The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 with the name Geographical Society of London for the advancement of geographical science, under the patronage of King William IV. It absorbed the 'Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa' (founded by Sir Joseph Banks in 1788), the Raleigh Club and the Palestine Association. It was given a Royal charter by Queen Victoria in 1859. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... , A wealthy area in Kensington, that is just south of Kensington High Street. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A learned society is a society that exists to promote an academic discipline or group of disciplines. ... William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. ... Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, PRS (13 February 1743 – 19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist and science patron. ... The Raleigh Club was a dining club founded in 1827. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ...

History

Founder members of the Society include Sir John Barrow, Sir John Franklin and Francis Beaufort. It has been a key associate and supporter of many famous explorers and expeditions, including those of: Sir John Barrow, FRS , FRGS , LL.D (June 19, 1764 – November 23, 1848) was an English statesman. ... For the American historian, see John Hope Franklin. ... Sir Francis Beaufort (May 7, 1774 - December 17, 1857) was a British naval officer and hydrographer and was born in Ireland. ... See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ... See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ...

Statue of Shackleton by Charles Sargeant Jagger outside the society headquarters

• Charles Darwin
• James Kingston Tuckey
• David Livingstone
• Scott of the Antarctic
• Richard Francis Burton
• John Hanning Speke
• George W. Hayward
• Henry Morton Stanley
• Ernest Shackleton
• Sir Edmund Hillary

From the middle of the 19th Century until the end of World War I, expeditions sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society were frequently front page news, and the opinions of its president and board members would be avidly sought by journalists and editors. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1728 × 2304 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1728 × 2304 pixel, file size: 1. ... Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO, OBE (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Irish explorer, knighted for the success of the British Antarctic Expedition (1907 - 09) under his command, but now chiefly remembered for his Antarctic expedition of 1914–1916 in the ship Endurance, which is colloquially known as... Detail from the Royal Artillery Memorial Charles Sargeant Jagger MC (1885-1934) was a British sculptor who, following active service in the First World War, sculpted many works on the theme of war. ... For other people of the same surname, and places and things named after Charles Darwin, see Darwin. ... James Kingston Tuckey (1776-1816) was a British explorer who, in 1816, attempted to find the source of the River Congo in the HMS Congo. ... David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 4 May 1873) was a Scottish Presbyterian pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and explorer in central Africa. ... For other persons named Robert Scott, see Robert Scott (disambiguation). ... Richard Burton, portrait by Frederic Leighton, National Portrait Gallery, London. ... John Hanning Speke (May 4, 1827 – September 15, 1864) was an officer in the British Indian army, who made three voyages of exploration to Africa. ... George W. Hayward (1840?-1870) is a little known 19th century British explorer. ... Sir Henry Morton Stanley, also known in the Congo as Bula Matari (Breaker of Rocks or, alternatively, Sledge Hammer) , born John Rowlands (January 28, 1841 – May 10, 1904), was a journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. ... Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO, OBE (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Irish explorer, knighted for the success of the British Antarctic Expedition (1907 - 09) under his command, but now chiefly remembered for his Antarctic expedition of 1914–1916 in the ship Endurance, which is colloquially known as... Edmund Hillary on the New Zealand 5 dollar note Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE (born July 20, 1919) is a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, most famous for the first successful climb of Mount Everest. ...

Today the Society is a leading world centre for geographical learning - supporting education, teaching, research and scientific expeditions, as well as promoting public understanding and enjoyment of geography. It is a member of the Science Council. The society has merged with the Institute of British Geographers and is properly known as the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers). The main offices of the Society are at Lowther Lodge in Kensington, in London. The Science Council is the umbrella body for scientific professional institutes and learned societies in the UK. Together, the member organisations represent over 400,000 scientists. ... Lowther Lodge is a house in South Kensington, London immediately south of Hyde Park. ... , A wealthy area in Kensington, that is just south of Kensington High Street. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Governance and Past Presidents

Council

The Society is governed by its Board of trustees called the Council, which is chaired by its President. The members of Council and the President are elected from its Fellowship. The council consists of 25 members, 22 of which are elected by Fellows and serve for a three year term. In addition to the elected trustees there are Honorary Members (who include the Duke of Kent as Honorary President) who sit on the council. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Board of directors. ... A fellow in its broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. ... fellows may refer to: the plural of Fellow Fellows, California This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Duke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V of the United Kingdom. ...

