International Geographical Congress
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The International Geographical Union (IGU; , UGI) is an international
geographical Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
society. The first International Geographical Congress was held in
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
in 1871. Subsequent meetings led to the establishment of the permanent organization in 1922 in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. The International Geographical Union adheres to the
International Science Council The International Science Council (ISC) is an international non-governmental organization that unites scientific bodies at various levels across the social and natural sciences. The ISC was formed with its inaugural general assembly on 4 July 20 ...
(ISC), which it recognizes as the coordinating body for the
international organisations An international organization, also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is an organization that is established by a treaty or other type of instrument governed by international law and possesses its own leg ...
of science.


Objectives

The IGU has seven objectives or aims: # to promote the study of geographical problems; # to initiate and co-ordinate geographical research requiring international co-operation and to promote its scientific discussion and publication; # to provide for the participation of geographers in the work of relevant international organizations; # to facilitate the collection and diffusion of geographical data and documentation in and between all member countries; # to promote International Geographical Congresses, regional conferences and specialized symposia related to the objectives of the Union; # to participate in any other appropriate form of international co-operation with the object of advancing the study and application of geography; # to promote international standardization or compatibility of methods, nomenclature, and symbols employed in geography.


Senior officers

The following lists contain the senior officers of the IGU from 1922 to present.


Presidents

*2024–present Nathalie Lemarchand * 2021–24 Michael Meadows * 2016–21 Yukio Himiyama * 2012–16 Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kolosov * 2008–12 Ronald Francis Abler * 2006–07 José Palacio-Prieto (acting) * 2004–06 Adalberto Vallega (died in office) * 2000–04
Anne Buttimer Anne Buttimer (31 October 1938 – 15 July 2017) was an Irish geographer. She was emeritus professor of geography at University College, Dublin. Background Buttimer grew up in Ireland with strong Catholic convictions. She studied at University ...
* 1996–2000 Bruno Messerli * 1992–96 Herman Th. Verstappen * 1988–92 Roland J. Fuchs * 1984–88 Peter Scott * 1980–84 Akin L. Mabogunje * 1976–80 Michael J. Wise * 1972–76 Jean Dresch * 1968–72
Stanisław Leszczycki Stanisław Leszczycki (8 May 1907, in Mielec – 17 June 1996, in Warsaw) was a Polish geographer. He was a professor at the University of Warsaw since 1948 and the Polish Academy of Sciences since 1952 (in each of them he created an Institute ...
* 1964–68 Shiba P. Chatterjee * 1960–64
Carl Troll Carl Troll (24 December 1899 in Gabersee – 21 July 1975 in Bonn), was a German geographer, brother of botanist Wilhelm Troll. From 1919 until 1922 Troll studied biology, chemistry, geology, geography and physics at the Universität in Münc ...
* 1956–60
Hans Wilhelmsson Ahlmann Hans Jakob Konrad Wilhelmsson Ahlmann (14 November 1889 – 10 March 1974) was a Swedish geographer, glaciologist, and diplomat. Born in Karlsborg, Sweden, Ahlmann grew up in Stockholm. He studied with Professor Gerard De Geer at Stockholm Univer ...
* 1952–56 L. Dudley Stamp * 1949–52 George B. Cressey * 1938–49
Emmanuel de Martonne Emmanuel de Martonne (, 1 April 1873 – 24 July 1955) was a French people, French geographer. He participated in the Paris Peace Conference, 1919, Paris Peace Conference. Early life and education Martonne was born on 1 April 1873 in Chabris, Ind ...
* 1934–38 Sir
Charles Close Colonel Sir Charles Frederick Arden-Close, (10 August 1865 – 19 December 1952) was a British geographer and surveyor. He was Director General of the Ordnance Survey from 1911 to 1922. His insistence on attention to detail saw the improvem ...
* 1931–34
Isaiah Bowman Isaiah Bowman, AB, Ph. D. (December 26, 1878 – January 6, 1950), was an American geographer and President of the Johns Hopkins University, 1935–1948, controversial for his antisemitism and inaction in Jewish resettlement during World War ...
* 1928–31 General Robert Bourgeois * 1924–28 General Nicola Vacchelli * 1922–24 Prince
Roland Bonaparte Roland Napoléon Bonaparte, 6th Prince of Canino and Musignano (19 May 1858 – 14 April 1924) was a French prince and president of the Société de Géographie from 1910 until his death. He was the last male-lineage descendant of Lucien Bonaparte ...


