The Societat Catalana de Geografia (SCG) is the oldest and more important gathering space for geographers in Catalonia. It was created in 1935 as a branch of the Institute of Catalan Studies after a proposition of the geophysicist Eduard Fontserè, being its first president Pau Vila. Unfortunately the immediate events of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and the subsequent dictatorship stopped the activities of the Society since all associations about Catalan Culture were declared illegal. However, between the 1940s and 1975, the SCG maintained a very important role of resistance organizing secret events and scientific discussions. During the 1970s with the recovering of democracy the SGG was able to go public again and increase and intensify its activities. The important renovation introduced by Lluís Solé i Sabarís was double folded: a more scientific approach and a new generation of geographers specially with the links of the Society and the University. The consolidation of the activities of the Society during the 1980s allowed the publication of the Society Journal Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Geografia and the organization of the first Congress of Catalan Geography in 1991. During the last few years, the Society has intensified its international projection inviting guest speakers in geography from different parts of the world.

The activities of the SCG involve different forms of communication and dissemination of geographic academic research through the organization of all sort of activities during the course lasting from October to June. Each course is formed by nine lectures from a wide range of topics of the discipline and with special emphasis in Catalonia, and the Catalan countries but also in Spain and increasingly other parts of the world, maintaining a continuous tradition since its creation in 1935. Since 1973 the SCG organizes scientific sessions around recent issues and topics and courses and seminars to extend and update theories and practices in specific topics in geography. At the same time and on a regular basis, the SCG organizes study visits and trips to different parts of Catalonia. Moreover, since 1998 the SCG also supports a yearly Easter trip to expand the knowledge of other parts of the Mediterranean basin.

On top of all these activities, since 1995 the SCG has also promoted the prize Lluís Casassas directed to promote geographic research among students and recent graduates in geography. The new prize Joan Palau Vera established in 2004 wants to promote geography inquire among high school students in Catalonia.

Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Geografia is the academic journal and is published twice a year since 1984. It includes both research papers as well as the lectures organized during the year and other notices relevant to the community of Catalan geographers. This journal has an external peer review system and its editorial board is formed by prestigious geographers from around the world.

All the information about the SCG can be found in our website, Obrador Obert. It is an extensive point of information with the updated information of recent activities of the society, its history, publications, and a directory of all members. There is also an interesting section with over one hundred book reviews of books published by our members.

How to become a member. Anyone interested in geography could become a member of the Societat Catalana de Geografia. Please fill up the attached application form. Its application form needs to be endorsed by to members of the society. In the case you are unable to contact any member please mail us the form and two members of the board will sign it off. As a member of the SCG you will receive our journal and the rest of publications as well as information to all our activities with no additional cost.