Royal Geographical Society, society dedicated to the advancement of geographical science and the improvement and diffusion of geographical knowledge. Founded in 1830, it is based in central London and has five regional chapters around the United Kingdom.

The Royal Geographical Society has a membership of nearly 12,000, comprising many who work in geographical professions and as academics in related fields, but also including laypeople with an interest in geography and travel. Members are invited to attend lectures ranging from popular presentations to academic conferences and seminars. These embrace a wide range of geographical subjects, from explorers’ accounts of their travels to environmental issues. Special lectures are also held for children, secondary students, and undergraduates.

The Royal Geographical Society is a major organizer of overseas research, focusing on conservation issues and priorities for development in countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Australia, and Brazil. The society also runs the Expedition Advisory Center, which holds expedition-planning workshops at universities all over the country, providing training and advice to undergraduates undertaking field research trips and others embarking on adventures such as climbing and caving.

At its London headquarters, the society has a lending library of over 150,000 books on all aspects of geography and travel, as well as a Map Room with nearly a million maps, atlases, charts, and contemporary expedition reports. The society’s archives of diaries and correspondence document the history of British exploration since 1830. The society has published the academic Geographical Journal since 1831, and also offers its members the monthly Geographical Magazine, directed at a more popular level.