Nowherelands. Atlas of countries that no longer exist. 1840-1970

This is a different version of world history, it’s a narrative – through the stamps – of the history of states that have disappeared from the map. More than 1,000 countries have issued their own stamps in the last 175 years, following the release of the ‘Penny Black’ in England in 1840. Most of these countries do not exist today. The names of some of these countries reflect links, such as Biafra to famine and Bhopal to environmental disaster. Others remind few people of something, such as Labuan, Tannu Tu-va and Fiume. All these countries have fascinating stories to tell, even if their lives have been short-lived, as for example Eastern Karelia, which survived for only a few weeks in the winter of 1922; others have been more enduring, as for example the Orange Free State, a Boer republic which celebrated its 50th anniversary as an independent state in the late 1800s. This book presents the history of 50 countries which have collapsed. The range of these countries reflects different aspects of world history in the 19th and 20th centuries, with their ideologies, imperialism, the struggle for resources, waves of refugees, major and minor wars. In this context, the stamps with their motifs and symbols must be seen as official self-presentations. They are essentially expressions of the desired image that the powers that be wished to present, of their positions and ambitions, whether revolutionary or colonial. In addition to the stamps, the book is based on eyewitness accounts as well as on later historical analyses.