Covers Convey a Thousand Words: Suid Afrika

Request

To my cover-exchanging friends, please try as much as possible to
(1) WRITE THE ADDRESSES USING YOUR OWN HANDWRITING
as these give a more personal touch to the cover
(2) PLEASE DO NOT USE TAPE OR STICKERS ON THE REVERSE;
the Philippine postal service damages the cover with scribbling that highly devalues the aesthetic value of the cover, which is what I am after
(3) PLEASE TRY TO USE COMPLETE SETS
or at least same themes when sending covers, but it is okay if this is not possible or if this would be expensive, and
(4) PLEASE USE SMALL ENVELOPES,
not too small, but maybe around 4"x6" or something like that; big envelopes are not very attractive unless they have many stamps.
Thank you!

21.3.09

Suid Afrika - Mountain Majesty

Okay, so before I start, I just have to show this list of South African autonyms galore:

Republiek van Suid-Afrika (Afrikaans)
IRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika (Sth. Ndebele)
IRiphabliki yaseMzantsi Afrika (Xhosa)
IRiphabliki yaseNingizimu Afrika (Zulu)
IRiphabhulikhi yeNingizimu Afrika (Swazi)
Rephaboliki ya Afrika-Borwa (Nth. Sotho)
Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa (Sth. Sotho)
Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa (Tswana)
Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga (Tsonga)
Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe (Venda)

Now, to the cover. On this cover is affixed one of the four stamps in the set on South African Heritage Parks, namely Drakensberg Park.

Drakensberg, which means"Dragon's Mountain" in Afrikaans, is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to 3,482 metres in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba, or "barrier of spears," and in Sesotho as Maluti (also spelled Maloti). Its geological history lends it a distinctive character amongst the mountain ranges of the world. Geologically, the range resembles the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.