FROM THE TEMISPHERE TO GEOGRAPHIC ADMINISTRATIVE LAW: THE THOUGHT OF THE GEOJURIST JOSÉ NICOLAU DOS SANTOS IN THE LIGHT OF THE 21ST CENTURY

This article revisits the concept of Temisphere, formulated by José Nicolau dos Santos, in light of the contemporary challenges of Brazilian territorial planning. Far from being merely a historical theory, the Temisphere is reinterpreted here as a critical category capable of revealing the complex coexistence and overlap of legalities across the territory, as well as the structural shortcomings in recognizing legitimate forms of land occupation—such as Indigenous, Quilombola, riverside, and informal urban territories. The analysis adopts a qualitative, hermeneutic-based methodology, combining a chronological reconstruction and bibliographic review of the author’s work with a theoretical-propositional reinterpretation grounded in the framework of Geographic Administrative Law. This approach is further complemented by an exploratory investigation of experiences with Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs), highlighting the potential of law to integrate legal, geographic, and socio-territorial data. By identifying Article 21, item XV, of the 1988 Brazilian Constitution as the legal foundation for this perspective, the paper proposes a methodological reconfiguration of legal reasoning aligned with 21st-century demands for territorial transparency, institutional interoperability, and spatial justice.