The National Geographic Society, headquartered in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, United States, is one of the largest

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

scientific and

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

al organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include

geography 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 ...

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

, the promotion of

environmental Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, referring respectively to all living and non-living things occurring naturally and the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism ...

and

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manage ...

, and the study of

world culture Cross-cultural studies, sometimes called holocultural studies or comparative studies, is a specialization in anthropology and sister sciences such as sociology, psychology, economics, political science that uses field data from many societies th ...

and

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow

portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better r ...

frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the

margins Margin may refer to: Physical or graphical edges *Margin (typography), the white space that surrounds the content of a page *Continental margin, the zone of the ocean floor that separates the thin oceanic crust from thick continental crust *Leaf ...

surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through

National Geographic Partners National Geographic Partners, LLC is a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns 73% of the company) and the namesake non-profit scientific organization National Geographic Society (which owns 27%). The company oversees all comm ...

(a joint venture with

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

), the Society operates the

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.

Overview

The National Geographic Society was founded on January 13, 1888 "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge". It is governed by a board of trustees whose 33 members include distinguished educators, business executives, former government officials and

conservationists The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental, and social movement that seeks to manage and protect natural resources, including animal, fungus, and plant species as well as their habitat for the ...

. The organization sponsors and funds scientific research and exploration. National Geographic maintains a museum for the public in its Washington, D.C., headquarters. It has helped to sponsor popular traveling exhibits, such as the early 2010s ''

King Tut Tutankhamun or Tutankhamen, (; ), was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the late Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Born Tutankhaten, he instituted the restoration of the traditional polytheistic form of an ...

'' exhibit featuring artifacts from the tomb of the young

Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...

. The Education Foundation gives grants to education organizations and individuals to improve geography education. The Committee for Research and Exploration has awarded more than 11,000 grants for scientific research and exploration. National Geographic has retail stores in Washington, D.C., London, Sydney, and Panama. The locations outside of the United States are operated by

Worldwide Retail Store Worldwide Retail Store S.L. (WRS) is a Spanish holding company founded in 2006 and based in Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitan ...

S.L., a Spanish holding company. The Society's media arm is

, a joint venture between

and the Society, which publishes a journal, ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

'' in English and nearly 40 local-language editions. It also publishes other magazines, books, school products, maps, and Web and film products in numerous languages and countries. National Geographic's various media properties reach more than 280 million people monthly. Its efforts are supported by a wide range of individual, charitable, governmental and corporate donors, including the

Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film ...

Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the third largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $ ...

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

and many others.

History

The National Geographic Society began as a club for an elite group of academics and wealthy patrons interested in travel and exploration. On January 13, 1888, 33 explorers and scientists gathered at the

Cosmos Club The Cosmos Club is a 501(c)(7) private social club in Washington, D.C., that was founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878 as a gentlemen's club for those interested in science. Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, ...

, a private club then located on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., to organize "a society for the increase and diffusion of

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 ...

knowledge." After preparing a constitution and a plan of organization, the National Geographic Society was incorporated two weeks later on January 27.

Gardiner Greene Hubbard Gardiner Greene Hubbard (August 25, 1822 – December 11, 1897) was an American lawyer, financier, and community leader. He was a founder and first president of the National Geographic Society; a founder and the first president of the Bell Teleph ...

(co-founder of

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

) became its first president and his son-in-law,

Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian Americans, Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He als ...

(also co-founder of AT&T), succeeded him in 1897. In 1899, Bell's son-in-law

Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor ( ; October 28, 1875 – February 4, 1966) was an American magazine editor who was the first full-time editor of the ''National Geographic'' magazine from 1899 to 1954, and is credited with having consolidated the nascent ...

was named the first full-time editor of National Geographic magazine and eventually elected as the President of the society in 1920. Grosvenor resigned as editor and president in 1954 and served as chairman of the organization's board until his death in 1966. Members of the Grosvenor family have played important roles in the organization since. Bell and Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor devised the successful marketing notion of Society membership and the first major use of photographs to tell stories in magazines. The chairman of the National Geographic Society currently is Jean Case. Michael Ulica is president. Jill Tiefenthaler is the chief executive officer. The editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine is Susan Goldberg.