Committees

The society has five specialist committees that it derives advice from

• Education Committee
• Research Committee
• Expedition and Fieldwork Committee
• Information Resources Committee
• Finance Committee

Selected List of Past Presidents

• Viscount Goderich The Earl of Ripon (1830-1833)
• Sir Roderick Murchison (1851-1853)
• Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson (1871-1873 and 1874-1876)
• Sir Clements Robert Markham (1893-1905)
• Sir George Taubman Goldie (1905-1908)
• Major Leonard Darwin (1905-1911)
• Colonel Sir Thomas Hungerford Holdich (1919-1922)
• Sir James Wordie
• Lord Shackleton (1971-1974)
• Sir Crispin Tickell (1989-1993)
• Earl Jellicoe (1993-1997)
• Earl of Selborne (1997-2000)

Marquess of Ripon was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. ... Sir Roderick Murchison Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (February 19, 1792 – October 22, 1871), was an influential Scottish geologist who first described and investigated the Silurian era. ... See Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baron Rawlinson for the British World War I general (the son of Henry Creswicke Rawlinson). ... Sir Clements Robert Markham (20 July 1830 – 1916) was a British explorer, author and geographer. ... Sir George Dashwood Taubman Goldie (May 20, 1846–August 20, 1925) was an English administrator who played a role in the founding of Nigeria. ... Leonard Darwin Leonard as a boy with his mother, Emma Darwin Major Leonard Darwin (15 January 1850 — 26 March 1943), a son of the British naturalist Charles Darwin, was variously a soldier, politician, economist, eugenicist and mentor of the statistician and evolutionary biologist Ronald Fisher. ... Colonel Sir Thomas Hungerford Holdich, KCMG, KCIE, CB (1843-1929) was a British geographer and president of the Royal Geographical Society. ... Sir James Mann Wordie, CBE (26 April 1889 – 16 January 1962) was a Scottish polar explorer and geologist. ... Edward Arthur Alexander Shackleton, Baron Shackleton, PC KG (July 15, 1911 - 1994), was a British geographer and Labour politician. ... Sir Crispin Tickell (born 1930) GCMG KCVO is a British diplomat, academic and environmentalist. ... George Patrick John Rushworth Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, KBE, DSO, MC, PC, FRS, LLD, FKC, (April 3, 1918–22 February 2007) was a British politician and statesman, diplomatist and businessman. ... The title of Earl of Selborne was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1882 for Lord Selborne, the Lord Chancellor. ...

Membership

There are four categories of individual membership:

Ordinary Membership

Anyone with an interest in Geography is eligible to apply to become a member of the RGS.

Young Geographer

People aged between 14 and 24 currently studying, a recent graduate of geography or a related subject.

Fellowship

Fellowship of the Society is conferred to anyone over the age of 21 who has been an Ordinary member of the society for five previous years and/or has an involvement with geography (through research, publication, profession etc) and must be proposed and seconded by existing Fellows. Fellows are granted the use of the post-nominal FRGS. Post-nominal letters also called Post-nominal initials or Post-nominal titles are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. ... The Royal Geographical Society is a learned society, founded in 1830 with the name Geographical Society of London for the advancement of geographical science, under the patronage of King William IV. It absorbed the Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa (founded by Joseph Banks in...

Postgraduate Fellow of the Society

Is open to anyone who is a postgraduate student in Geography or an allied subject at a United Kingdom university.

Chartered Geographer

In recent years the Society has been granted the power to award the status of Chartered Geographer. The status of chartered geographer can only be obtained by present Fellows of the society who apply for the award and meet the criteria. Being awarded the status of Chartered Geographer allows the use of the post-nominal letters C.Geog.

