Latvia is a European state, which is situated on the coast of Baltic Sea.
One of the three Baltic states, Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the north,
Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus on the south east, and the
Baltic Sea on the west. The most famous travel spot is the capital Riga, a
World Heritage Site. There are also many other great places to see, both urban
and rural, such as Liepaja with its unique former secret military town of
Karosta and a magnificent beach. Kuldiga with Europe’s widest waterfall and
Cesis with its medieval castle ruins are also interesting. Tourists can also
enjoy the wild beauty of Latvia's unspoilt seacoast, which is 500 km long and
consists mainly of white, soft sandy beaches. Forests, which cover
approximately a half of Latvia's territory, offer many nature trails and nature
parks.
The stamp on this maxi card is one of
a set of three which formed a set which was a Joint issue between Latvia and Lithuania
Post, and was issued on May 10, 1997. My friend Merja sent me this extremely pretty maxi
card. The ship shown on the card Battle-ship Das Wappen der Herzogin von
Kurland (17th century). Shipbuilding flourished in the former Duchy of
Kurland in present-day Latvia under Duke Jacob (1642-82). Ships were built at
the Ventspils and Kuldiga shipyards, at first by German and Dutch, craftsmen
invited by Duke Jacob, and later by local shipwrights. During Duke Jacob’s rule
ships of all kinds of ships were built in Kurland, and not only for local needs
but also for England, France, Spain and other countries. The biggest
battle-ship built for Kurland itself, Das Wappen der Herzogin van Kurland was a
four-decked three master armed with 72 naval guns and capable of holding 400
sailors and 100 soldiers. The ship was modelled after the English battleship
Sovereign of the Seas.