Gilbert Melville Grosvenor Gilbert Melville Grosvenor (born May 5, 1931) is the former president and chairman of the National Geographic Society, who previously served as the editor of ''National Geographic'' magazine.Lanken, Dane. "The bee in Grosvenor's bonnet", ''Canadia ...

, a former chairman, received the

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...

in 2005 for his leadership in geography education. In 2004, the

National Geographic Society Headquarters The National Geographic Society Headquarters is a historic complex of buildings located in Washington, D.C. The complex was constructed in phases beginning in 1904 in order to house the offices and museum of the National Geographic Society, a sci ...

in Washington, D.C., was one of the first buildings to receive a "Green" certification from

Global Green USA Global Green is the English-American affiliate of Green Cross International, an international non-governmental organization founded by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993 to "foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and se ...

. The National Geographic received the prestigious

Prince of Asturias Award The Princess of Asturias Awards (, ), formerly the Prince of Asturias Awards from 1981 to 2014 (), are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Princess of Asturias Foundation (previously the Prince of Asturias Foundation) to individuals ...

for Communication and Humanities in October 2006 in

Oviedo, Spain Oviedo () or Uviéu (Asturian language, Asturian: ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains th ...

. National Geographic Expeditions was launched in 1999 to fulfill one of its missions and for the proceeds to go towards its mission. In 2006, the society purchased ''Hampton-Brown'', an English-as-a-second-language educational material publisher, using a good part of its endowments. However, the publisher did not generate much profit. By 2009, the society's endowments were about $200 million. National Geographic Ventures, its commercial arm, launched a music division, National Geographic Music and Radio, in 2007. The society formed in October 2007 National Geographic Entertainment division to include its entertainment units. In 2013, the society was investigated for possible violation of the

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) (, ''et seq.'') is a United States federal law that prohibits U.S. citizens and entities from Bribery, bribing foreign government officials to benefit their business interests. The FCPA is applic ...

relating to their close association with an Egyptian government official responsible for antiquities. On September 9, 2015, the Society announced that it would re-organize its media properties and publications into a new company known as

, which would be majority-owned by

21st Century Fox Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., which did business as 21st Century Fox, was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was formed on June 28, 2013, as the legal successor ...

(21CF) with a 73% stake. This new, for-profit corporation, would own ''National Geographic'' and other magazines, as well as its affiliated television networks—most of which were already owned in joint ventures with 21CF. As a consequence, the Society and 21st Century Fox announced on November 2, 2015, that 9 percent of National Geographic's 2,000 employees, approximately 180 people, would be laid off, constituting the biggest staff reduction in the Society's history. Later,

assumed 21CF's share in National Geographic Partners, following the completion of Disney's acquisition of most of 21CF assets on March 20, 2019. On June 29, 2023, National Geographic laid off the remaining staff writers for their magazine and announced their publications would no longer be sold at physical newsstands in the United States in 2024. In a statement to the press, a spokesperson for the society said that the company will continue to publish a monthly magazine "dedicated to exceptional multi-platform storytelling with cultural impact" through the work of freelance writers and the few remaining editors on staff.

List of original founders

The 33 original founders of the National Geographic Society in 1888: *

Cleveland Abbe Cleveland Abbe (December 3, 1838 – October 28, 1916) was an American meteorologist and advocate of time zones. While director of the Cincinnati Observatory in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1871-1916, he developed a system of telegraphic weather r ...

* Frank Baker *

Marcus Baker Marcus Baker (September 23, 1849 – December 12, 1903) was an American naturalist, explorer of Alaska, journalist, and newspaper editor. Early life and education Baker was born September 23, 1849, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and graduated fr ...

John Russell Bartlett John Russell Bartlett (October 23, 1805 – May 28, 1886) was an American historian and linguist. Early life Bartlett was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 23, 1805, the son of Smith Bartlett and Nancy (Russell) Bartlett. In 1819 he ...

* Charles J. Bell *

Rogers Birnie Rogers Birnie (5 April 1851 – 25 September 1939) was a United States Army officer and explorer of Death Valley. Biography Rogers Birnie was born in Taneytown, Maryland, on 5 April 1851. He grew up in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and could hear th ...

William Dall William Healey Dall (August 21, 1845 – March 27, 1927) was an American naturalist, a prominent malacologist, and one of the earliest scientific explorers of interior Alaska. He described many mollusks of the Pacific Northwest of North America, ...

Arthur Powell Davis Arthur Powell Davis (February 9, 1861 – August 7, 1933) was an American hydrographer, engineer, geographer, topographer and nephew of John Wesley Powell. He was born on February 9, 1861, in Decatur, Illinois and received his Civil Engineering ...

Clarence Dutton Clarence Edward Dutton (May 15, 1841 – January 4, 1912) was an American geologist and US Army officer. Dutton was born in Wallingford, Connecticut on May 15, 1841. He graduated from Yale College in 1860 and took postgraduate courses there until ...

Henry Gannett Henry Gannett (August 24, 1846 – November 5, 1914) was an American geographer who is described as the "father of mapmaking in America."Evans, Richard Tranter; Frye, Helen M. (2009).History of the Topographic Branch (Division) (PDF). ''U.S. Geo ...

* Samuel Gannett *

Grove Karl Gilbert Grove Karl Gilbert (May 6, 1843 – May 1, 1918), known by the abbreviated name G. K. Gilbert in academic literature, was an American geologist. Biography Gilbert was born in Rochester, New York, and graduated from the University of Rochester. ...

George Brown Goode George Brown Goode (February 13, 1851 – September 6, 1896), was an American ichthyologist and museum administrator. Early life and family George Brown Goode was born February 13, 1851, in New Albany, Indiana, to Francis Collier Goode and Sarah ...

James Howard Gore James Howard Gore (September 18, 1856 – June 10, 1939) was professor of mathematics at The Corcoran Scientific School (which became the George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science). In 1905, Gore was the head of the m ...

Adolphus Washington Greely Adolphus Washington Greely (March 27, 1844 – October 20, 1935) was a United States Army officer and polar explorer. He attained the rank of major general and was a recipient of the Medal of Honor. A native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, ...

Edward Everett Hayden Edward Everett Hayden (April 14, 1858 – November 17, 1932) was an American naval officer, inventor and meteorologist. He was born in Boston, and was a lifelong naval officer. Early on he was associated with the Smithsonian and the US Geologi ...

* Henry Wetherbee Henshaw *

* Willard Drake Johnson *

George Kennan George Frost Kennan (February 16, 1904 – March 17, 2005) was an American diplomat and historian. He was best known as an advocate of a policy of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War. He lectured widely and wrote scholarly hist ...

George Wallace Melville George Wallace Melville (January 10, 1841 – March 17, 1912) was a United States Navy officer, engineer and Arctic explorer. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1861 and served as an engineer during the American Civil War. He was a member of thr ...

Clinton Hart Merriam Clinton Hart Merriam (December 5, 1855 – March 19, 1942) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, ornithologist, entomologist, ecologist, ethnographer, geographer, natural history, naturalist and physician. He was commonly known as the "father o ...

* Henry Mitchell *

Robert Muldrow II Robert Muldrow (June 11, 1864 – July 28, 1950) was an American geologist. Biography Born on June 11, 1864, in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, in 1887 Muldrow joined the US Geological Survey. In 1888 he was the youngest co-founder of the National ...

* Herbert Gouverneur Ogden *

John Wesley Powell John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902) was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He ...

* William Bramwell Powell *

Israel Russell Israel Cook Russell, LL.D. (December 10, 1852 – May 1, 1906) was an American geologist and geographer known for his seminal work on paleolakes of the Great Basin and exploration of Alaska in the late 19th century. Early life and education Rus ...

Winfield Scott Schley Winfield Scott Schley (9 October 1839 – 2 October 1911) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy and the hero of the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish–American War. Biography Early life Born at "Richfields" (his father's far ...

Almon Harris Thompson Almon Harris Thompson (September 24, 1839 – July 31, 1906), also known as A. H. Thompson, was an American topographer, geologist, explorer, educator and Civil War veteran. Often called "The Professor" or simply "Prof", Thompson is perhaps best ...

Gilbert Thompson Gilbert Thompson (21 March 1839 – 8 June 1909) was an American typographer, draftsman, topographer, and soldier. Biography Early life and Civil War Born on March 21, 1839, in Blackstone, Massachusetts, his father had helped combat the Dorr Reb ...

Otto Hilgard Tittmann Otto Hilgard Tittmann (August 20, 1850 – August 21, 1938) was an American geodesist, geographer, and astronomer of German descent. Biography Tittmann was born in 1850, in Belleville, Illinois to revolutionary parents fleeing the aftermath of t ...

James Clarke Welling James Clarke Welling (July 14, 1825 – September 4, 1894) was the President of Columbian University, now the George Washington University, Washington, DC, from 1871 to 1894. He was a cofounder of the National Geographic Society. Biography Jame ...

Although

is sometimes discussed as a founder, he was actually the second president, elected on January 7, 1898, and serving until 1903.

Activities

Support for research and projects

The Society has helped sponsor many expeditions and research projects over the years.

Awards

Hubbard Medal

The

Hubbard Medal The Hubbard Medal is awarded by the National Geographic Society for distinction in exploration, discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learnin ...

is awarded by the National Geographic Society for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research. The medal is named for

, the first National Geographic Society president. The Hubbard Medal has been presented 44 times , the most recent award going to

Peter H. Raven Peter Hamilton Raven (born June 13, 1936) is an American botanist and environmentalist, notable as the longtime director, now President Emeritus, of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Early life On June 13, 1936, Raven was born in Shanghai, Chin ...

Alexander Graham Bell Medal

The National Geographic Society also awards, rarely, the Alexander Graham Bell Medal, for exceptional contributions to

geographic 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 ...

research. The award is named after

, scientist, inventor of the telephone and the second president of the NGS. Up to mid-2011, the medal has been twice presented: * 1980:

Bradford Washburn Henry Bradford Washburn Jr. (June 7, 1910 – January 10, 2007) was an American explorer, mountaineer, photographer, and cartographer. He established the Boston Museum of Science, served as its director from 1939–1980, and from 1985 until his ...

and wife

Barbara Washburn Barbara Washburn (November 10, 1914 – September 25, 2014) was an American mountaineer. She became the first woman to climb Denali (Mount McKinley) on June 6, 1947. She was the wife and climbing partner of mountaineer and scientist Bradford Wash ...

* 2010:

Roger Tomlinson Roger Frank Tomlinson (17 November 1933 – 7 February 2014) was an English-Canadian geographer and the primary originator of modern geographic information systems (GIS), and has been acknowledged as the "father of GIS." Biography Roger T ...

and

Jack Dangermond Jack Dangermond (born 1945) is an American billionaire businessman and environmental scientist, who in 1969 co-founded, with Laura Dangermond, the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri), a privately held geographic information systems ...

National Geographic Museum

The Society operates the National Geographic Museum, located at 1145 17th Street, NW (17th and M), in Washington, D.C. The museum features changing exhibitions featuring the work of National Geographic explorers, photographers, and scientists. There are also changing exhibits related to natural history, culture, history or society. Permanent exhibits include artifacts like the camera

Robert Peary Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (; May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and officer in the United States Navy who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was long credited as being ...

used at the North Pole and pottery that Jacques Cousteau recovered from a shipwreck. File:National Geographic Museum Washington courtyard 2011 100 0367.jpg , Courtyard entrance to the National Geographic Museum

National Geographic Explorers program

The NGS names individuals as "Explorers" for "exceptional individuals in their fields who receive funding and support from the Society to illuminate and protect our world through their work in science, exploration, education, and storytelling." They consist of scientists or content producers, such as photographers and filmmakers. File:Jen Guyton, photographer and scientist.jpg,

Jen Guyton Jen Guyton is an American photographer and ecologist known for her work in wildlife conservation and photographic work as a National Geographic Explorer. Early life and education Guyton's education took a significant turn during her second year ...

, American photographer and ecologist File:Dubai Future Forum 2024 - Suaad Al Harthi.jpg, Suaad Al Harthi, executive director of the Environment Society of Oman (ESO)

Commercial ventures

, a for-profit joint venture between

(which owns a 73% stake) and the Society (which owns 27%), was established in 2015 to handle commercial activities of the Society, including television channels worldwide (which were already co-owned by the Society and Fox) and magazine publications.

assumed 21CF's share of National Geographic Partners in March 2019. Most of National Geographic Partners' businesses predate the establishment in 2015, and even the launch of National Geographic Channel in Asia and Europe by the original

News Corporation The original incarnation of News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp. and also variously known as News Corporation Limited) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media corporation founded and controlled by media mogul Ru ...

(of which 21st Century Fox is one of the successors) in the late 1990s. The society formed in October 2007 National Geographic Entertainment division to include Cinema Ventures, Feature Films, Kids Entertainment, Home Entertainment and Music & Radio divisions. Music and Radio division president David Beal was appointed head of Nat Geo Entertainment.

Publications

= ''National Geographic''

''The National Geographic Magazine'', later shortened to ''National Geographic'', published its first issue in October 1888, nine months after the Society was founded, as the Society's official journal, a benefit for joining the tax-exempt National Geographic Society. Starting with the February 1910 (Vol XXI, No. 2) issue, the magazine began using its now famous trademarked yellow border around the edge of its covers. There are 12 monthly issues of ''National Geographic'' per year. The magazine contains articles about geography, popular science, world history, culture, current events and photography of places and things all over the world and universe. ''National Geographic'' magazine is currently published in 40 local-language editions in many countries around the world. Combined English and other language circulation is around 6.8 million monthly, with some 60 million readers.

= Other publications

= In addition to its flagship magazine, the Society publishes several other periodicals: * ''National Geographic Explorer'': Classroom magazine. The ''National Geographic School Bulletin'' was launched in 1919 and was replaced by the children's magazine ''National Geographic World'' in 1975. ''NG'' ''World'' was separated into the current ''National Geographic Explorer'' and ''National Geographic Kids'' in 2001. * ''National Geographic History'': Launched in Spring 2015. * ''

National Geographic Kids ''National Geographic Kids'' (often nicknamed to ''Nat Geo Kids'') is a children's magazine published by National Geographic Partners. In a broad sense, the publication is a version of ''National Geographic'', the publisher's flagship magazine, ...

'': A version of ''National Geographic Magazine'' for children, launched in 1975 under the name ''National Geographic World''. It has a U.S. circulation of over 1.5 million. There are also currently 18 local-language editions of ''NG Kids'', with another half million in circulation. An Arabic edition of the children's magazine was launched in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

in early 2007, and more than 42,000 copies are distributed to all the public schools in Egypt, in addition to another 15,000 single-copy sales. More recently, an

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

n and

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

edition were launched. * ''

National Geographic Little Kids ''National Geographic Kids'' (often nicknamed to ''Nat Geo Kids'') is a children's magazine published by National Geographic Partners. In a broad sense, the publication is a version of ''National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic'', the p ...

'': For younger children aged 3–6 * ''

National Geographic Traveler ''National Geographic Traveler'' is a magazine published by National Geographic Partners, NG Media in Armenia, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Latin America, Israel, Poland, Romania, Slov ...

'': Launched in 1984. There are 18 local-language editions of ''NG Traveler''. The Society also ran an online daily news outlet called ''National Geographic News''. Additionally, the Society publishes

atlases An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditionally been ...

, books, and

map A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...

s through National Geographic Books and

National Geographic Maps National Geographic Maps, founded in 1915, is the commercial map publishing division of ''National Geographic'', part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society. Initially the in-house cartographic studio ...

, commercial publishing divisions of

. It previously published and co-published other magazines, including ''

National Geographic Adventure Nat Geo People (short for National Geographic People) is an international pay television channel owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27%). Targeted a ...

'', ''National Geographic Research'' (a scientific journal), and others, and continues to publish special issues of various magazines. The Society published a series of books about natural remedies and medicinal herbs. Titles include ''Guide to Medicinal Herbs,'' ''Complete Guide to Natural Home Remedies,'' ''Nature's Best Remedies,'' ''Healing Remedies,'' and ''Natural Home Remedies.'' The books make claims to describe, among other things, plants, herbs, and essential oils purported to help treat diseases and ailments. While giving some appropriate warnings about such concerns as anecdotal evidence and side effects are given, the books have been criticized from a medical perspective for a number of reasons. These include making recommendations that lack scientific evidence, inconsistent claims from one book to the next as well as internal contradictions, and failure to mention effective and safe alternatives. The journal ''

Skeptical Inquirer ''Skeptical Inquirer'' (S.I.) is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle "The Magazine for Science and Reason". The magazine initially focused on investigating clai ...

'' devoted thirty-four pages in 2019 discussing these books. Experts such as

Harriet Hall Harriet A. Hall (July 2, 1945 – January 11, 2023) was an American family medicine, family physician, U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, author, Science communication, science communicator, and scientific skepticism, skeptic. She wrote about alterna ...

Joe Nickell Joe Herman Nickell (December 1, 1944 – March 4, 2025) was an American skeptic and investigator of the paranormal. Nickell was a senior research fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and wrote regularly for their journal, '' Skeptic ...

, Cees Renckens and

Barry Kosmin The Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC) is located at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. ISSSC was established in 2005 to advance the understanding of the role of secular values and the process of seculari ...

addressed each subject in the series of books. Summing up the series, Hall wrote in a review of the series that, "The author Nancy J. Hajeski is a fiction and nonfiction writer with no medical or scientific credentials. The forward is by Tieraona Low Dog, MD, an integrative medicine specialist. ... which is a marketing term designed to infiltrate quackery into science-based medicine."

Films and television

= National Geographic Films

= National Geographic Films was a wholly owned taxable subsidiary of the National Geographic Society. National Geographic Films appointed Adam Leipzig as president in 2004. The society formed in October 2007 National Geographic Entertainment division to include Cinema Ventures and Feature Films. In 2008, the film division and

Image Nation Image Nation Abu Dhabi, (formerly Imagenation), is an Emirati film studio established in 2008. It is based at twofour54’s Yas Creative Hub in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The studio focuses on creating films, TV series, documentaries, and ...

formed a $100 million fund to develop, produce, finance and acquire over five years 10–15 films. The first film the fund invested in was '' The Way Back''. Leipzig left the company in January 2010. On March 15, 2010, former Miramax president Daniel Battsek started as National Geographic Films president. Basttsek ended up also over seeing Nat Geo Cinema Ventures distribution and big screen production before he left in 2012 becoming president of

Cohen Media Group Charles Steven Cohen (born February 8, 1952) is an American real estate developer and film distributor. Early life and education Cohen was raised in a Jewish family in Harrison, New York. He is the son of Gloria and Sherman Cohen and nephew to ...

. Films it has produced include: * '' K-19: The Widowmaker'' (2002), a feature film, submarine thriller based on the diary of a Russian submarine commander, starring

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...

. * ''

March of the Penguins ''March of the Penguins'' ( French ''La Marche de l'empereur''; ) is a 2005 French feature-length nature documentary directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The documentary d ...

'' (2005) grossed more than $125 million worldwide, distributed by National Geographic Films and

Warner Independent Warner Independent Pictures was an independent film division of the American film studio Warner Bros. Entertainment. Established on August 7, 2003, its first release was 2004's ''Before Sunset,'' the sequel to the 1995 film ''Before Sunrise.'' ...

* '' God Grew Tired of Us'' (2006) * ''

Arctic Tale ''Arctic Tale'' is a 2007 American documentary film from the National Geographic Society about the life cycle of a walrus and her calf, and a polar bear and her cubs, in a similar vein to the 2005 hit production ''March of the Penguins'', which ...

'' (2007), a feature film documenting the story of two families of walrus and polar bears, narrated by

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, and actress. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe ...

. * ''

Sea Monsters A sea monster is a mythical sea creature. Sea Monsters may refer to: Film * ''Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure'', a 2007 National Geographic 3D film Literature * ''Sea Monsters'', a 2019 novel by Chloe Aridjis Television Episodes * "Chapter ...

'' (2007), inspired by a ''National Geographic Magazine'' article, is a 3-D large format and reality film, with a musical score by Peter Gabriel. * '' The Way Back'' (2010) * ''

The First Grader ''The First Grader'' is a 2011 Biographical film, biographical drama film directed by Justin Chadwick. It stars Naomie Harris, Oliver Litondo, and Tony Kgoroge. The film is inspired by the true story of Kimani Maruge, a Kenyan farmer who enrolled ...

'' (2010) * ''

The Wildest Dream ''The Wildest Dream'' is a 2010 theatrical-release feature documentary film about the British climber George Mallory who disappeared on Mount Everest in 1924 with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine. The film interweaves two stories, one about clim ...

