Postcard from South Korea／Carte Postale de la Corée du Sud

30th Anniversary of Gwangju Democratization Movement／
30ème anniversaire de mouvement pour la démocratie de Gwangju



The Gwangju Democratization Movement (Hangeul:광주 민주화 운동, Hanja: 光州民主化運動) or simply Gwangju Uprising refers to a popular rebellion in the city of Gwangju, South Korea from May 18 to May 27, 1980. During this period, citizens rose up against government and took control of the city. In the course of the uprising, insurgents took up arms, but were ultimately crushed by the ROK Army. The event is sometimes called 518, in reference to the date the uprising began.

The events of May 1980 were not a deliberate plot by the ROK government to massacre innocent civilians in South Cholla Province. Nor was the U.S. involved in the incident. Given the extent of the insurrection, the death toll was remarkably low: a fact that reflects the ROK government's efforts to minimize casualties. Those who continue to distort what happened at Kwangju should have their motives questioned. They seem determined to prevent the wounds from healing and to drive a wedge between the U.S. and the Korean people.

During 1980s, the incident was represented in official reports as a rebellion inspired by Communist sympathizers. But after civil rule was reinstated, the incident received recognition as an effort to defend democracy from military usurpation. Therefore, so called Kwangju Democratization Movement. However, there are claims supporting the official report. In South Korean media several North Korean refugees, including former Korean People's Army (KPA) members, claimed that the rebellion was truly supported by special KPA agents. In 1997, former presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, as well as 17 others, were convicted and subsequently pardoned for their "connections with the December 12, 1979 coup, the Gwangju Uprising, and slush funds." By 2002, a national cemetery and day of commemoration (May 18), along with acts to "compensate, and restore honor" to victims, were established.

Le mouvement pour la démocratisation de Gwangju (Hangeul:광주 민주화 운동 , Hanja: 光州民主化運動) est un soulèvement populaire prenant place dans le centre-ville de Gwangju en Corée du Sud, amorcé le 18 mai 1980. Au cours de ce mouvement, les citoyens s'élèveront contre la dictature en place et prendront le contrôle du centre-ville avant d'être sévèrement réprimés par l'armée qui reprendra le contrôle des lieux le 27 mai. Gwangju était le fief du leader de l'opposition démocrate, Kim Dae-jung, qui fut condamné à mort après ces émeutes, puis gracié par la suite.

Pendant le règne de Chun Doo-hwan, cet événement était présenté comme une révolte inspirée par des sympathisants communistes, mais une fois qu'un régime civil a été mis en place, il a été reconnu qu'il s'agissait d'un mouvement ayant pour but de défendre la démocratie contre la dictature militaire. En 1997, les anciens présidents Chun Doo-hwan et Roh Tae-woo ont été jugés coupables, avec 17 autres accusés, pour leurs "liens avec le coup d'État du 12 décembre 1979, le soulèvement de Gwangju et des fonds secrets", pour être par la suite graciés. En 2002 furent créés un cimetière national et une journée commémorative (le 18 mai), pour "compenser" les victimes et "restaurer leur honneur".

Cet événement est généralement appelé "5 1 8" ("오일팔", prononcé "o il pal", c'est-à-dire "cinq un huit" en français) en coréen, en référence à la date du soulèvement (avec, dans l'ordre, le mois et le jour).

FDC from Japan／FDC du Japon

The 60th Anniversary of Enforcement of the Local Autonomy Law-Kōchi Prefecture／
Le 60ème Anniversaire de Mise en vigueur de la Loi d'Autonomie Locale - la Préfecture de Kōchi


Kōchi Prefecture (高知県, Kōchi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.
Kochi is a land of lush forests and blue seas, and people who have learnt to harmonize with our rich and varied environment. To the north, the Shikoku Ranges form our border with Ehime and Tokushima Prefectures. To the south, Kochi sweeps out into the Pacific Ocean in a large arc, reminiscent of a folding paper fan. With a total area of 7105 square kilometers, Kochi is the largest prefecture of the four on Shikoku Island, and 18th largest in Japan. 84% of this land area is covered in forest, with a population of 796,292 (2005 National Census). At number 45 in terms of residents, we are quite sparsely populated, with a density of only 112.1 people per square kilometer. Our climate is warm and humid, with sub-tropical plants such as Acoh and Biroh found on Ashizuri and Muroto Capes. Early-bearing varieties of rice are grown on the plains. Indeed, Kochi is one of Japan’s bread-baskets, having long produced vegetables in greenhouses. With a long Pacific border, we also boast a stunning coastline.Introduction The west has many inlets, and the upraised east coast is blessed with broad sandy beaches. It is this complex geography, our warm climate and the many typhoons that cross our coastline that have produced the unique culture of Kochi Prefecture.

