Compendium of postage stamp issuers (Ci–Co)
Each "article" in this category is a collection of entries about several stamp issuers, presented in alphabetical order. The entries are formulated on the micro model and so provide summary information about all known issuers. See the page for details of the project. Cilicia (French Occupation). French occupation issues of Turkish stamps with various overprints which all included CILICIE. Ciskei. One of the territories ( Bantustans ) set up by the South African government as part of its apartheid policy. Although the territory itself did not acquire international recognition, its stamps were valid for postage . Cochin. Cochin was a state of South India which merged with Travancore on 1 July 1949 to form Travancore–Cochin. This in turn became the state of Kerala in 1956. Cochin-China. Stamps of France were introduced in 1862 when the region became a French colony. On 17 October 1887, Cochin-China united with Cambodia, Annam and Tongking to form Indo-China. Stamps of Indo-China were introduced in January 1889. There were five Cochin-China stamps. All were surcharged French Colonies "Commerce" types. One (SG#3) was distinctive by an overprint of C.CH. Cochin-China is now the southern part  of Vietnam. Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Discovered by Captain William Keeling in 1609, the islands were uninhabited until 1826. They were annexed by Britain in 1857. Administration was mainly by Singapore until 1955 when the islands were transferred to Australia as a Dependent Territory. Australian stamps were used 1955–1963 and again from 14 February 1966 to 8 July 1969 due to the introduction of decimal currency. Coetivy. Coëtivy Island is in the Indian Ocean south of the main Seychelles group. A post office was opened there in 1963. It was administered by Britain as part of the Seychelles until 8 November  1965 when it was included in British Indian Ocean Territory. From 1976, Coetivy has been in the independent Seychelles and uses stamps of Zil Elwannyen Sesel. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The CIS was founded in December 1991 at a meeting in Minsk of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. It was intended to be a commonwealth of Slav republics to ensure co-operation in defence, economics and foreign policy. It was subsequently joined by all the other former Soviet states except Georgia and the three Baltic republics. Stamps of the USSR continued to be used in the member states until each  could introduce new types. There have been no issues for the CIS as a whole. Comoro Islands. An archipelago in the Indian Ocean, north west of Madagascar. The four main islands are Anjouan, Grande Comore (Great Comoro), Mayotte and Moheli. Mayotte is politically a French overseas department, while the others constitute the Comoros Republic. The whole group came under French protection after 1841 and were separate colonies during 1891–1914. In this period, each island issued French Colonial "Tablet" types inscribed with the island's name. On 23 February 1914, they were attached to Madagascar as dependencies. British forces captured the  islands from Vichy control in 1942 and, on 9 May 1946, they became collectively a French overseas department called ARCHIPEL DES COMORES. Stamps of Madagascar & Dependencies were used 1914–1950. The first Comoros issue was on 15 May 1950. Independence was declared on 6 July 1975 as the Comoros Republic, but this move was resisted in Mayotte which continued to be part of France and now uses stamps of France. Mayotte has a predominantly Catholic population whereas the other three islands are mainly Muslim. Confederate States of America. The Confederacy was established by the southern U.S. states in February 1861 when  they seceded from the Union. This precipitated the American Civil War which ended 9 April 1865 with the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army to that of Ulysses S. Grant. The first Confederacy stamps were issued 18 October 1861. There were four issues in all with values ranging from 2 to 20 cents. All the stamps were definitive types with portraits of Jefferson Davis (Confederacy president) or of former Union presidents such as Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson. Congo (Indian UN Force). Stamps were issued to Indian military personnel with the United Nations force in the Congo. These were six  values of the familiar Indian map type overprinted UN FORCE (INDIA) CONGO. Congo Free State. A vast country in central Africa which was not fully explored by Europeans until the 1870s. The missions, including those of Stanley and Livingstone, were partly financed by King Leopold II of Belgium who established the Congo Free State under his personal rule on 2 May 1885. Stamps were issued from 1 January 1886 inscribed ETAT INDEPENDENT DU CONGO. On 18 October 1908, the Congo was annexed by an Act of the Belgian parliament and renamed Belgian Congo (Congo Belge). The first stamps with this  inscription were issued on 1 January 1909. In the meantime, stocks of Congo Free State stamps were overprinted CONGO BELGE. Congo Republic. Formerly Middle Congo. Congo Republic (Zaire). Formerly Belgian Congo and Zaire. Constantinople. A number of foreign post offices were established in Constantinople. Most issued stamps of the home country or general Levant types of that country. There were overprinted local issues by the Italian, Polish, Romanian and Russian offices. Constantinople (Russian Post Office). The office was open 1863–1918 and normally used stamps of Russia or Russian Levant. There was an individual overprint for Galata PO in Constantinople in  1909–10. Corfu (Italian Occupation). Italian occupation during brief dispute with Greece. Italian stamps overprinted CORFU were prepared but only a few had been introduced when evacuation took place. Corfu & Paxos (Italian Occupation). Italian occupation forces issued Greek stamps overprinted CORFU. These were replaced by a general issue for the whole of the Ionian Islands.