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France
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Flag and what it symbolises: The French flag is known as the French Tricolour. Blue is identified with Saint Martin,red with Saint Denis and white is described as the "ancient french colour" by Lafayette.The three colours occasionally represent the three elements of the revolutionary motto: liberte,egalite,fraternite.
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| Population: 66.5 million |
| Capital: Paris |
| Official language: French |
| Currency: Euro, formerly the French Franc |
| Climate: Humid-temperate climate in the north ( cold summers, quite warm winters). Dry summers, mild and rainy winters in the south |
| Time zone: CET (UTC+1) |
| Anthem: La Marseillaise was a revolutionary song, an anthem to freedom, a patriotic call to mobilize all the citizens to fight against tyranny and foreign invasion. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song for the Rhine Army"). In 1795 it became the republic's national anthem. |
| Type of Government: Semi-Presidential Republic |
| Bordering countries: Spain,Italy,Switzerland,Germany,Belgium,Luxemburg |
| Major cities: Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Strasbourg |
| Landmarks(tourist attractions): Eiffel Tower, Palace of Versailles, St Tropez, Gorge du Verdon, Palais des Papes in Avignon, Carcassone, Pont du Gard, Luvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Lascaux caves, Provence, Riviera |
| Religion: Catholicism is the primary religion but there are also Protestants,other Christians,Muslims.A large percentage of French people are atheists. |
| Time zone: CET (UTC+1) |
| Products: Wine (mostly in Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Loire Valley), Perfume and Skincare Products (L’Oreal), Cars (Peugeot, Citroen and Renault), Cheeses (Brie, Camembert, Roquefort), Wheat (northern France), Dairy products, pork, poultry, apples (western France), Beef (central France) |
| Outstanding personalities: Christian Dior (fashion designer),Jean-Paul Gaultier (fashion designer), Brigitte Bardot (actress), Alain Delon (actor/businessman),Camille Claudel (sculptor),Charles Baudelaire (poet),Charles de Gaulle (politician), Edith Piaf (singer),Eugene Delacroix (painter), Coco Chanel (fashion designer), Victor Hugo (author), Claude Monet (impressionist artist), Marcel Proust (author), Simon de Beauvoir (writer), Zinedine Zidane (footballer) |
| Leisure time activities: On the one hand the French are very active and do really all kinds of sports depending on the region, i.e. aerial sports like paragliding and hang-gliding, beach and nautical sports like surfing, diving, boating etc., cycling and hiking, athletics and ball games like soccer, and also mountaineering, canyoning as well as all winter sports. On the other hand they are top of the list of OECD - countries in time spent on eating, sleeping and shopping.The most visible freetime activity is pétanque, |
| National Holidays: Public Holidays: 1 Januar - New Year’s Day ‘Jour de l’an’,1 May - Labour Day ‘Fête du premier mai’, 8 May - WWII Victory Day ‘Fête de la Victorie 1945’; ‘Fête du huitième mai’, 14 July - Bastille Day ‘Fête nationale’, 11 November - Armistice Day ‘Jour d’armistice’; Religious Holidays (Moveable-2016): 25 March - Good Friday (only in Alsace and Lorraine), 27 March - Easter ‘Pâques’, 28 March - Easter Monday, 5 May - Ascension ‘l’Ascension’, 15 May - Pentecost ‘la Pentecôste’, 16 May - White Monday ‘Lundi de Penetecôte’; Normal religious holidays: 15 August - Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary ‘Assomption’, 1 November - All Saints Day ‘La Toussaint’, 11 November - Armistice Day ‘Jour d’armistice’, 25 December - Christmas Day ‘Noël’, 26 December - 2nd Day of Christmas (only in Alsace and Lorraine) |
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Stamps:(embed 4 stamp photos)
 