FDC from Russia／FDC de la russie

175th Anniversary of Hydrometeorologic Service／
175ème Anniversaire de Service Hydrométéorologique

New Issue: Centenary of Girl Scouting Commemorative Issue／Les nouveautés: Centenaire du Scoutisme féminin émission commémorative

The year 2010 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the girl scouting movement, and Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of two stamps in commemoration on the theme: Girls worldwide say, “Together we can change the world”. The designs of which are described below:

1. The NT$5-denominated stamp: The stamp features a design ingeniously implying a combination of two hands and two doves. The two open palms suggest the idea of devotion and sharing, and the dove symbolizes peace. Devotion, sharing and peace are fundamental Girl Scout values. Girl Scouts aim to actively contribute service to the community so as to make the world a better place.

2. The NT$25-denominated stamp: It features a dove holding multi-colored ribbons in its mouth to convey a joyous atmosphere. The ribbons form two interlinked hearts to represent the joining of hearts and minds. The design has connotations of love, cooperation and peace.

To add to the fun of stamp collecting, the stamps will be printed in the shape of a rhombus. Both the stamps feature the emblems of WAGGGS and the Girl Scouts of Taiwan in the expectation that the Girl Scouts will respect its rules, act with sincerity, and faithfully fulfill their duties, helping others whenever the opportunity presents itself and holding true to their organizational spirit of working to achieve a more beautiful future.

FDC from Bulgaria／FDC de la Bulgarie

Expo 2010／Exposition universelle de 2010


Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China (simplified Chinese: 中国2010年上海世界博览会; traditional Chinese: 中國2010年上海世界博覽會; pinyin: Zhōngguó Èrlíngyīlíng Nián Shànghǎi Shìjìe Bólǎnhuì) is being held on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It is a World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions. The theme of the exposition is "Better City – Better Life" and signifies Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as the "next great world city". The expo Logo features the Chinese character 世 ('world', Chinese "shì") modified to represent three people together with the 2010 date. It is the most expensive Expo in the history of the world's fairs. The Shanghai World Expo is also the largest World's Fair site ever at 5.28 square km.

More than 190 countries and more than 50 international organizations have registered to participate in the Shanghai World Expo, the largest ever. China expects to receive almost 100 foreign leaders and millions of people from across the world to come and visit the World Expo. More than 70–100 million visitors are expected to visit the expo, the largest in history.

L'Expo 2010 est une exposition universelle qui se tient à Shanghai, en Chine, du 1er mai 2010 au 31 octobre 2010. La ville a été choisie le 3 décembre 2002 par le Bureau international des expositions pour accueillir cette exposition.

Le thème de l'exposition est : « Une meilleure ville, une meilleure vie ». Le logo de l'Expo 2010 représente le caractère 世 (Pinyin : shì, Sens : monde) modifié pour représenter trois personnes unies, avec la date 2010. La mascotte Haibao a la forme du caractère 人 qui signifie « être humain » ou « humanité » (Pinyin : rén).

L'exposition se situe entre les ponts Nanpu et Lupu, le long du fleuve Huangpu, dans le centre de Shanghai. Elle couvrira un espace de 5,28 km². Avec un budget de 30 milliards de renminbi et entre 70 et 100 millions de visiteur attendus, c'est a priori (en 2009) l'exposition universelle la plus importante de l'histoire. Le 23 septembre 2009, 242 pays et organisations internationales ont confirmé leur participation à l'Exposition universelle de Shanghai.

Note: There is a stamp: "MISSENT TO CHINA" in Chinese on the cover.

FDC from Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska)／FDC de la Bosnie-Herzégovine (La République serbe de Bosnie)

EUROPA-Children's books／
EUROPA-Livres pour enfants

FDC from Russia／FDC de la russie

Towns of Soldierly Glory／
Villes de la gloire de soldat


Towns of Soldierly Glory - Belgorod, Kursk, Orel, Polyarny, Rzhev.

FDC from Brazil／FDC du Brésil

Fruit Loop - Rural Tourism／
Fruit Loop - Tourisme rural


Post publicize this issue, as soon as Mercosur, the Fruit Loop, composed of ten municipalities related to fruit production, including exports, and rural tourism.

