COVER N. 291 - FRANCE - SAINT PIERRE ET MIQUELON

Postmark: 975 - St. Pierre - St. Pierre et Miquelon 17.07.2023

Posted on the 17th July; Received on the 1st August 2023

_________________________________________________________________________________

 My country used to be an empire, which stretched over  continents and oceans, reaching as far as what is now East Timor.

Today, and quite rightly so, Portugal is confined within the limits of its natural territorial boundaries, be it in the European Mainland, or in the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira, both archipelagos having been claimed by Portugal following the arrival of Portuguese navigators to its islands, which were, at the time, totally devoid of population.

Not so with several European countries, though, which for several reasons maintain territories that, on first thought, would look somewhat "out of place", given the geographic distance between them and their father state and/or their colonial nature.

I am not sure if  Saint Pierre and Miquelon were inhabited when the French claimed it, but the small archipelago  lies so close to Newfoundland that on first sight one would think it part of the Canadian Province. That is not the case though and, as far as I know, relations between Canada and France have never been scratched because of this territory, so croissants and baguettes  will continue to be  eaten  and paid in Euros for a long time to come, if not for ever😀.

Thanks a lot, Jeff, for the very nice cover. My friend Mr. Postman must have been wondering why I do receive mail from such unusual places....

 

On 17JUN2023, la Poste issued a souvenir sheet containing a stamp commemorative of the 60th anniversary of the creation by General de Gaulle of the Order of Merit.

For ease of exposition I'll translate the rather lengthy note on the souvenir sheet itself:

The National order of Merit (Ordre National du Mérite) was established on 3 December 1963 by General de Gaulle. Its aim is threefold: to emphasise the dynamism of society and to further individual energies, to serve as a role model and to acknowledge the diversity of French Society. Complementary to the  Legion of Honor (Légion d'Honneur) this universal order can honour French citizens in all activity domains. 

The stamp is illustrated with the decoration and the ribbons of its grades. 

The Postmark indicates that the letter was posted in Saint Pierre.