East Africa

East Africa, a diverse and historically rich region, encompasses several countries with distinct philatelic histories. Here’s an overview of postage stamps from some of these East African countries:

British Indian Ocean Territory

  • The first postage stamps of the British Indian Ocean Territory were issued on October 17, 1968

Burundi

  • Before World War I, Burundi was part of German East Africa. The stamps used during this period were those of the German East African postal system.

German East Africa

  • The first stamps specifically issued for German East Africa were released in 1893.

Kenya

  • The earliest stamps used in Kenya were those of the British East Africa Protectorate

Comoros

  • Before issuing their own stamps, the Comoros used stamps of the French Colonies with an overprint specific to the region.

Madagascar

  • The first stamps of Madagascar were issued in 1889 under the name “Malagasy Posts”

Mauritius

  • From the 1860s onwards, Mauritius continued to issue stamps depicting Queen Victoria, including the “Britannia” series.

Mayotte

  • Before issuing its own stamps, Mayotte used French colonial stamps, specifically those of the French Colonies general issues.

East African Community

  • Occasionally, EAC member countries release stamps to commemorate significant anniversaries of the organization

Réunion

  • The first stamps of Réunion were issued in 1852 and are known as the “Bourbon” issues, named after the island’s former name, Île Bourbon.

Rwanda

  • Throughout the Belgian colonial period, Rwanda used stamps that were also valid in the Belgian Congo

Ruanda-Urundi

  • The first stamps issued for Ruanda-Urundi were overprints on Belgian Congo stamps.

Seychelles

  • The first postage stamps of the Seychelles were issued on April 1, 1880, under British colonial rule.

Tanganyika

  • The first stamps issued were overprints on existing British East Africa stamps.

Tanzania

  • Upon the formation of Tanzania on April 26, 1964, the new country began issuing its own stamps.

Uganda

  • The earliest stamps used in Uganda were British East Africa stamps overprinted with “UGANDA.”

Zanzibar

  • The first postage stamps of Zanzibar were issued in 1895 during the reign of Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini