The Post Office on This Day in History

This Day in History: The Postal Service Act, which established the United States Post Office Department, was signed by George Washington on this day in 1792. To many people, a country can't be a country unless it has a post office. However, according to the Montevideo Convention a country should have: "a permanent population; a defined territory; government; and the capacity to enter relations with other states." According to Matt Rosenberg a country also needs to have "the ability to issue legal tender that is recognized across boundaries" and "Sovereignty, meaning that no other state should have power over the country's territory."

However, according to the great 20th century philosopher Frank Zappa: "You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of football team, or some nuclear weapons, but in the very least you need a beer."

See also: American History & Mysteries, Over 200 PDF Books on DVDrom