Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked Central Asian country bordering Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China, has issued what it billed as the “longest stamp in the world.”
At 184 millimetres wide, the stamp has a value of 250 Kyrgystani som (about $3.90 Cdn.) and features the Chaar-Tash ridge, the Toguz-Toro Tract and the underlying village of Kazarman.
The issue marks the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, which was recognized in 2022 despite the stamp’s Jan. 30, 2023, issue date.
“Kyrgyzstan is predominantly a mountainous country,” reads a statement issued by the Kyrgyz Express Post, which added almost 90 per cent of the country’s territory sits at more than 1,500 meters above sea level. “Some peaks exceed a height of 7,000 metres. Therefore, the Kyrgyz Republic is naturally interested in the development of mountain systems and the improvement of their ecological state.”
The issue is available as a single stamp, a three-stamp mini-sheet, a maximum card and a first-day cover.
Despite its massive size and “longest stamp” billing, the new Kyrgyz issue is slightly smaller than Mongolia’s 2004 “Peace Mandala” stamp, which measures 185 millimetres across. The Mongolian issue is believed to be the world’s largest stamp released by a postal administration for use on mail.
With Kyrgyzstan now in the second spot, Thailand’s 2016 stamp marking the 70th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession to the throne comes in third at 170 millimetres wide.
For reference, Canada’s largest stamp – the 2010 $10 blue whale issue (Scott #2405) – measures 128 millimetres across.