International Geography Olympiad
The International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) is an annual geography competition for secondary school students, organized by the International Geographical Union (IGU). It is one of the International Olympiads. The first iGeo was held in 1996. The competition was held biennially until 2012, when it switched to an annual format.
Students are chosen to represent their countries from national geography olympiads. The iGeo consists of three parts: a written test, a multimedia test, and a fieldwork exercise.
History
The idea of an international geography competition was proposed by Polish and Dutch geographers during the 1994 Congress of the International Geographical Union (IGU) in Prague.[1][2] The first International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) was held in 1996 in The Hague, Netherlands, with five countries participating.[1][2] Similarly to other Olympiads, in early years most participants in the iGeo were from Europe (especially Eastern Europe), but the competition has seen steadily increasing attendance from around the world.[2]
Before 2012, the International Science Olympiads were held every two years, and some regional geography Olympiads were held during intervening years.[1] Since 2012, the International Geography Olympiad, like other Olympiads, has been held on a yearly basis.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 iGeo in Istanbul, Turkey was postponed.[3] The Olympiad was held in Istanbul between 11 and 15 August the following year, with 46 countries participating.[4] The Olympiad was held online once again in 2022, hosted by Paris. It was the edition with the highest number of countries (54) and participants (209).[5] In 2023, the iGeo returned to a physical format and it was held in Bandung, Indonesia.[6] The most recent Olympiad was held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2026 with 48 competing affiliations;[7] subsequent Olympiads will be held in Jelgava, Latvia in 2027 and Melbourne, Australia in 2028.[8]
Qualification
Teams consist of up to four students between the ages of 16 and 19 from each participating country or region, accompanied by two adults.[9] Students may not have begun tertiary education, and may participate at most twice.[10][2] They are selected from among hundreds of thousands of students who participate in National Geography Olympiads each year, although these often vary in format from the iGeo.[9][10][11]
Adults accompanying the teams are expected to be involved in geography education; they are expected to both supervise the team's students, and to be involved in writing and/or marking tests.[10]
Format
The test consists of three parts: a written response test, a multimedia test, and a fieldwork portion.[9][1][10] Questions are typically open ended, and designed to assess critical thinking skills.[2] They cover a wide range of topics across physical geography, human geography, and technical geography.[12] The fieldwork portion is intended to give students an opportunity to visit the host country, while developing and assessing their skills to observe, analyze, and graphically represent their environment.[13][12]
Question proposals for the written and multimedia tests are submitted by participating countries; final versions of the tests and rubrics, as well as the fieldwork portion, are prepared by IGU committees.[10][2] Some questions are to be complete individually, while others may be completed as a group. Tests are given only in English, and for ease of scoring answers are also required to be given in English.[10][13]
About half of participants receive a medal, with a ratio of 1:2:3 between gold, silver, and bronze.[10]
Member countries and regions
The countries and regions which participated in the 2026 International Geography Olympiad were:
- File:Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia
- File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
- File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan
- File:Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus
- File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
- File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina
- File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil
- File:Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
- File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada
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- File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China-Beijing
- File:Flag of Hong Kong.svg China-Hong Kong
- File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan
- File:Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia
- File:Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus
- File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechia
- File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark
- File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia
- File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland
- File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany
- File:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary
- File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia
- File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran
- File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan
- File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan
- File:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan (observer)
- File:Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia
- File:Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein
- File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania
- File:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia
- File:Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia
- File:Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro
- File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
- File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand
- File:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines
- File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland
- File:Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal
- File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania
- File:Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
- File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore
- File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
- File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia
- File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland
- File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand
- Template:Country data Turkiye
- File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine
- File:Flag of the United States.svg United States
- File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan
- File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam (observer)
- File:Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia
- File:Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe
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A full list of participating teams for all past iGeos can be found on the iGeo website.[14]
Summary
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Performances
Best nations by podium finishes (all time)
| Place | National Team | 1st, 2nd, 3rd | Years Champions (Teams Participating) | Years Runners Up (Teams) | Years 3rd Place (Teams) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland | 7, 1, 3 | 1996 (5), 1998 (5), 2000 (13), 2004 (16), 2006 (23), 2015 (40), 2017 (41) | 2002 (12) | 2010 (27), 2012 (31), 2025 (47) |
| 2nd | File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania | 5, 3, 3 | 2002 (12), 2008 (24), 2013 (32), 2018 (43), 2023 (45) | 2012 (31), 2015 (40), 2017 (41) | 2004 (16), 2006 (23), 2014 (36) |
