San Marino

One of the first private swaps I've made through Facebook was with Luca from Italy.  On the Postcrossing Facebook Page, he posted that he was going to San Marino for a holiday and was open for swaps.  I checked his wishlist and the cards he wanted from the Philippines were so hard to find (e.g. the Tabon Cave Complex, Mt. Matutum, and other WTFNBSdoesnothavethis locations).  He already had a lot of postcards from the country and the places he listed on his blog seemed to be nonexistent in postcard form.  Weeks later, I chanced upon the last (therefore crappy) Panglao Island postcard.  I remember the card being on his list so the trade was on.

In this multiview card from Luca, we have an aerial view of San Marino City, the capital; Monte Titano, the highest peak in the country; and a night view of Palazzo del Governo, built in 1894.

Since San Marino is an enclave in Italy, it is not surprising to learn that the official language of the Republic is Italian.  With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the region and no national debt to boot, San Marino is considered to have a high stable economy.

The Republic of San Marino is one of the smallest states in the world and the oldest European Republic

The economy of San Marino relies on tourist activity and the production of postage stamps.  Since 1877, the Republic has been issuing its own stamps (i.e. not from Italy anymore) after signing an agreement with the surrounding Kingdom.  Here's a stamp that definitely helped support the San Marino economy:

Barcampertrenobus: Europeo per un turismo integrale

I can't really read Italian, but I think this stamp is a mobile bar, a cross between a train and a bus, filled with campers.  And the motto translates to: "Europeans for an integral tourism."