Chartered Geographer (Teacher) is a professional accreditation available to teachers who can demonstrate competence, experience and professionalism in the use of geographical knowledge or skills in and out of the classroom, and who are committed to maintaining their professional standards through ongoing continuing professional development (CPD). For more information visit [1]

Research Group

The society is not only a learned body but also carries out research in the following research groups.

Biogeography is the science which deals with patterns of species distribution and the processes that result in such patterns. ... Surface of the Earth Geomorphology is the study of landforms, including their origin and evolution, and the processes that shape them. ... Global mean surface temperatures 1850 to 2006 Mean surface temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades and the projected... Economic geography is the study of the location, distribution and spatial organisation of economic activities across the Earth. ... A geographic information system (GIS) is a system for managing data that has a spatial specialized form of an information system. ... Tourists on Oahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes or the provision of services to support this leisure travel. ... The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ... Historical Geography is the study of the: Human Physical Fictional Theoretical and Real geographies of the past. ... This article explores the history of geography. ... Lyskamm, 4 527 m, Pennine Alps A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Political geography is a field of human geography that is concerned with politics. ... Map of world population density as of 1994. ... Quaternary education or postgraduate education is the fourth-stage educational level which follows the completion of an undergraduate degree at a college or university. ... A scale for measuring mass A quantitative property is one that exists in a range of magnitudes, and can therefore be measured. ... Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China An artists rendering of an aerial view of the Maryland countryside: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52... Social geography studies how society affects geographical features and how environmental factors affect society. ... This article is under construction. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

Awards and Grants

The society also presents many awards to geographers that have contributed to the advancement of geography. A geographer is a scientist whose area of study is geography, the study of the physical environment and human habitat. ...

The most prestigious of these awards are the Gold Medals (Founder's Medal 1830 and the Patron's Medal 1838). The award is given for "the encouragement and promotion of geographical science and discovery", and are approved by Queen Elizabeth II. The awards originated as an annual gift of fifty guineas from King William IV, first made in 1831, "to constitute a premium for the encouragement and promotion of geographical science and discovery". The Society decided in 1839 to change this monetary award into two gold medals: Founder’s Medal and the Patron’s. The award has been given to notable geographers including David Livingstone (1855), Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen (1878), Alfred Russel Wallace (1892), and Frederick Courtney Selous (1893) to more recent winners including Professor William Morris Davis (1919), Sir Halford John Mackinder (1945), Professor Richard Chorley (1987) and Professor David Harvey (1995). In 2004 Harish Kapadia was awarded the Patron's Medal for contributions to geographical discovery and mountaineering in the Himalayas, making him the second Indian to receive the award in its history. In 2005 the Founder's Medal was awarded to Professor Sir Nicholas Shakleton for his research in the field of Quaternary Paleoclimatology and the Patron's Medal was awarded to Professor Jean Malaurie for a lifelong study of the Arctic and its people. Prestige means good reputation or high esteem, although it originally meant a delusion or magicians trick (Latin præstigum). ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... William IV King of the United Kingdom William IV (William Henry) (21 August 1765–20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 4 May 1873) was a Scottish Presbyterian pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and explorer in central Africa. ... Ferdinand von Richthofen (1833-1905). ... Alfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS (January 8, 1823 – November 7, 1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist. ... Frederick Courteney Selous (or Courtney) (31 December 1851 - 4 January 1917) was a British explorer, hunter, and conservationist famous for his exploits in Southern Africa. ... William Morris Davis (February 12, 1850 - February 5, 1934) was an American geographer, geologist and meteorologist, often called the father of American geography. He was born into a Quaker family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, son of Edward M. Davis and Maria Mott Davis (a daughter of the womens advocate Lucretia... Categories: People stubs | 1861 births | 1947 deaths | British MPs | English geographers | Geopoliticians ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... David Harvey can refer to: David Harvey, former Leeds United goalkeeper (soccer) David Harvey, Marxist geographer David Harvey, philosopher David Harvey, Grammy Award winning producer D.Q.Harvey, statistician and treasurer of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians David Harvey, television presenter and executive David Harvey, author of Monuments... Harish Kapadia Harish Kapadia is one of the most distinguished Himalayan Mountaineers in the world. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Quaternary Period is the geologic time period from the end of the Pliocene Epoch roughly 1. ... Paleoclimatology is the study of climate change taken on the scale of the entire history of the Earth. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. ...

