Stamp Issuing Entities Of The World

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Vaduz (1918)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. The capital of Liechtenstein. During World War I, the Austrian War Office disrupted the ordinary postal system, necessitating the issuance of a provisional stamp in Vaduz. This stamp was valid for local use and for transmittal to Sevelen, Switzerland.

Vaitupu (1984-87)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. One of nine small islands in the Tuvalu Islands, formerly the Ellice Island group in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The island chain is located east of the Solomon Islands and north of Fiji in the southeastern central Pacific Ocean. Like the other Tuvalu Islands, Vaitupu issued a flurry of stamps depicting such diverse subjects as cars, locomotives, cricket players and the British royal family in the mid-1980s.

Valenciennes (1914)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. A city in northern France, near the Belgian border. Soon after the city's occupation by German forces at the beginning of World War I, the Chamber of Commerce issued a stamp for local use. This stamp was in use from Sept. 3 to Oct. 30, 1914.

Valona (1909-11, 1914-18)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. Albanian seaport. The Italian post office used eight overprinted Italian stamps from 1909-11. In October 1914, Moslem revolutionaries issued a series of stamps, used briefly before Valona was occupied by Italian troops. During the Italian occupation, two surcharged Italian stamps were again used in the city.

Vanuatu (1980-)

Stamp-issuing status: active; Population: 181,358 (1997 estimate). A Y-shaped chain of volcanic southwestern Pacific islands about 250 miles northeast of New Caledonia, southeast of the Solomon Islands. These islands were administered as the joint Anglo-French condominium of the New Hebrides from 1906 until 1980, when independence was granted to the new republic of Vanuatu.

Vatican City (1929-)

Stamp-issuing status: active; Population: 1,000 (1995 estimate). A tiny (108.7 acres) enclave in Rome, the Vatican City is the sole remnant of the once-extensive papal state in Italy. During 1870-1929, the papacy and Italy disputed sovereignty, but the Lateran Pact of 1929 restored normal relations, with temporal authority of the pope recognized in the Vatican City, which became an independent state, subject to certain limitations. Since 1929 the Vatican has maintained an active stamp-issuing policy, commemorating and publicizing a great range of Christian religious events and themes.

Veglia (Krk) (1920)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. An island off the northwestern coast of Yugoslavia. During d'Annunzio's occupation of Fiume, regular Fiume issues were overprinted for Veglia.

Venda (1979-94)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. One of South Africa's so-called Bantustans or Bantu homelands, a scattering of nominally semi-autonomous states for otherwise disenfranchised black South Africans located on the sites of reserves set up under the policies of the white-run apartheid government prior to World War II. Venda was the most northerly of these, located in the northern portion of what was Transvaal, near the border with Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Although not accorded international recognition as a sovereign state, Venda's stamps were generally accepted on international mail. Venda ceased to exist April 27, 1994.

Venezia Giulia (1918-19, 1945-47)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. Former Austrian territory at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, including the port of Trieste. The area was occupied by Italy after World War I, during which time 40 overprinted Austrian stamps were used. After World War II, the area was occupied by the Allies, and 31 overprinted Italian stamps were issued from 1945 to 1947 (Trieste zone A). Yugoslavia occupied part of the territory (zone B), issuing stamps for use there.

Venezia Tridentina (1918-19)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. A territory in northern Italy, also known as Trentino. The area was occupied by Italy from Austria after World War I, at which time 21 overprinted Austrian stamps were used.

Venezuela (1859-)

Stamp-issuing status: active; Population: 22,396,407 (1997 estimate). Republic on the northern coast of South America. Under Spanish rule after 1546, Venezuela was one of the first Latin American colonies to declare its independence, and from 1821 to 1830 it formed part of Bolivar's Great Colombia, which also included Colombia and Ecuador. Venezuela's history during the 19th century was marked by a succession of military dictatorships and chronic internal disorder. During 1907-45, Venezuela saw significant economic growth, and in 1945, democratic government was established. Several military coups followed, but since 1959 Venezuela's governments have been progressive and democratically elected. One of the founding members of OPEC, Venezuela benefited enormously from the massive increases in oil prices during the 1970s. Oil revenues funded major economic expansion and public-works projects during the 1970s and 1980s. In recent years, banking failures and inflation have put serious strains on the nation's economy.

