GUINEA - BISSAU

Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese: Guiné-Bissau), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese: República da Guiné-Bissau), is a country in West Africa that covers 36,125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi) with an estimated population of 1,874,303. Guinea-Bissau is bordered by Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west. its highest point is 300 metres (984 ft). Its terrain is mostly low coastal plains with swamps of the Guinean mangroves rising to the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic in the east. Its monsoon-like rainy season alternates with periods of hot, dry harmattan winds blowing from the Sahara. The Bijagos Archipelago lies off of the mainland.

Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Kaabu, as well as part of the Mali Empire. Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others were under some rule by the Portuguese Empire since the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was colonised as Portuguese Guinea. Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability since independence, and only one elected president (José Mário Vaz) has successfully served a full five-year term.

Other parts of the territory in the current country were considered by the Portuguese as part of their empire. Portuguese Guinea was known as the Slave Coast, as it was a major area for the exportation of African slaves by Europeans to the western hemisphere. Early reports of Europeans reaching this area include those of the Venetian Alvise Cadamosto's voyage of 1455, the 1479–1480 voyage by Flemish-French trader Eustache de la Fosse, and Diogo Cão. In the 1480s this Portuguese explorer reached the Congo River and the lands of Bakongo, setting up the foundations of modern Angola, some 4200 km down the African coast from Guinea-Bissau. Independence was unilaterally declared on 24 September 1973, which is now celebrated as the country's Independence Day, a public holiday. Recognition became universal following 25 April 1974 socialist-inspired military coup in Portugal, which overthrew Lisbon's Estado Novo regime.

Stamps of Cape Verde were used in what is now Guinea-Bissau from 1877. The first stamps of Portuguese Guinea were issued 1881, overprinting stamps of Cape Verde. The first series of definitives was issued in 1886. In 1913, the Vasco da Gama commemorative series of Macau, Timor and Portuguese Africa were surcharged in new currency for Portuguese Guinea. The Ceres series was issued in Portuguese Guinea from 1914. The first stamps of independent Guinea-Bissau were issued in 1974.

One of the rarest country for cover collectors, because of limited international relationship and poor economic standards. I sent these covers to their philatelic bureau in the year 2015. The covers returned with perfect postmark and in a registered packet too! Guinea Bissau postal service have no own barcode labels, they just use franking machine with a handwritten number for Registered mails. All international mails are going via Portugal, when it reach Lisbon sorting center, they affix a special barcode label and tracking number on all covers from Guinea-Bissau. Thai is why it looks different that regular Portugal R label. The covers posted on February 25, 2016 and I received them in my hands on April 13, 2016.