| 3rd | File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore | 4, 4, 1 | 2010 (27), 2012 (31), 2014 (36), 2022 (54) | 2016 (45), 2018 (43), 2021 (46), 2023 (45) | 2013 (32) |
| 4th | File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia | 1, 3, 1 | 2016 (45) | 2010 (27), 2014 (36), 2024 (46) | 2008 (24) |
| 5th | File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania | 2, 1, 0 | 2025 (47), 2026 (48) | 2022 (54) | — |
| 6th | File:Flag of the United States.svg USA | 1, 1, 3 | 2024 (46) | 2019 (43) | 2017 (41), 2018 (43), 2026 (48) |
| 7th | File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia | 1, 0, 1 | 2019 (43) | — | 2024 (46) |
| 8th | File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia | 1, 0, 0 | 2021 (46) | — | — |
| 9th | File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia | 0, 3, 0 | — | 2004 (16), 2006 (23), 2008 (24) | — |
| 10th (tied) | File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia | 0, 2, 0 | — | 1996 (5), 1998 (5) | — |
| 10th (tied) | File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan | 0, 2, 0 | — | 2025 (47), 2026 (48) | — |
| 12th (tied) | File:Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia | 0, 1, 0 | — | 2013 (32) | — |
| 12th (tied) | File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands | 0, 1, 0 | — | 2000 (13) | — |
| 14th (tied) | File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan | 0, 0, 2 | — | — | 2015 (40), 2022 (54) |
| 14th (tied) | File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium | 0, 0, 2 | — | — | 1996 (5), 1998 (5) |
| 16th (tied) | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2021 (46) |
| 16th (tied) | File:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2023 (45) |
| 16th (tied) | File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2016 (45) |
| 16th (tied) | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (1-2).svg United Kingdom | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2019 (43) |
| 16th (tied) | File:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2000 (13) |
| 16th (tied) | File:Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2002 (12) |
Most national individual victories (All time)
| Place | Nation | Wins | World Champions Produced (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania | 5 | David-Mihai Dumitrescu (2024), Victor Vescu (2017), Barbu Ion Alexandru (2010, 2008), Florin Olteanu (2002) |
| 2nd | File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland | 4 | Jacek Próchniak (2006), Maciej Hermanowicz (2004), Adam Biliski (2000), Katarzyna Kwiecińska (1998) |
| 3rd (tied) | File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan | 2 | Andrey Yenbakhtov (2026), Sanzhar Khamitov (2022) |
| 3rd (tied) | File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia | 2 | Rustam Bigildin (2021), Alen Kospanov (2018) |
| 3rd (tied) | File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore | 2 | Daniel Wong (2013), Samuel Chua (2012) |
| 3rd (tied) | File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand | 2 | Passakarn Leewongcharoen (2023), Wuttipat Kiratipaisarl (2016) |
| 3rd (tied) | File:Flag of the United States.svg USA | 2 | Albert Zhang (2019), James Mullen (2014) |
| 8th (tied) | File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan | 1 | Chang-Chin Wang (2015) |
| 8th (tied) | File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium | 1 | Steven Pattheeuws (1996) |
| 8th (tied) | File:Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus | 1 | Mikalai Misiyuk (2025) |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "IGU – What is iGeo". www.geoolympiad.org. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Chalmers, Lex; Berg, Kathryn (July 2014). "Changes, challenges and responsibilities in geographical education: The International Geography Olympiad". Geographia Polonica. 87 (2): 267–276. doi:10.7163/GPol.2014.17. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ iGeo 2020 - : info@igeo2020.org. "iGeo 2020". iGeo 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-10. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "The 2021 iGeo – Istanbul, Turkey". iGeo 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
- ↑ "IGU – iGeo 2022". www.geoolympiad.org. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
- ↑ "IGU – iGeo 2023". www.geoolympiad.org. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
- ↑ "IGU – iGeo 2026". www.igeo2026.org. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
- ↑ "International Geography Olympiad Homepage". International Geography Olympiad. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 van der Schee, Joop (15 August 2007). "The International Geography Olympiad". International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education. 16 (3): 268–270. doi:10.2167/irgee211A.0. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 "Statutes" (PDF). International Geography Olympiad. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ Bálint, Dóra (4 July 2025). "Towards One Aim Through Different Pathways – Similarities and Differences in National Qualifying Competitions for the International Geography Olympiad". Journal of Geography. 124 (4): 117–123. doi:10.1080/00221341.2025.2494988. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Artvi̇Nli̇, Eyüp; DöNmez, Leyla (29 October 2023). "What Geographical Skills do the International Geography Olympiad Aim to Measure? A Content Analysis of iGeo Questions". Osmangazi Journal of Educational Research. 10 (Special Issue): 173–198. doi:10.59409/ojer.1213392. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Winter, Kevin; Berg, Kath (15 August 2007). "Fieldwork and the International Geography Olympiad". International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education. 16 (3): 299–306. doi:10.2167/irgee211C.0. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "History". International Geography Olympiad. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "iGeo2014 Kraków". 2016-04-04. Archived from the original on 2016-04-04. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
Further reading
- Artvi̇Nli̇, Eyüp; DöNmez, Leyla (29 October 2023). "What Geographical Skills do the International Geography Olympiad Aim to Measure? A Content Analysis of iGeo Questions". Osmangazi Journal of Educational Research. 10 (Special Issue): 173–198. doi:10.59409/ojer.1213392. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- Bálint, Dóra (4 July 2025). "Towards One Aim Through Different Pathways – Similarities and Differences in National Qualifying Competitions for the International Geography Olympiad". Journal of Geography. 124 (4): 117–123. doi:10.1080/00221341.2025.2494988. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- Chalmers, Lex; Berg, Kathryn (July 2014). "Changes, challenges and responsibilities in geographical education: The International Geography Olympiad". Geographia Polonica. 87 (2): 267–276. doi:10.7163/GPol.2014.17. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- van der Schee, Joop (15 August 2007). "The International Geography Olympiad". International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education. 16 (3): 268–270. doi:10.2167/irgee211A.0. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- van der Schee, Joop; Lidstone, John; Brooks, Clare (July 2014). "Towards an international approach for geography education" (PDF). Geographia Polonica. 87 (2): 213–220. doi:10.7163/GPol.2014.13. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- Winter, Kevin; Berg, Kath (15 August 2007). "Fieldwork and the International Geography Olympiad". International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education. 16 (3): 299–306. doi:10.2167/irgee211C.0. Retrieved 19 August 2026.