In continuation from Friday’s post….

Healthcare is free to the island’s residents. They are limited to services by only one South African doctor and five nurses. IBM and Beacon Equity Partners have set up a Web system with the University of Pittsburg Medical Center. This system provides the resident doctor with long distance tele-medical help with instant consultations available in other countries. If an island resident is seriously injured, signals are sent to fishing boats so that residents can be transported to Cape Town, South Africa.

The islands economy is based on fishing and farming to provide the islanders with their food. Islanders also appreciate the sales of their lobsters (crawfish) to outside countries. It is not uncommon for islanders to have two occupations. You may find them working for local government and in the lobster factory. Another source of income for the island is their sales of postage stamps and coins, especially to philatelists and collectors around the globe. Often times, post office staff will board cruise liners to enable passengers, who would otherwise not be able to come ashore, the opportunity to purchase the sought-after stamps from the island.

If you are interested in purchasing 14 interesting and colorful stamps from Tristan de Cunha, visit www.stampcenter.com. These beautiful stamps are the 1960 Sealife Definitives featuring whale, lobster, fish and shark.

Tristan de Cunha is a group of very remote islands located in the Atlantic Ocean between South American and South Africa. They are considered the most remote group of islands in the world. These islands are currently an overseas territory of Great Britain. They are part of the British Crown Colony of St Helena. The territory consists of a main island, Tristan de Cunha, and 3 remote uninhabited islands; Gough Island, Inaccessible Island and Nightingale Island.

Tristan de Cunha is an active volcanic mountain. In 1961, the island was evacuated because of eruptions. The local lobster (crawfish) factory was destroyed, but rebuilt soon afterwards. Crawfish is one of the main sources of revenues for the island. They have exclusively been exported to Japan and the United States. Currently, there is less demand in the U.S. and the Tristan de Cunha economy is suffering as a result.

There is no airport on the islands and therefore it is difficult to transport to the outside world. Fishing boats from South Africa service the island on a regular basis. Television arrived on the island in 2001. There is only one channel available; The British Armed Services Broadcast. The resulting education on the island is poor. Children are allowed to leave school at 15 years of age.

Currently there are only 275 residents on the island. All residents are descendants of the original settlers. There are only seven surviving family names living on the island today; Glass, Swain, Green, Rogers, Hagan, Repetto and Lavarello. Patterson was the last name added in 1986, bringing the total to only 8 families inhabiting this remote island. Only a few expatriate members and their families may live on the island at a time. They are only allowed to live there for a short period of time (from a week to a couple of months). Priests, doctors and dentists fall into this category.

Check back on Monday for the conclusion to this post.

Gibraltar is well known for their wonderful commemorative stamps. The Princess Diana stamp is a welcome find to both Royal watchers and curious stamp collectors alike.

Gibraltar is a small British overseas territory that is located near the southern most tip of the Iberian Peninsula, which is overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. It shares a border with Spain on its north side. The population is a mere 27,495, but this territory is considered to be the most densely populated area in the world today.

Princess Diana (of Great Britain) was born on July 1, 1961 in Norfolk, England. She was married to Prince Charles, the first in line to be the King of England, on July 29, 1981. She bore two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry who are both heirs to the throne in England.

Princess Diana lived a tumultuous life in her Royal role. She died a tragic death on August 31, 1997 while in a car with boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed. Her death still sparks controversy today. She served many charities in her short life. Those of particular interest for her were ridding the world of landmines and her AIDS charity work.

These Gibraltar stamps feature 4 lovely photos of the beautiful Princess Diana. If you are interested in purchasing these exquisite stamps, with the beloved Princess Diana, visit stampcenter.com for more information.

Paddington bear was created almost half a century ago by the English writer, Michael Bond. On Christmas Eve, in 1956, Mr. Bond was shopping in a London store when he saw a lone teddy bear on the store shelf. He felt sorry for it, so he brought it home as a present for his wife Brenda. He named the bear Paddington, because he lived near the Paddington Station in London.

Once home, he began to write stories of the little bear’s adventures. Within the first 10 days, he had penned enough stories for a book. Originally his writings were not directed towards children, but he did write about things that he liked reading about when he was young. His first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published on October 13, 1958. Currently, there have been over 30 million Paddington books sold worldwide, in thirty languages.

The Paddington Bear has been involved in a number of charity projects over the years. He has worked with UNICEF in the USA and the American Red Cross. He is very well known in the United Kingdom for his works with Action Medical Research.

In January, 2006, England released a new Paddington Bear stamp. Stamps featured are self adhesive and come in a sheetlet of 20. These stamps celebrate the universal appeal of illustrated children’s literature. If you are interested in purchasing these adorable stamps visit www.stampcenter.com for more information.

Thailand has a stamp issued of their beloved Princess Galyani. The Princess was born in London, England on May 6, 1923. She is currently 84 years old. She is the eldest sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).

She is a known world traveler who has keen interests in education and music. She has produced books and videos of the countries that she has visited. One of her prime focuses has been educating the Thai public on the culture and history of other countries. Thai television stations have aired her adventures before and during her travels to various lands.

She is the president and honorary president of many charitable organizations in Thailand. Some of her favorites are the Princess Mother’s Charity Fund, The Autistic Foundation of Thailand and the Cardiac Children’s Foundation.

In 1944, the Princess married a commoner and lost her Royal title. After her divorce, she worked tirelessly for the Thai people. In 1950, her Royal title was restored by HM the King as a reward for her hard work.

With education being her main passion, she has penned many books on history, philosophy and ancient ceremonies. The Princess has presided over many charity functions. She has particular interests in classical music and the arts.

Currently the Princesses health is deteriorating. She was admitted into the hospital in June of 2007. There it was discovered that she has stomach Cancer. In the past few weeks, other health complications have erupted. She is currently receiving treatments for blood clots to the brain. The Thai people are still hoping for a full recovery for their beloved Princess.

If you would like to purchase this individual stamp commemorating Princess Galyani, please visit www.stampcenter.com for more information.

In continuation from Monday’s post on global warming.

Growing a garden can help the environment as well. It will help with soil erosion and also reduce some types of air pollution. People should reduce their daily driving whenever possible. Bike riding or walking is not only great exercise, but it will help reduce the carbon dioxide in the environment. Plant a tree. The world’s forests are being depleted at an alarming rate. We all need the trees precious oxygen to survive. Water conservation is essential. Be sure to watch for leaks around your home. Make sure that your toilet is the 1.6 gallon flush toilet. Consider changing your washing machine to an “Energy Star” appliance. Not only will you use less water, you will use less electricity, thereby costing you less money in the long run.

It is believed that even if the current greenhouse gases are stabilized, the world will continue to see the effects of warmer temperatures and higher sea levels for another millennium. The damage is already done, but it is important for everyone to contribute to the preservation, restoration and improvement of our natural environment.

The United Nations is depicting the environmental issue – Save the Forests in beautiful stamps. The in-demand stamps represent Vienna, Geneva and New York. The beautiful forest greenery and fall foliage is shown on these stamps. Visit www.stampcenter.com if you would like to purchase this complete sheet of stamps.

Global warming is the increase of the average temperature of the ocean and Earth’s near surface air and its projected continuation. It is a topic well discussed in the news today. Scientists in major industrialized countries believe that global warming is due to the continuous release of greenhouse gases into the environment.
There is ongoing political and public debate on what changes need to happen to reduce the problems for our environment.

Going Green is not only a concept, but something that we must all do in order to preserve our plant for future generations. One way that you can help is to cut down on the use of energy. Every time you use your appliances, lights, heating systems or take a ride in the car, you are using vital energy sources. By reducing your consumption, power companies will be able to reduce their carbon dioxide output that is contributing to the greenhouse gas problem.

There are some simple things that you can do within your own household that will help the environment. By changing a standard light bulb with a compact florescent one, you will get more light for less money and thereby save energy. Recycling cans, plastic and paper is a great way of helping the environment. Keeping these useful items out of the landfills is essential in reducing methane gases.

Please check back on Wednesday for Part II of II.

A debate arises when trying to figure out which country came up with the first Christmas stamp. There is a Canadian stamp that says “XMAS 1898″. One would think that this is the first, but researchers have found that it was actually made to mark the inauguration of the Imperial Penny Postage Rate on Christmas Day. The stamp is not Christmas themed. Instead it boasts a map It has been reported that this stamp was to be released on November 9th to honor the Prince of Wales. Queen Victoria’s obvious annoyance with the stamp prompted the quick thinking of Mr. Mulock who quickly noted that it was instead made for “The Prince Of Peace”.

In 1937, two stamps were issued by Austria that were billed as “Christmas Greeting Stamps”. However; neither of these stamps bore a Christmas theme. One stamp was of a zodiac sign and one stamp was a rose. Brazil issued four semi-postal stamps in 1939. Semi postal stamps are stamps that are sold above the stamp value to raise money for a cause. These stamps were definitely Christmas themed, but they were not expressly made for the Christmas holiday.

In 1941, Hungary also issued a semi postal stamp, but these stamps additional fees were meant to pay for the “soldiers’ Christmas” and should not be considered Christmas stamps.

It is widely believed that the first actual Christmas stamp was made by Hungry in 1943. It depicted a Nativity scene and it was expressly sold as a Christmas stamp.