Forest – Europa 2011 Gibraltar

 

To support the declaration of the United Nations to save forest for future generations, Gibraltar Post under Europa stamp organization  pleased to release a set of four stamps features the famous forest which found in the world on April 04, 2011. The issue stamps depict the Alpine Swiss National Park, the Amazon Rainforest, Yosemite National Park, and the Plitvice Lakes.

 

The Alpine Swiss National Park is located in the canton of Graubünden in the east of Switzerland between Zernez, S-chanf, Scuol and the Fuorn Pass in the Engadin valley on the border with Italy. It has an area of 174.2 km² and is the largest protected area of the country. It was founded on 1 August 1914, the national holiday of Switzerland. It was one of the earliest national parks in Europe.



 
 

Vacations at Gibraltar

 

The theme for the 2004 Europa stamp issue is Vacations . Therefore Gibraltar Post issued the stamp set comprised of 4 stamps depicted Vacation places of Gibraltar.

The Rock of Gibraltar is one of the best-known landmarks in the world. It is strategically located at the crossroads of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It also finds itself between two continents that are vastly different, Europe and Africa. All this makes it a unique, vibrant and safe destination.

Whilst in Gibraltar, you are able to see sites like the famous Rock Apes, St Michael's Cave, the Great Seige Tunnels and even go dolphin watching. Apart from these attractions, there are a whole host of other activities and places you can visit. You can tour the World War Two tunnels (there are 53 km of tunnels inside the Rock), Lower St Michael's Cave or the Museum.

Gibraltar's pedestrian shopping areas and marinas boast a multitude of VAT free shops, bars and restaurants that cater for your every need.

Panoramic Views of Gibraltar

The Rock of Gibraltar lies at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It covers seven square kilometres dominated by the famous limestone rock which rises to 425m above sea-level at its highest point and towers above the Strait of Gibraltar, the strategic waterway which connects the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.Africa lies directly opposite just 9 miles away and the Moroccan City of Tangier is 32 miles away at the western end of the Straits.

The name Gibraltar is derived from the Arabic name Jabal Tariq meaning “mountain of Tariq”, or from Gibel Tariq, meaning “rock of Tariq”. It refers to the geological formation, the Rock of Gibraltar, and the Berber Umayyad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad, who led the initial incursion into Iberia in advance of the main Moorish force in 711. Earlier, it was known as Mons Calpe, one of the Pillars of Hercules.

The Pillars of Hercules has its origin in Greek mythology, named after the ancient Greek hero Heracles (Hercules in Latin).

 

By doing so, he connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and formed the Strait of Gibraltar. One part of the split mountain is Gibraltar and the other is either Monte Hacho .