United Kingdom
Great Britain is a parliamentary democratic monarchy in Western Europe and, since the -Act of Union- (1707), an entity formed from the constituent states of England, Wales and Scotland. The Shetland Islands, the Orkneys, the Hebrides and Northern Ireland also belong to Great Britain.
The stamps of Great Britain do not bear the name of the country, as is generally the case, but the inscription Postage or Postage and Revenue.
Due to the initiatives of James Chalmers and Rowland Hill, Great Britain was the country in which the first stamps (06.05.1840) for affixing or postal stationery (Mulreadys) were produced and used. These issues are still among the most beautiful in the world in terms of printing and graphic design.
Entry into the Universal Postal Union: 1st July 1875
