Uganda

Fossils, dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, prehistoric humans, Charles Darwin on stamps and postmarks of Uganda


Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa and is the world's second most populous landlocked country after Ethiopia.
The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania.
Uganda is in the African Great Lakes region.
Beginning in 1894, the area was ruled as a protectorate by the British, who established administrative law across the territory.
Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962. The period since then has been marked by intermittent conflicts, including a lengthy civil war against the Lord's Resistance Army in the Northern Region, which has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties. [R1]

The first stamps were issued by the Uganda Protectorate in 1895. Uganda then used stamps of East Africa & Uganda (1903-1922), Kenya & Uganda (1922-1927) and Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika/Tanzania (1935-1976).
Although Uganda had its own postal administration from 1962, commemoratives inscribed "Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania" remained in use until 1976.
The first stamps of independent Uganda were issued on 9 October 1962. [R2]
During the span of 2012-2014, several hundred colorful stamps were produced on behalf of Uganda by Stamperija.




Common issue of Kenya Tanzania Uganda related to Paleontology and Paleoanthropology: prehistoric animals and humans, fossils


02.05.1967 "Archaeological Relics of East Africa" [1] 03.11.1975 "2nd World Black and African Festival of Art and Culture" [2]
Petrified wood and minerals on stamps of Kenya 1977 Stone age primitive mans butchering a Hippopotamus on stamps of Kenya 1977



Official stamps of Uganda related to Paleontology and Paleoanthropology: dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, paleontologists at work, Charles Darwin


15.01.1977 "World Black and African Festival of Art and Culture" [3] 08.04.1992 "Dinosaurs" 15.07.1995 "Dinosaurs"
Prehistoric animals and prehistoric human on stamps of Uganda 1977 Dinosaurs on stamps of Uganda 1992 Dinosaurs on stamps of Uganda 1995
15.07.1998 "Dinosaurs" 28.06.2000 "Millennium" [4]
08.07.2013 "Endangered Animals"
25.11.2013 "World in stamps"
Dinosaurs on stamps of Uganda 1998 Dinosaurs on stamps of Uganda 2000 Dinosaurs on stamps of Uganda 2013

Notes:
[1] The stamp with face value of 2.50 Sh. shows hand holding Proconsul skull.
Skull of prehistoric primate Proconsul in stamp of Kenya Tanzania Uganda 1967
Skull of prehistoric primate Proconsul on stamp of Kenya Tanzania Uganda 1967 MiNr.: 167, Scott: 179

Proconsul is an extinct genus of primates that existed from 23 to 25 million years ago during the Miocene epoch.
Fossil remains are present in Eastern Africa including Kenya and Uganda.
Four species have been classified to date: Proconsul africanus, Proconsul gitongai, Proconsul major and Proconsul meswae. The four species differ mainly in body size.
Environmental reconstructions for the Early Miocene Proconsul sites are still tentative and range from forested environments to more open, arid grasslands.
The first specimen, a partial jaw discovered in 1909 by a gold prospector at Koru, near Kisumu in western Kenya, was also the oldest fossil hominoid known until recently and the first fossil mammal ever found in sub-Saharan Africa. [R3]



[2] "2nd World Black and African Festival of Art and Culture" stamps were issued by East-African community of Great Britain: Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika/Tanzania in 1975 and later on as joint issue of independent countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 1977.
In 1977 these stamps were issued in separate sheets as well as in mini-sheets.
Stone age primitive mans butchering a Hippopotamus on stamps of Kenya 1975 Stone age primitive mans butchering a Hippopotamus on stamps of Uganda 1977
Stone age primitive men butchering a Hippopotamus on stamps of Kenya 1975 MiNr.: 306, Scott: 319 Stone age primitive men butchering a Hippopotamus on stamps of Uganda 1977 MiNr.: 156, Scott: 166

Festac '77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (the first was in Dakar, 1966), was a cultural jamboree held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January 1977 to 12 February 1977.
The month-long event celebrated African culture and showcased to the world African music, fine art, literature, drama, dance and religion.
About 16,000 participants, representing 56 African nation and countries of the African Diaspora, performed at the event.
Stone age primitive men butchering a Hippopotamus shown on a bottom-right stamp of the mini-sheet. [R4]


[3] The stamps issued in mini-sheet and separate sheets format. Similar stamps issued by Kenya and Tanzania .

[4] Charles Darwin depicted on one of the stamps in the second row of the sheet.



Commemorative postmarks of Uganda related to Paleontology: dinosaurs


Legend is here

08.04.1992 "Dinosaurs"
Dinosaur on postmark of Uganda 1992



References


  •   [R1] Uganda: Wikipedia, FlagCounter
  •   [R2] Postal History and Philately of Uganda: Wikipedia
              Links to official website of the Post Authority, stamp catalog and a list of new stamps of Uganda are here
  •   [R3] Proconsul: Wikipedia
  •   [R4] Festac'77: Wikipedia

Acknowledgements



Many thanks to Dr. Peter Voice from Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Western Michigan University, for reviewing the draft page and his valuable comments.



Last update 16.11.2021