Dasnish Islands

Danish Islands

On March 16, 1995 Denmark issued a set of four stamps depicting Maps of four Danish Islands. The Islands are : Avernako, Fejo, Fur and Endelave. These stamps help us to know the beautiful small islands of Denmark. Denmark is a country of islands - more than 700 islands and islets. Twenty-seven of these islands are members of the Association of Small Danish Islands. Formerly, inhabitants lived by traditional farming, combined with fishing, but shipping also made its contribution to life on the islands. Ferry transport is a vital part of the life of islanders. The flora and fauna are rich, and include, among other things, breeding pairs of waders near lagoons and littoral meadows. In a couple of little ponds lives the rare fire-bellied toad. From the island's ancient past, three dolmens have been preserved. Maypoles - a tradition, the origin of which is lost in antiquity, and may very well go back to heathen times, is the decoration of maypoles. The pole at Avernak is the biggest and the most original - unique in Denmark. It is a spruce trunk, almost 20m high, bearing rings decorated with flowers, and set into a cairn, about 1m high, and which is itself buried in the ground to a depth of 1m. Today the maypole functions as a community flag pole for the town.