International Geographical Union

International Geographical Union (IGU)

Union géographique internationale (UGI)

Abbreviation| IGU/UGI
Formation| 1922; 104 years ago (1922)
Founded at| Brussels, Belgium
Type| INGO
Location|

* Secretariat:
Department of Geography
University of Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey

Region served

| Worldwide

Official language

| English, French, Spanish

President

|  Nathalie Lemarchand

Secretary-General

|  Barbaros Gönençgil
Affiliations| International Science Council
Website| IGU-Online.org

The International Geographical Union (IGU; French: Union géographique internationale, UGI) is an international geographical society. The first International Geographical Congress was held in Antwerp in 1871. Subsequent meetings led to the establishment of the permanent organization in 1922 in Brussels, Belgium.

The International Geographical Union adheres to the International Science Council (ISC), which it recognizes as the coordinating body for the international organisations of science.

## Contents

* 1 Objectives
* 2 Senior officers
* 2.1 Presidents
* 2.2 Secretaries-General and Treasurers
* 3 Commissions and Task Forces
* 3.1 IGU-CGE
* 4 List of congresses
* 4.1 Notes
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Objectives

The IGU has seven objectives or aims:

1. to promote the study of geographical problems;
2. to initiate and co-ordinate geographical research requiring international co-operation and to promote its scientific discussion and publication;
3. to provide for the participation of geographers in the work of relevant international organizations;
4. to facilitate the collection and diffusion of geographical data and documentation in and between all member countries;
5. to promote International Geographical Congresses, regional conferences and specialized symposia related to the objectives of the Union;
6. to participate in any other appropriate form of international co-operation with the object of advancing the study and application of geography;
7. 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
* 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
* 1964–68  Shiba P. Chatterjee
* 1960–64  Carl Troll
* 1956–60  Hans Wilhelmsson Ahlmann
* 1952–56  L. Dudley Stamp
* 1949–52  George B. Cressey
* 1938–49 Template:Country data French Fourth Republic Emmanuel de Martonne
* 1934–38  Sir Charles Close
* 1931–34  Isaiah Bowman
* 1928–31  General Robert Bourgeois
* 1924–28  General Nicola Vacchelli
* 1922–24  Prince Roland 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
* 1938–40  Paul Michotte
* 1931–38  Emmanuel de Martonne
* 1928–31  Filippo De Filippi
* 1922–28  Sir Charles Close

## Commissions and Task Forces

The IGU is organized into a number of commissions and task forces that deal with specific topics.[1]

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).[2]

It publishes the IRGEE journal and organizes yearly conferences.[3] 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. [4] In the 1992 charter there is also information on geographic questions, key concepts, approaches and the selection of spatial examples.[5]

## List of congresses

International Geographical Congresses have been held as follows:[6]

Congress
number  | Year  | City

|
|

1st  | 1922  |  Paris
2nd  | 1928  |  Cambridge
3rd  | 1931  |  Paris
4th  | 1934  |  Warsaw
5th  | 1938  |  Amsterdam
6th  | 1949  |  Lisbon
7th  | 1952  |  Washington, D.C.
8th  | 1956  |  Rio de Janeiro
9th  | 1960  |  Stockholm
10th  | 1964  |  London
11th  | 1968  |  New Delhi
12th  | 1972  |  Montreal
13th  | 1976  |  Moscow
14th  | 1980  |  Tokyo
15th  | 1984  |  Paris
16th  | 1988  |  Sydney
17th  | 1992  |  Washington, D.C.
18th  | 1996  |  The Hague
19th  | 2000  |  Seoul
20th  | 2004  |  Glasgow
21st  | 2008  |  Tunis
22nd  | 2012  |  Cologne
23rd  | 2016  |  Beijing
24th  | 2021  |  Istanbul[upper-alpha 1]
*  | 2022  |  Paris[upper-alpha 2]
25th  | 2024  |  Dublin
26th  | 2028  |  Melbourne
27th  | 2032  |

* Extraordinary Congress

### Notes

1. ↑ Originally scheduled for 2020, the Congress was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. ↑ Extraordinary Congress for IGU Centenary.

## References

1. ↑ "Commissions" (in en-US). IGU Online. https://igu-online.org/organization/commissions/.
2. ↑ "People - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/steering-committee/.
3. ↑ "Home - IGU CGE" (in en-US). http://www.igu-cge.org/.
4. ↑ "2016 Charter - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/2016-charter/.
5. ↑ "1992 Charter - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/1992-charter/.
6. ↑ "List of congresses" (in English). International Geographical Union. 3 August 2021. https://igu-online.org/events/international-geographical-congress/.

* 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 (eds.) (1996) Geographers to the world. The International Geographical Union and the International Geographical Congress Paris: L'Harmattan ISBN 9782738445735
* Dunbar, Gary S. (2001) Geography: Discipline, Profession and Subject since 1870: An International Survey Kluwer Academic Publishers ISBN 1-4020-0019-7 pg 36
* Lidstone, John; Williams, Michael (2006) Geographical Education in a Changing World: Past Experience, Current Trends and Future Challenges Springer ISBN 978-1-4020-4806-7 pg 39
* International Geographical Union (IGU)
* Royal Irish Academy (RIA)

## External links

* International Geographical Union/Union Géographique Internationale
* International Geographical Union - Russian National Committee

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