Stamp Identification: Country Names Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) is the only country not required to name itself on its postage stamps?

Answer: United Kingdom

The United Kingdom was the first country to issue postage stamps. Since no other country issued stamps at the time, there was no need for the UK to name itself. Today, all other members of the UPU are required to include a country name written in Latin letters. The UK continues to issue stamps without a country name (in agreement with the UPU).

2. How did East Germany name itself on its postage stamps?

Answer: Deutsche Demokratische Republik

Deutsche Demokratische Republik was the name used on postage stamps by the German Democratic Republic of East Germany. It was also standard (after the mid '60s) to use the abbreviated DDR. The first East German issues were inscribed with Deutsche Post. Deutsche Bundespost was the name used by the German Federal Republic of West Germany. Deutschland was printed on stamps of Germany under Allied Occupation, and Deutsche Reichspost was used for German Imperial Post.

3. Which country issued its first stamp on September 9, 1991 under the name Republik Hrvatska?

Answer: Croatia

The Croatian Postal and Telecommunication Service (HPT) issued its first stamp one month prior to the Republic of Croatia's formal proclamation of independence from Yugoslavia on October 8, 1991. The first three stamps commemorated the start of the national airline service.

4. In 1958, two countries merged to form the United Arab Republic as the first step to a pan-Arab nation. Which of these countries used the name UAR on its postage stamps until 1971?

Answer: Egypt

The republics of Egypt and Syria formed the United Arab Republic in 1958, and the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, was elected as the president of the new state. The union sparked tensions with neighboring Jordan. Jordan formed a military agreement with Iraq, and eventually gained Israeli, American, and British support for the regime.

The UAR dissolved in 1961 when Syria seceded from the Union. Egypt continued to use the name UAR until Nasser's death in 1971. From 1958-1961, Syrian stamps were printed with the name UAR and denominations in p. Egyptian stamps from 1958-1971 were printed with the name UAR and denominations in m and f.

5. Which of the following is not a name used on postage stamps by a Nordic country?

Answer: Finnesland

Sverige is the name used by Sweden, Norge (or Noreg) is used by Norway, and Suomi is Finnish for Finland. Finnesland is a made up word.

6. Which country's stamps were formerly printed with the name Haute-Volta?

Answer: Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso was previously called Upper Volta (Haute-Volta in French), after the fact that the country contains the upper part of the river Volta. In 1984, the name was changed to Burkina Faso, which means 'the land of upright people'. Haute-Volta was also overprinted on stamps of Upper Senegal and Niger for Upper Volta.

7. Which country uses the abbreviation RSA on its stamps?

Answer: South Africa

RSA is an abbreviation for Republic of South Africa. South African stamps are also sometimes printed with the Afrikaans name, Suid Afrika. Saudi stamps are often printed with the abbreviation KSA for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

8. Which of the following might you see printed on Albanian stamps?

Answer: All of these

Historically, stamps of Albania (Republika e Shqiperise, or less formally, Shqiperia) have been printed with at least 10 different spellings of the country's Albanian name. Some others include Shqipenie, Shqiperia, Shqiperija, Shqiperise, Shqipni, and Shqipinja. Fortunately enough, identification is made easier by the fact that all of the various spellings begin with the same letter combination, 'Shq'.

9. Which of the following names has not been printed on stamps used by Ukraine?

Answer: YCTAB

YCTAB is a name used on stamps issued by Montenegro in 1905. Y.C.C.P. was used by the Ukraine of the Soviet Union, as was Y.C.P.P. (for 1923 semipostals). YKP. H. PETI (or YKP. H.P.) was overprinted on Albanian stamps for use by Western Ukraine.

10. Which of the following country names represents an entity not recognized as an independent nation by the Universal Postal Union?

Answer: Maluku Selatan

Maluku Selatan refers to the Republic of South Moluccas (or Spice Islands), which declared independence from Indonesia in 1950. Indonesian forces occupied the islands, and thirteen years of guerrilla warfare ensued. The South Moluccan provisional government was eventually ousted, and evacuated to the Netherlands by their Dutch supporters. The provisional government remains active abroad. The United Nations considered the question settled as far back as 1955, and does not recognize South Moluccan independence. The provisional government issued 130 different stamps between 1950 and 1954, but they are not recognized as postal stamps by the UPU since they were issued privately.

Malagasy and Malgache are names for Madagascar, and Magyar is a name for Hungary.

Source: Author JCSon

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Postage stamps usually include the country's own name for itself. Sometimes, alternative names or abbreviated forms are used. This quiz will test your philatelic knowledge of country names.

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