An Overview of the Royal Geographical Society and Its Activities

The 15th and 16th centuries in Europe were a period of major events such as Humanism, Reformation, Renaissance and Geographical Discoveries. There were some developments that would lead to the revival of the science of geography depending on these important factors that occurred in the last centuries of the Middle Ages. These developments can be summarised as the discovery of new lands, developments in cartography, various scientific and technological inventions and travels popularised by the magnetic compass and the development of navigation. These developments enabled Europe's economic expansion and the establishment of a global dominance. Britain, which was the first to industrialise and establish global dominance with the process of change known as the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, was the most powerful imperialist state in the world until recently. The Royal Geographical Society, which was established as a result of these developments in Europe, is an organisation that could produce data that would serve the imperialist expansion and where geography and cartography activities were carried out. This article is a study of the foundation, development, structure, aims and work of the Royal Geographical Society, founded in London in 1830.