Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística (Mexican Society for Geography and Statistics) is a national organization founded on 18 April 1833 to promote the mapping and boundary demarcation of the
newly independent Mexican state. The aim of its founders was to aid a number of governmental agencies and through the efforts of liberal head of state,
Valentín Gómez Farías
Valentín Gómez Farías (; 14 February 1781 – 5 July 1858) was a Mexican physician and liberal politician who became president of Mexico twice, first in 1833, during the period of the First Mexican Republic, and again in 1846, during the ...
. It was the first geographical society in the Americas and the fourth in the world.
From the beginning, the scope of projects was very broad, covering not only the physiography of the territory but also its natural resources and their potential for development. Also included in their study was the nature of the population, its size, age distribution, ethnic and linguistic makeup. One of the first publications was in 1850, the work of geographer , followed by an atlas of the republic, started in 1841 and completed in 1850, but not published for several years due to lack of funds.
Among the achievements of the Society were:
* Initiatives within the Mexican government to issue laws providing a process for determining the official names of cities and towns.
* Promoted legislation for the care of forests and conservation of archaeological monuments as a national priority.
* Produced a report on the
metric system
The metric system is a system of measurement that succeeded the Decimal, decimalised system based on the metre that had been introduced in French Revolution, France in the 1790s. The historical development of these systems culminated in the d ...
, which allowed Mexico to be among the first countries in Latin America to adopt it.
* Proposed the laying out of a telegraph system for Mexico City.
* Sponsoring the publication of the ''Boletín de la Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística'' (Bulletin of the Society) for the dissemination of all the reports and data that the Society accumulated.
Currently the Society contributes to the research, analysis and understanding of the major problems of Mexico through its 55 specialized academies and local societies involved in the various Mexican states. This includes close ties with
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI), and working with the various Mexican universities as well as with major
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
institutions.
Notable presidents
* 1839-1846, 1848-1850, and 1853
Juan Nepomuceno Almonte
Juan Nepomuceno Almonte Ramírez (May 15, 1803 – March 21, 1869) was a Mexican soldier, commander, minister of war, congressman, diplomat, and presidential candidate.
He was the natural son of José María Morelos, a leading commander during ...
* 1861
Miguel Lerdo de Tejada
Miguel Lerdo de Tejada (July 6, 1812 – March 22, 1861) was a Mexican statesman, a leader of the Revolution of Ayutla, and author of the Lerdo Law, extinguishing the right of corporations, including the Roman Catholic Church and indigenous ...
* 1881-1889
Ignacio Manuel Altamirano
Ignacio Manuel Altamirano Basilio (; 13 November 1834 – 13 February 1893) was a Mexican radical liberal writer, journalist, teacher and politician. He wrote ''Clemencia'' (1869), which is often considered to be the first modern Mexican novel.
...
* 1934, 1944, and 1946
Jesús Silva Herzog
Jesús Silva Herzog (14 November 1892 – 13 March 1985) was a Mexican economist and historian specialized in the Mexican Revolution and a member of The National College. He received the National Prize for Arts and Sciences in 1962. His s ...
* 1959
Isidro Fabela
José Isidro Fabela Alfaro (28 June 1882 – 12 August 1964) was a Mexican judge, politician, professor, writer, publisher, governor of the State of Mexico, diplomat, and delegate to the now defunct League of Nations. Fabela was born in Atla ...
References
* Peña, Sergio de la and Wilkie, James W. (1994) ''La Estadística Económica en México: Los Orígenes'' (''Economic Statistics in Mexico: The Origins'') Siglo Veintiuno Editores, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Mexico City,
* Dunbar, Gary S. (1988) ""The Compass Follows the Flag": The French Scientific Mission to Mexico, 1864-1867" ''Annals of the Association of American Geographers'' 78(2): pp. 229–240, especially 233-234
External links
Blog de la Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística
Official website of the Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística in Spanish
in Spanish
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sociedad Mexicana de Geografia y Estadistica
Geographic societies
Scientific organizations based in Mexico
Organizations established in 1833
Geography of Mexico