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Tonga is an archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean spread over an area of 800 km. Tonga has never been colonized, but the famous explorer Captain James Cook did land there and name the place "Friendly Islands" because of the warm welcome he received. The postal history of Tonga began in 1886 and continues to this day. Tongan stamps often boast very creative designs, from circular stamps to embossed gilded stamps and even extra-large issues impossible to use on normal sized envelopes! It is said that in the beginning of its postal history, mail to Tonga was delivered by ship and then packed in biscuit tins which were thrown overboard and retrieved by native swimmers.
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