'' (2010) * ''Restrepo'' (July 2, 2010) Outpost Films Production; domestic rights, Sundance documentary grand jury prize winner * '' Life in a Day'' (2011) * '' The Last Lions'' (2011) * ''Mysteries of the Unseen World'' (2013) * ''Jerusalem'' (2013) * ''Pandas: The Journey Home'' (2014) * ''Amreeka'' * ''City of Life and Death'' *''Undaunted Courage:

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

and the Opening of the American West'', a co-production for

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

by National Geographic Films,

Edward Norton Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. After graduating from Yale College in 1991 with a degree in history, he worked for a few months in Japan before moving to New York City ...

, and

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...

, is a 10-hour mini-series of

Steven Ambrose Stephen Edward Ambrose (January 10, 1936 – October 13, 2002) was an American historian, academic, and author, most noted for his books on World War II and his biographies of U.S. presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. He was a long ...

's award-winning book. * ''Blue Man Group: Mind Blast'' In 2005, the National Geographic Society acquired the film distribution arm of Destination Cinema and entered the film distribution business. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, National Geographic partnered with pharmaceutical company

to produce a sponsored documentary chronicling the development of Pfizer and

BioNTech BioNTech SE ( ; or short for Biopharmaceutical New Technologies) is a German multinational biotechnology company headquartered in Mainz that develops immunotherapies and vaccines, particularly for cancer and infectious diseases. The compan ...

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...

= Cinema Ventures

= National Geographic Cinema Ventures (NGCV) was a giant-screen, 3D and specialty films production and distribution company operated under National Geographic Entertainment. At the late 2011 American Alliance of Museums conference, National Geographic Cinema Ventures launched the Museum Partnership Program as museums want a brand for their giant screen theaters. Starting on February 1, 2018, Cosmic Pictures gained distribution rights to a number of the NGCV library.

= Museum Partnership Program

= The Museum Partnership Program is the branding and content program of National Geographic Cinema Ventures. Partner museums would receive immediate market exclusivity on their 2 new digital 3D films per year and gain access to the National Geographic organization from members to exhibition to television. There were nine partner museums as of 2012: * Putnam Museum in Davenport, Iowa

= Films

= * ''

'' (2007) * ''Extreme Weather'' * ''Mysteries of the Unseen World'' (2013) * ''Jerusalem'' (2013) - produced by Cosmic Pictures; distribution; Cosmic Pictures gain rights to distribute * ''Pandas: The Journey Home'' (2014) 40-minute, Oxford Scientific Films Production for Sky3D and NGCV, in association with the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association, Wolong Panda Conservation Centre, CCTV9, Nat Geo WILD; international distributor

= Television programs

= Television programs produced by the National Geographic Society are also broadcast on television. National Geographic

television specials A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...

and series have been aired on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

and other networks in the United States and globally for many years. The ''Geographic'' series in the U.S. started on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

in 1964, moved to

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

in 1973, shifted to PBS (produced by WQED,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

) in 1975, shifted to

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

in 1995, and returned to PBS in 2000. It moved to

National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney Enter ...

in 2005. It has featured stories on numerous scientific figures such as

Jacques Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called the ...

Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English zoologist, Primatology, primatologist and Anthropology, anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremo ...

, and

Louis Leakey Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey (7 August 1903 – 1 October 1972) was a Kenyan-British palaeoanthropologist and archaeologist whose work was important in demonstrating that humans evolved in Africa, particularly through discoveries made at Olduvai ...

that not only featured their work but as well helped make them world-famous and accessible to millions. Most of the specials were narrated by various actors, including

Glenn Close Glenda Veronica Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. In a career spanning over five decades on Glenn Close on screen and stage, screen and stage, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Glenn Close, numerous ac ...

Linda Hunt Linda Hunt (born Lydia Susanna Hunt; April 2, 1945) is an American actress. She made her film debut playing Mrs. Oxheart in Popeye (film), ''Popeye'' (1980). Her portrayal of the male character Billy Kwan in ''The Year of Living Dangerously (fil ...

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor, active in theatre, film and television since the 1960s. Keach first distinguished himself in Off-Broadway productions and remains a prominent figure in American theatre across his ...

Richard Kiley Richard Paul Kiley (March 31, 1922 – March 5, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor and singer. He is best-known for his distinguished theatrical career in which he twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Kile ...

Burgess Meredith Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed radio, theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" ...

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actor. With a career spanning over five decades, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...