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Greece
Map of the country:
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Flag and what it symbolises:
The white cross in the top left of the flag symbolises the orthodox church. The nine blue and white stripes could be the number of syllable of the greek sentence “Freedom or Death”. They could be the number of letter in “freedom”, or the nine Muses, goddesses of art and civilization. The white colour is for the clouds and the blue for the sea.
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| Population: 10775557 |
| Capital: Athens |
| Official language: The greek language is the official language spoken in Greece, there are also foreign languages spoken in Greece like English, French and German. |
| Currency: Euro |
| Climate: generally mild, Mediterranean climate, humid winters, hot and dry summers |
| Time zone: In winter UTC +2 and in summer UTC +3 |
| Anthem: Imnos is tin Eleftherian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxoggY8x4BI |
| Type of Government: Parliamentary republic, President Karolos PAPOULIAS, Prime Minister Alexis TSIPRAS |
| Bordering countries: There areTurkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania. |
| Major cities: Athens,Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, Larisa |
| Landmarks (tourist attractions): Parthenon/Acropolis in Athens, Acropolis Museum, Akrotiri, Delos, Delphi, Epidaurus, Knossos/Crete, Meteora Monasteries, Mistras, Mount Athos, Mount Olympus, Mycenae, Nafplio, Olympia, Rhodes, Samaria Gorge, Santorini, Temple of Hephaestos |
| Religion: Orthodox church for 98% of the population. |
| Time zone: Winter UTC +2, Summer UTC +3 |
| Products: machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products |
| Outstanding personalities: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Basketball player), Sakis Rouvas (pop singer), Alexis Tsipras (world leader), Eleni Menegaki (TV show host), Yannis Philippakis (Rock singer), Georgia Salpa (Model), Antonis Samaras (Politician), Georgios Samaras (Soccer Player), Irene Papas (Movie Actress), Vicky Leandros (Pop singer), Vassilis Spanoulis (Basketball player), Vasilis Karras (Folk Singer). |
| Leisure time activities: growing grapevine, olives; spending time in caffee; going to the theater and concerts; taking part in folk dance; watching 'karagiozi' |
| National Holidays:
6th January - Epiphany; Shrove Monday, 25th March - Independence Day; Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1st May - Labour Day; Pentecost Monday,15th August - Assumption of the Holy Virgin; 28th October - Ochi Day; 25th December Christmas; 26th December .
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Stamps (embed 4 stamp photos)
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Poland
Map of the country:
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Flag and what it symbolises:
The flag of Poland consists of two horizontal halves - the top half is white and the bottom half is red.The colours of the Polish flag are based on the colours of the national coat of arms which is a white eagle on a red shield and dates back to 13th century. The red symbolizes the blood shed in the country's fight for independence and the white symbolizes peace.
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| Population: 38,005,614 inhabitants |
| Capital: Warsaw |
| Official language: Polish |
| Currency: Zloty |
| Climate: Oceanic in the north and west, Continental towards the south- east |
| Time zone: CET (UTC+1) |
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Anthem: "Poland is Not Yet Lost"
Poland has not yet perished , As long as we live. What abroad has taken us by force , We will resume by the sword. Chorus:Walking, walking, Dabrowski Italian land to Poland Under your leadership We will unite with the nation. We will cross the Vistula and Warta We will be Polish Bonaparte gave us the example How we must defeat . (Chorus)As Czarniecki to Poznań After the Swedish invasion , To save the country Returned by the sea. (Chorus)And already the father said to his Basia In tears :"Look ! It seems Ours Beat the drum. "(Chorus)
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| Type of Government: Parliamentary republic. Prime minister and President. |
| Bordering countries:
Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany
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| Major cities: Warsaw, Poznan, Krakow |
| Landmarks (tourist attractions): Krakow, Bieszczady Mountains,Czestochowa, Masurian Lakes,Oswiecim (Auschwitz),Tatra Mountains,Warsaw (Palace of Culture,Chopin Museum,Jewish ghetto..), Slowinski National Park. |
| Religion: Roman Catholic |
| Time zone: UTC+1 |
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Products:
Agricultural products : apples,dairy,pork,poultry,wheat,vegetables. Industrial products: electronic equipment, household appliances, cosmetics, vehicles, furniture, pumps, engines,plastics.
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| Outstanding personalities: Nicolaus Copernicus (scientist), Frederic Chopin ( composer), Madame Curie (scientist), Pope Jean Paul II, Lech Walesa (politician) |
| Leisure time activities: You can visit The Palace of Culture and Sciences, the International Museum of Warsaw, the Bothanical Garden ant the beautiful churches. |
| National Holidays: May 1:Labour Day, May 3:Constitution Day, November 11:National Independence Day |
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Stamps:(embed 4 stamp photos)
 
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Germany
Map of the country:
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Flag and what it symbolises:
The three colours black, red and gold have been used since the beginning of the 19th century for the German republican and democratic movements. The monarchy and the Nazis used different colours. The flag was first introduced as national flag for the whole of Germany during the Weimar Republic 1918-1933.
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| Population: 81.459.000 |
| Capital: Berlin |
| Official language: German |
| Currency: Euro |
| Climate:temperate and marine |
| Time zone: CET (UTC +1) |
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Anthem: 'Deutschlandlied ' (=Song of Germany). It has been the national anthem of Germany since1922. The music was written by J.Haydn in 1797 and August H.H.Von Fallersleben wrote the lyrics. Since the World War 2 only the third stanza has been used:
Unity and justice and freedom
For the German fatherland!
Let us all strive for this purpose
Brotherly with heart and hand
Unity and justice and freedom
Bloom in the glow of this happiness
Bloom,German fatherland.
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| Type of Government: Federal parliamentary republic |
| Bordering countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luksemburg, Belgium, Netherlands |
| Major cities: Berlin,Hamburg,Munich,Cologne,Frankfurt,Stuttgart,Dusseldorf,Bremen,Nuremberg,Dresden |
| Landmarks (tourist attractions): Köln Cathedral, Reichstag building, Hofbräuhaus, Europa-park, VW Autostadt, Nürburgring, Berlin Wall |
| Religion: Evangelicalism , Lutheranism, Catholicism, Islam |
| Time zone: CET (UTC+1) |
| Products: Sugar beet, potatoes, wheat, barley, rye, rape, cabbage, fruit, vegetables, wine, fishing, automotive, forestry |
| Outstanding personalities: Johan Gutenberg (inventor), Albrecht Dürer (artist), Jan Sebastian Bach (composer), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (poet), Ludwig van Beethoven (composer and pianist), Felix Mendelssohn (composer) |
| Leisure time activities: German people enjoy 'having a lie-in',watching TV,listening to the radio or surfing the net. Walking,jogging,skating,cycling and taking part in athletic activities are popular as regards outdoor activities. Germans also enjoy unusual sports such as bungee jumping, deep sea fishing and boxing. They also love travelling,spending family time on amusement parks,aquariums,attending musical events and joining civic clubs such as local soccer,bowling,golf and so on. |
| Christmas holiday : 23rd December to January 10th ; From March 25th to April 3rd ; From May 15th to 29th ; From July 28th to 10th September ; From November 1st to 4th |
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Stamps:(embed 4 stamp photos)
 
 
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