In total the society awards 17 medals and awards including Honorary Membership and Fellowships. Some of the other awards given by the Society include: A Medal can mean three things: a wearable medal awarded by a government for services to a country (such as Armed force service); strictly speaking this only refers to a medal of coin-like appearance, but informally the word also refers to an Order (decoration); a table medal awarded by... An award is something given to a person or group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field. ...

• The Victoria Medal (1902) for "conspicuous merit in research in Geography"
• The Murchsion Award (1882) for the "publication judged to contribute most to geographical science in preceding recent years"
• The Cuthbert Peak Award (1883) for "those advancing geographical knowledge of human impact on the environment through the application of contemporary methods, including those of earth observation and mapping"
• The Edward Heath Award (1984) for "for geographical research in either Europe or the developing world"

The society also offers 16 grants for various purposes ranging from established researcher grants to expedition and fieldwork teams to photography and media grants. The Ralph Brown and the Gilchrist Fieldwork grants are the largest grants awarded by the society each worth £15,000. Sir Edward Richard George Heath, KG, OBE (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. ... Grants are funds given to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations or local governments by foundations, corporations, governments, small business and individuals. ... Fieldwork refers to scientific activity conducted in the field, outside the laboratory, of subject matter in an as-found state, by anthropologists, geologists, botanists, archaeologists or others who study the natural or human world. ... Photography [fÓ™tÉ‘grÓ™fi:],[foÊŠtÉ‘grÓ™fi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or sensor. ...

See also

• Richard Henry Brunton
• Geographical Magazine
• Royal Scottish Geographical Society
• Royal Institution
• List of Royal Societies
• Learned societies
• List of British professional bodies
• History of science
• Harish Kapadia

Richard Henry Brunton (December 26, 1841 - April 24, 1901) from Scotland was the so-called Father of Japanese lighthouses. He was born in the Coastguard House (now 11 Marine Terrace) at Muchalls, Fetteresso in Kincardineshire. ... Geographical Magazine is the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), and was founded by Michael Huxley in 1935. ... The Royal Scottish Geographical Society is a learned society in Scotland, founded in 1884. ... The Royal Institution of Great Britain was set up in 1799 by the leading British scientists of the age, including Henry Cavendish and its first president George Finch, the 9th Earl of Winchilsea, for diffusing the knowledge, and facilitating the general introduction, of useful mechanical inventions and improvements; and for... The Royal Society 1660 Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 Royal Irish Academy 1785 Royal Society of Literature 1820 Royal Society of Chemistry 1972 formed from the Chemical Society (founded 1841), the Society for Analytical Chemistry (founded 1874), the Royal Institute of Chemistry (founded 1877) and the Faraday Society (founded 1903... A learned society is a society that exists to promote an academic discipline or group of disciplines. ... The following is a list of professional bodies in the United Kingdom. ... Science is a body of empirical and theoretical knowledge, produced by a global community of researchers, making use of specific techniques for the observation and explanation of real phenomena, this techne summed up under the banner of scientific method. ... Harish Kapadia Harish Kapadia is one of the most distinguished Himalayan Mountaineers in the world. ...

Further reading

• Royal Geographical Society Expedition Handbook. Profile Books Ltd, 2004. ISBN 1-86197-044-7
• To the Ends of the Earth: Visions of a Changing World. 175 Years of the Royal Geographical Society. Bloomsbury, 2005. ISBN 0-7475-8138-X

External Links

• Royal Geographical Society
• Royal Geographical Society Picture Library
• The official Royal Geographical Society print website containing a huge selection of RGS images
• Harish Kapadia