Alexander Scourby Alexander Scourby (; November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American film actor, film, television actor, television, and voice actor and narrator known for his deep and resonant voice and Northeastern elite accent, Mid-Atlantic acce ...

Martin Sheen Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. His work spans over six decades of television and film, and his accolades include three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and ...

, and

Peter Strauss Peter Lawrence Strauss (born February 20, 1947) is an American television and film actor, known for his roles in several television miniseries in the 1970s and 1980s. He is an Emmy winner and five-time Golden Globe Awards nominee. Early life S ...

. The specials' theme music, by

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 orig ...

, was also adopted by the National Geographic Channel. Another long-running show is ''

National Geographic Explorer ''National Geographic Explorer'' (or simply ''Explorer'') is an American documentary television series that originally premiered on Nickelodeon on April 7, 1985, after having been produced as a less costly and intensive alternative to PBS's '' ...

''.

= Television channels

= The original

launched National Geographic Channel in Asia and Europe in the late 1990s, in partnership with the Society. The Society provides programming to the National Geographic-branded channels worldwide, while, as of March 2019,

's subsidiaries (

Walt Disney Television The first and original incarnation of Walt Disney Television was an American production company and the original/former television production division of the Walt Disney Company, which was active from April 18, 1983 to 2003. Productions from ...

in the United States and

Fox Networks Group Fox Networks Group (FNG), formerly known as Fox International Channels (FIC), was the television broadcaster, television networks division of News Corporation and later 21st Century Fox that operated from 1993 to 2021. It oversaw the production, ...

outside the United States) handle distribution of the channels and advertisement sales. The National Geographic Channel has begun to launch a number of sub-branded channels in international markets, such as

Nat Geo Wild National Geographic Wild (shortened as Nat Geo Wild and abbreviated NGW) is a global pay television network owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27% ...

Nat Geo People Nat Geo People (short for National Geographic People) is an international pay television channel owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27%). Targeted a ...

and Nat Geo Kids. The U.S. domestic version of

was launched in January 2001 as a joint venture of National Geographic and

Fox Cable Networks Fox Networks Group (FNG), formerly known as Fox International Channels (FIC), was the television networks division of News Corporation and later 21st Century Fox that operated from 1993 to 2021. It oversaw the production, broadcasting and distrib ...

Music and radio

National Geographic Music and Radio (NGMR) is the music and radio division of National Geographic Ventures. The scope of the division includes National Geographic Live! events, digital music distribution, music publishing, radio content,

Nat Geo Music Nat Geo Music was a television music channel operated as a part of National Geographic Global Networks, which is a business unit of National Geographic Partners (a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Societ ...

TV channel (available in parts of Asia and Europe) and film and TV music. Clear Channel,

Salem Communications Salem Media Group, Inc. (formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher based in Irving, Texas, targeting audiences interested in Christian values and wha ...

and NPR were distribution partners. In early August 2007, National Geographic Ventures announced the existence of the then-recently formed division. The division was already creating music for its feature film and kids units. Initially hired to run the division were Mark Bauman, executive vice president of radio and video production, and David Beal, head of music labels, publishing and radio operations. With National Geographic Channels, Music and Radio on October 15, 2007, launched the Nat Geo Music channel in Italy. The society formed in October 2007 National Geographic Entertainment division to include the Music & Radio division and promoted the division president David Beal was appointed head of Nat Geo Entertainment. In 2009, the division became a full-service record label as Nat Geo Music with Mat Whittington appointed as president. More recently, NGMR has leaned into the digital landscape with the rise of streaming services, maintaining an active presence on platforms such as

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

, Apple Music and YouTube, showcasing soundtracks, artist collaborations, and music related to National Geographic’s programming.

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control 1888 establishments in the United States Educational organizations based in the United States Geographic societies Magazine publishing companies of the United States Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Publishing companies established in 1888

Overview

History

List of original founders

Activities

Support for research and projects

Awards

Hubbard Medal

Alexander Graham Bell Medal

National Geographic Museum

National Geographic Explorers program

Commercial ventures

Publications

= ''National Geographic''

= Other publications

Films and television

= National Geographic Films

= Cinema Ventures

= Museum Partnership Program

= Films

= Television programs

= Television channels

Music and radio

See also

References

Further reading

External links