International Geographical Congress

The IGU hosts an International Geographical Congress every four years held in a country following an Invitation from the IGU National Committee in the country or countries concerned. An invitation to host the Congress should be addressed to the Secretary-General by member countries of the Union or by groups of member countries offering to act as hosts. The acceptance of an invitation is by vote of the General Assembly.

When an invitation has been accepted, the organization and financing of the Congress is the responsibility of the host country or countries. However, the Executive Committee shall advise on the program planned for the Congress. The Congress is s open to delegates from all members of the Union and to individuals both from member countries and from countries which are not members.

International Geographical Congresses have been held as follows, although only from 1925 were they formally under the auspices of the IGU itself, following its establishment in 1922:

1871 Antwerp, Belgium

1875 Paris, France

1881 Venice, Italy

1889 Paris, France

1891 Berne, Switzerland

1895 London, United Kingdom

1899 Berlin, Germany

1904 Washington DC, USA

1908 Geneva, Switzerland

1913 Rome, Italy

1925 Cairo, Egypt

1928 Cambridge, UK

1931 Paris, France

1934 Warsaw, Poland

1938 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1949 Lisbon, Portugal

1952 Washington DC, USA

1956 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1960 Stockholm, Sweden

1964 London, UK

1968 New Delhi, India

1972 Montreal, Canada

1976 Moscow, Russia

1980 Tokyo, Japan

1984 Paris, France

1988 Sydney, Australia

1992 Washington DC, USA

1996 The Hague, The Netherlands

2000 Seoul, Republic of Korea

2004 Glasgow, UK

2008 Tunis, Tunisia

2012 Cologne, Germany

2016 Beijing, China

2021 Istanbul, Turkey

Future Congresses:

2022 Paris, France (Extraordinary Congress in celebration of IGU Centenary)

2024 Dublin, Ireland

2028 Melbourne, Australia