Secretaries-General and Treasurers

* 2021–present Barbaros Gönençgil * 2010–20 Michael Meadows * 2008–10 Yu Woo-ik * 2000–08 Ronald Francis Abler * 1992–2000 Eckart Ehlers * 1984–92 Leszek A. Kosiński * 1976–84 Walther Manshard * 1968–76 Chauncy D. Harris * 1956–68 Hans Boesch * 1949–56 George H. T. Kimble * 1940-49
Marguerite Lefèvre Marguerite Alice Lefèvre (1894–1967) was an academic geographer and the first woman to hold a professorship at the Catholic University of Leuven. A prize at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and a street in Leuven are named in her honour. Lif ...
* 1938–40 Paul Michotte * 1931–38 Emmanuel de Martonne * 1928–31 Filippo De Filippi * 1922–28 Sir
Charles Close Colonel Sir Charles Frederick Arden-Close, (10 August 1865 – 19 December 1952) was a British geographer and surveyor. He was Director General of the Ordnance Survey from 1911 to 1922. His insistence on attention to detail saw the improvem ...


Commissions and Task Forces

The IGU is organized into a number of commissions and task forces that deal with specific topics. The commission topics include e.g. specific approaches (e.g. Applied Geography), topics (e.g. Climatology, Health and Environment), methods (e.g. Geographical Information Science), and spatial examples (e.g. Mediterranean Basin). There are also commissions for the International Olympiad and Geographical Education. The two task forces are "Young and Early-Career Geographers" and "Centennial and Sesquicentennial".


IGU-CGE

The IGU-CGE (Commission on Geographical Education) focuses on geography education. It is currently headed by co-chairs Clare Brooks (UK) and Chew-Hung Chang (Singapore). It publishes the IRGEE journal and organizes yearly conferences. The "International Charter on Geographical Education" constitutes an international agreement on different aspects of geography education with global impacts. The 2016 charter features important geography education research questions and policy recommendations. As such the charter is: Convinced that geographical education is indispensable to the development of responsible and active citizens in the present and future world; Conscious that geography can be an informing, enabling and stimulating subject at all levels in education, and contributes to a lifelong enjoyment and understanding of our world; Aware that students require increasing international competence in order to ensure effective cooperation on a broad range of economic, political, cultural and environmental issues in a shrinking world; Concerned that geographical education is neglected in some parts of the world, and lacks structure and coherence in others; Ready to assist colleagues in counteracting geographical illiteracy in all countries of the world. In the 1992 charter there is also information on geographic questions, key concepts, approaches and the selection of spatial examples.


List of congresses

International Geographical Congresses have been held as follows:


Notes


References

* Kish, George (1992) "International Geographical Union: A Brief History" ''GeoJournal'' 26, No. 2:224-228 ISSN 0343-2521 * Marie-Claire Robic, Anne-Marie Briend,
Mechtild Rössler Mechtild Rössler is a German feminist geographer and cultural heritage scholar. From 2015 until her retirement in November 2021 she was Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center in Paris. She was preceded by Kishore Rao, and was succeeded by ...
(eds.) (1996) ''Geographers to the world. The International Geographical Union and the International Geographical Congress'' Paris: L'Harmattan * Dunbar, Gary S. (2001
''Geography: Discipline, Profession and Subject since 1870: An International Survey''
Kluwer Academic Publishers pg 36 * Lidstone, John; Williams, Michael (2006
''Geographical Education in a Changing World: Past Experience, Current Trends and Future Challenges''
Springer pg 39 * International Geographical Union (IGU) * Royal Irish Academy (RIA)


External links


International Geographical Union/Union Géographique Internationale

International Geographical Union - Russian National Committee
{{Authority control Geographic societies International organisations based in Belgium Members of the International Council for Science International geographic data and information organizations Members of the International Science Council