New stamps issued for independence

A set of commemorative stamps to mark the twentieth anniversary of Belize’s independence is now on sale. Released by the general post office, the stamps depict the country’s progress made in education, aquaculture and tourism since attaining independence in 1981. The twenty-five cent stamp depicts students in a classroom using a computer, emphasising government’s commitment to improving technology in schools. The sixty-cent stamp features ponds at a shrimp farm, highlighting economic diversification. Belize is depicted as a natural “Garden of Eden” on the seventy-five cent stamp, which uses the Privacion Cascade in the Mountain Pine Ridge as a backdrop. The two dollar stamp features the map of Belize including the country’s Barrier Reef and chain of offshore cayes. Stamp collectors are reminded that first day covers will be on sale as of next week at the Belize Philatelic Bureau on Queen Street in Belize City.