 9, 1776, and enacted its constitution in 1777. The state ratified the United States Constitution on July 26, 1788 to become the 11th state. ( via Wikipedia ) Capital: Albany                         ...

Quebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level. Quebec is Canada's largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division; only the territory of Nunavut is larger. Quebec is the second most populous province, after Ontario. The Nord-du-Québec region, occupying the northern half of the province, is sparsely populated and inhabited primarily by Aboriginal peoples. While the province's substantial natural resources have long been the mainstay of its economy, sectors of the knowledge economy such as aerospace, information and communication technologies, biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry also play leading roles. These many industries have all contributed to helping Quebec become the second most economically influential province, second only to Ontario. (via Wikipedia ) Thank you Mélissa!