The horticulture export has been growing rapidly every year in Brazil, and also represents a huge potential to be exploited. Our primary customer is Russia, which concentrates the largest share of the volume of Brazilian exports of fresh fruits. This has promising export market as other destinations, mainly Canada, UAE, China, USA and other countries of Eastern Europe.

The Fruit Loop is a major and more well structured tour of the state of Sao Paulo. The Circuit is in strong farm, producing fruit (grape, strawberry, persimmon, peach, fig, plum, guava and cherry, among many others) and its derivatives, such as liqueurs and jams.

Also known as Polo Turístico Fruit Loop, consists of 10 municipalities (Atibaia Indaiatuba, Itatiba Itupeva, Jarinu, Jundiaí Louveira Morungaba, Valinhos and Vineyard) with traditional and diversified production in the area of horticulture. The total area of the municipalities that make up the Fruit Loop is 2383 km ² with a population of 1,030,035 inhabitants in 2008.

The region is a small paradise. Amidst the beautiful scenery, stand out in the Fruit Circuit rural tourism, fruit production, artisan production of wine and sweets and contact with the cultural and historical roots of Brazilian people.

Near the Greater Sao Paulo, the Circuit Fruit has one of the best roads in Brazil, with emphasis on the Anhanguera and Bandeirantes. It is also located close to major airports in the state, as Cumbica Airport, in Guarulhos, Congonhas in Sao Paulo and Viracopos, in Campinas. The region of the circuit began to be populated with the occupation of territory in the seventeenth century. During the eighteenth century was the Jundiaí tropeirismo warehouse and from the nineteenth century, its development was fueled by coffee.

In 1867, with completion of the railroad-Jundiaí Santos, the city became a strategic area of rail junction. There came then the first groups of Italians, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, German, English and Arabic. With the coffee crisis in 30 years of the twentieth century, the population of the region gave impetus to the diversification of crops, to the profusion of varieties currently grown. The origin of the Fruit Loop back to the mid-'90s, when farmers in the region sought to develop rural tourism alternatives for economic viability of their properties.

In 2000, 27 farmers met for the establishment of the Association of Rural Tourism Circuit Fruit. With the organization of the movement, he joined the municipal governments of the participating municipalities, with support of organizations like the Brazilian Service to Support Micro and Small Enterprises - SEBRAE / SP and the National Cooperative Learning - SESCOOP / SP. At the same time, the interest of the state government in the development of tours provided the necessary condition for that, October 2, 2002, was officially established the Polo Turístico Fruit Loop. Since then there has been a growing number of tourists who visit and enjoy their privileged nature and flavors of the field.

FDC from Poland／FDC de la Pologne

Baltic Sea Mammals／
Mammifères de la mer Baltique

All mammals inhabiting the Baltic Sea are under protection. There are three species of seals and porpoise - the only whale Baltic. Even in the early twentieth century, they lived in the sea very much, but because they mainly feed on fish, so they were considered pests. Killing were paid for their rewards. This led quickly to the almost total extermination of the Baltic seals and cetaceans. From less than 20 years last attempt to re-population of these animals. Currently, the main threat to them are czyhającym fishing nets, in which the gets caught. Soul is trapped, unable to proceed to draw air. Another threat is the pollution that causes the disease and problems with reproduction. A third important factor in the development of tourism and fisheries. Lack of peace and the noise frightened the animals from their habitat, not giving them a rest, which often leads the animals to exhaustion. Therefore, do not interfere with the rest on the edge of the perceived Foce. It should pass the information on this meeting to Sealand.

Helskie Sealand - a facility of the Institute of Oceanography Marine Station of Gdansk University, founded in 1999 the main task of this center is to rebuild the gray seal colony in the Southern Baltic. Seals, who need care or have been brought up in Sealand, they return to the natural environment, providing valuable information about the species, its migration and health. Sealand also runs educational activities, and popularizing knowledge of the mammals living in the Baltic.

In the summer, when many countrymen rests on the sea or even remembers walking along the beach, the Polish Post has prepared a series of stamps featuring the Baltic population, whose existence is often not remember or do not know. At the four stamps in one coastal scenery are presented: the porpoise, gray seal, seal, and ringed seal vulgaris. Stamps FDC envelope and accompanied by a commemorative stamp used in Post Office Hel first Inauguration of stamps took place in Hel Sealand.

porpoise (phocaena phocaena) - although the porpoise has its own monument in Gdynia, it's not every child knows that living in the Baltic Sea relative of a dolphin. Unfortunately the danger of extinction. Knowledge of it is negligible because of the small number (estimated to be approximately 1,000 individuals). It weighs about 1945-1970 kg with a body length of about 1.5-1.7 m. We meet in the Gulf of Gdansk and Puck.

