Territory of Guam Honored on U.S. Postage Stamp
BARRIGADA, GUAM — The U.S. Postal Service honors the beauty and history of Guam today as the 90-cent international letter-rate Hagåtña Bay, Guam stamp goes on sale nationwide. Guam joins other picturesque locations including Niagara Falls (New York), Yosemite National Park (California) and Mt. McKinley (Alaska) as part of the popular Scenic American Landscapes stamp series.
Located approximately 1,600 miles east of the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean, Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands. Around 212 square miles in size — roughly three times the area of Washington, D.C. — Guam has a population of about 158,000 that includes native Guamanians, known as Chamorro, as well as others of European and Asian descent.
Like the other Mariana Islands, Guam was settled before 1500 B.C. Claimed by Spain in 1565, the island remained a Spanish outpost until 1898, when it was ceded to the United States after the Spanish-American War. Occupied by Japan during World War II, Guam was recaptured by the United States in 1944 and became the site of an important U.S. military base. In 1950, Guam officially became a U.S. territory.
Today the island is a popular destination for tourists, with some 1.5 million people visiting the island annually to enjoy its natural beauty.
The stamp features a photograph by Michael S. Yamashita of Chester, N.J. of a sunset at Hagåtña Bay in Hagatna, the capital of Guam. The capital was known as Agana until 2002, when authorities changed it back to its pre-World War II name.
How to Order First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
HAGÅTÑA BAY INTERNATIONAL STAMP
POSTMASTER
489 ARMY DR
BARRIGADA, GU 96913-1316
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by July 31, 2007.
How to Order First-Day Covers
Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:
INFORMATION FULFILLMENT
DEPT 6270
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014
An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to cover its operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.
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