Postcard from São Tomé and Príncipe (Открытка из Сан-Томе и Принсипи)

Here is a rare and very beautiful incoming postcard from São Tomé and Príncipe!

       officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about 140 kilometres apart and about 250 and 225 kilometres respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon.

       With a population of 199,910 (2016 Census), São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest African country after Seychelles, as well as the smallest Portuguese-speaking country. Its people are predominantly of African and mestiço descent, with most practising Roman Catholicism. The legacy of Portuguese rule is also visible in the country's culture, customs, and music, which fuse European and African influences.

       Portuguese is the official and the de facto national language of São Tomé and Príncipe, with about 98.4% speaking it in the country, a significant share of it as their native language, and it has been spoken in the islands since the end of the 15th century. Restructured variants of Portuguese or Portuguese creoles are also spoken: Forro, a creole language (36.2%), Cape Verdean Creole (8.5%), Angolar (6.6%) and Principense (1%). French (6.8%) and English (4.9%) are foreign languages taught in schools.

 

I am very grateful to Melany! ^_^

 

Postcard from Solomon Islands (Открытка с Соломоновых островов)

Very interesting incoming postcard from Solomon Islands!

       Solomon Islands is a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania lying to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu and covering a land area of 28,400 square kilometres. The country's capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the North Solomon Islands (part of Papua New Guinea), but excludes outlying islands, such as Rennell and Bellona, and the Santa Cruz Islands.

       As of 2016^[update], there were 599,419 people in Solomon Islands.

      The majority of Solomon Islanders are ethnically Melanesian (94.5%). Polynesian (3%) and Micronesian (1.2%) are the two other significant groups. There are a few thousand ethnic Chinese.

       While English is the official language, only 1–2% of the population speak English. The lingua franca is Solomons Pijin, which is related to the Tok Pisin of Papua New Guinea, but which has no official status.

 

I am very grateful to your help dear Pieter!

 

Postcard from Bangladesh (Открытка из Бангладеша)

Got new beautiful view postcard from Bangladesh!

        officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh (গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ Gaṇaprajātantrī Bāṃlādēśa), is a country in South Asia. It shares land borders with India and Myanmar (Burma). Nepal, Bhutan and China are located near Bangladesh but do not share a border with it. The country's maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal is roughly equal to the size of its land area. Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous country. Dhaka is its capital and largest city, followed by Chittagong, which has the country's largest port.

       Bangladesh forms the largest and easternmost part of the Bengal region. Bangladeshis include people from a range of ethnic groups and religions. Bengalis, who speak the official Bengali language, make up 98% of the population.

       Estimates of the Bangladeshi population vary, but 2016 UN data suggests 163 million. More than 98 percent of Bangladeshi Bengalis speak Bangla as their native language.

 

Thank you so much dear Rahat!

 

Postcard from Laos (Открытка из Лаоса)

Wonderful incoming postcard showing traditional dresses of Laos!

       officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao), commonly referred to by its colloquial name of Muang Lao (Lao: ເມືອງລາວ, Muang Lao), is a landlocked country in the heart of the Indochinese peninsula of Mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar (Burma) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southwest and Thailand to the west and southwest.

       Its thickly forested landscape consists mostly of rugged mountains, the highest of which is Phou Bia at 2,818 metres with some plains and plateaus.

       Laos' population was estimated at 6.8 million in 2016, dispersed unevenly across the country. Most people live in valleys of the Mekong River and its tributaries. Vientiane prefecture, the capital and largest city, had about 740,010 residents in 2008. The country's population density was 27/km²

       The official and dominant language is Lao, a tonal language of the Tai linguistic group. However, only slightly more than half of the population can speak Lao.

 

Thank you so much for a help Yangyang and Alec!

 

Postcard from Slovenia (Открытка из Словении)

 

Very beautiful incoming view postcard from Slovenia!

       officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a nation state located in the southern Central Europe. The country is located at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers 20,273 square kilometers and has a population of 2.06 million. It is a parliamentary republic and a member of the United Nations, European Union. The capital and largest city is Ljubljana.

       The territory is mostly mountainous with a mainly continental climate, with the exception of the Slovene Littoral that has a sub-Mediterranean climate and the northwest that has an Alpine climate. Additionally, the Dinaric Alps and the Pannonian Plain meet on the territory of Slovenia. The country, marked by a significant biological diversity, is one of the most water-rich in Europe, with a dense river network, a rich aquifer system, and significant karst underground watercourses. Over half of the territory is covered by forest.

       The official language in Slovenia is Slovene, which is a member of the South Slavic language group.

Thank you very much for this wondefrul postcard, Mirjam!