The stamp shows the porpoise emerged upper part of his body from the nasal aperture, and a characteristic triangular dorsal fin.

gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) - the largest of the Baltic seals, up to 2.5 m. Weight of males may exceed even 300 kg. Small at birth are covered with white fur. Once very numerous, are rare, mainly in the Gulf of Gdansk.

Common seal (Phoca vitulina) - also known as sea dog. Despite its name, it is the least numerous species of Baltic seal. It lives in colonies, very fast swims, dives to a depth of 150 m. The length of body about 1.5 - 2 m, weight about 100-180 kg. Young immediately after birth are "adult" color.

ringed seal (Phoca hispida) - seal. Its name comes from the ring-shaped bright spots on the back. It is the smallest of the Baltic seals 105-170 cm in length and weighing 45-140 kg. Lives, rather alone.

FDC from Algeria／FDC de L'Algerie

2nd Panafrican Cultural Festival of Algiers 2009／
2ème Festival Culturel Panafricain d'Alger 2009


Algeria to host the 5 to 20 July 2009 the second edition of the Pan-African Cultural Festival. Forty years after the first edition of this cultural event in 1969 and was placed under the banner of "freedom" because of marked liberation movements across Africa, now it appears this time under the slogan " African Renaissance "reflecting the culture of the continent.

The decision to hold the second Pan-African cultural festival dates back to 2005 when holding the first conference of African Ministers of Culture, a decision endorsed by the African Union summit in Khartoum in 2006, which adopted occasionally, the charter of the African renaissance.

Forty members of the African Union will participate in this great cultural event. Home to a large community of African descent throughout the world, the United States and Brazil will also participate in this event which will certainly new dimensions because the majority of African countries were at the time of the first edition under the yoke colonialism.

The rich and diverse activities are included in the program of the second Pan-African Festival "Panaf'2009" which will see 8,000 participants. These activities are spread over different areas like the cinema, theater, music, visual arts, literature, heritage, etc..

Also, a big parade is preparing to roam the streets of the capital the day of the official opening of the festival in its second edition.

The organization of the Pan-African festival in Algeria, which also forms part of the strengthening of the African dimension of national culture and its interference with other cultures of the continent is likely to be an opportunity to confirm once again the membership our country and its commitment to the values of pan-Africanism.

L’Algérie abritera du 05 au 20 Juillet 2009 la deuxième édition du festival culturel panafricain. Quarante ans après la première édition de cet événement culturel en 1969 et qui fut placé sous le signe de « la liberté » en raison des mouvements de libérations marqués à travers le continent africain, voilà qu’il se présente cette fois sous le slogan de « la renaissance africaine » reflétant ainsi la culture de tout le continent.

La décision d’organiser le deuxième festival culturel panafricain remonte à l’année 2005 lors de la tenue de la première conférence des Ministres Africains de la culture, décision entérinée par le sommet de l’Union Africaine de Khartoum en 2006, qui a adopté, à l’occasion, la charte de la renaissance africaine.

Une quarantaine de pays membres de l’Union Africaine participeront à cette grande manifestation culturelle. Abritant une grande communauté d’origine africaine à travers le monde, les Etats-Unis et le Brésil participeront également à cet événement qui aura certainement de nouvelles dimensions car la majeure partie des pays africains étaient à l’époque de la première édition sous les jougs du colonialisme.

Des activités aussi riches que diverses sont inscrites au programme du deuxième festival panafricain « Panaf’2009 » qui connaîtra environ 8000 participants. Ces activités se répartissent sur différents volets à l’instar du cinéma, le théâtre, la musique, les arts visuels, la littérature, le patrimoine, etc.

Aussi, une grande parade se prépare à sillonner les rues de la capitale le jour de l’inauguration officielle du festival en sa deuxième édition.

L’organisation du festival panafricain par l’Algérie qui s’inscrit aussi dans le cadre du raffermissement de la dimension africaine de la culture nationale et son interférence avec les autres cultures du continent sera sans doute une occasion pour confirmer encore une fois l’appartenance de notre pays et son attachement aux valeurs du panafricanisme.

FDC from Russia／FDC de la russie

2009 - the Year of Youth／
2009 - l'Année de la Jeunesse

Postcard from Malta／Carte postale de Malte