Victoria (1850-1913)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive; Population: 1.2 million (1901 estimate). A state in southeastern Australia. Detached from New South Wales in 1851, Victoria joined the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

Victoria Land (1911)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. A region of Antarctica. In 1911-12, Robert Falcon Scott organized his ill-fated South Pole Expedition, and two New Zealand stamps were overprinted "Victoria Land" for use by the expedition members. Scott and four members of his party reached the South Pole on Jan. 18, 1912, but died on the return trip to their base.

Vietnam (1945-54)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive; Population: 22.6 million (1949 estimate). Country in Southeast Asia, occupying the eastern half of the Indochinese Peninsula. Vietnam comprises Annam, Tonkin and Cochin China, which have been under Chinese control or influence for most of their history since 111 B.C. In 1854, France began to extend its control in the area, which was completed by 1884. During World War II, Vietnam was occupied by the Japanese, who supported the regime of Emperor Bao Dai of Annam. The Vietminh League, a union of nationalists aiming for an independent Vietnam, grew up in opposition to the Japanese, and in 1945, deposed Bao Dai, declaring Vietnamese independence. During 1946-54, France fought the Vietminh, hoping to preserve its Indo-Chinese Empire. In July 1949, the State of Vietnam was established under Bao Dai, in association with the French Union. The defeat of France by the Vietminh forces, which had come under communist control, brought the partition of the country in 1954. The northern half became the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and in the following year, the southern portion became the Republic of Vietnam.

Vietnam, Democratic Republic of (1954-)

Stamp-issuing status: active; Population: 75,123,880 (1997 estimate). A republic occupying the eastern half of Indochina. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established in 1954, after the defeat of French forces by the nationalist Vietminh. The North continued to support the communist Vietcong in the South against the South Vietnamese regime, increasing its aid after 1959. In 1964, North Vietnamese troops began to fight in the South, bringing the United States actively into the war. During 1965-69, the war was largely a stalemate, with neither side able to achieve any permanent success. Growing domestic opposition to the U.S. involvement in the war brought a cease-fire in January 1973, after which U.S. forces were withdrawn, and U.S. aid to the South was reduced. In early 1975, a renewed communist offensive brought about the rapid collapse of the South Vietnamese regime, and a communist government was installed in the South. In 1976, the two countries were merged into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Millions of South Vietnamese were forcibly resettled in the countryside, and hundreds of thousands fled the country. After its 1975 victory, Vietnam effectively controlled Laos and, in 1978-79, established a client regime in Kampuchea. A Chinese invasion of Vietnam in February 1979 brought heavy fighting but did not escalate into a full-blown war. Chronic economic problems began to improve when Vietnam began to liberalize its economy in 1986. In 1988 it began to withdraw some of its forces from Laos and Cambodia. During 1975-94, the United States maintained a trade embargo (which included postage stamps) against Vietnam, but this ended in 1994, and in 1995 full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established. During the past few years, political controls have been relaxed, and Vietnam is pursuing a policy of economic growth by encouraging foreign investment.

Vietnam, Republic of (South Vietnam) (1955-75)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive; Population: 16.5 million (1975 estimate). After the loss of the northern half of Vietnam to the communists in 1954, the southern portion of the country withdrew from the French Union and deposed its ruler, Bao Dai. On Oct. 26, 1955, the Republic of Vietnam was established. After 1956, fighting with the communists continued, the southern communist Vietcong being supported and supplied by North Vietnam. The United States supported the South with aid and, after June 1965, with troops. After 1969, because of growing opposition to involvement among Americans, the United States began to reduce its involvement, and in January 1973, a cease-fire between the United States, North Vietnam and the Vietcong provided for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The United States reduced aid to the South, weakening that regime's position, so that in early 1975, a North Vietnamese invasion, in violation of the cease-fire, quickly brought the South Vietnamese collapse. A Provisional Revolutionary Government, under North Vietnamese direction, assumed control of the South in May 1975, and the country was reunited as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, 1976.

Vilnius (1941)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. A city in Lithuania. Vilnius was occupied by German forces from 1941 to 1944. During the early stage of the occupation, nine overprinted Russian stamps were used.

Vitoria (1937)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. The capital of the province of Alava in northern Spain. The Nationalist authorities overprinted contemporary Spanish stamps for use in the area in April 1937.

Vryburg (1899-1900)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. A town in British Bechuanaland, occupied by the Boers in November 1899 and reoccupied by the British in May 1900. Both forces overprinted one another's stamps for use in the town.

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