International Geography Olympiad
The International Geography Olympiad is an annual competition for 16- to 19-year-old geography students from all over the world. Students chosen to represent their countries are some of the best, chosen from thousands of students who participate enthusiastically in their own National Geography Olympiads. iGeo tests the abilities of every participant in spatial patterns and processes. The iGeo consists of three parts: a written test, a multimedia test and a substantial fieldwork exercise requiring observation, leading to cartographic representation and geographical analysis. The programme also includes poster presentations by teams, cultural exchanges, and time for students to get to know their fellow students and explore the host city.
The International Geography Olympiad is organised by the International Geographical Union Olympiad Task Force, who produce tests with reference to the local organisers and the international board.
After the first iGeo in 1996, it was recommended that the competition was held biennially. Due to the competition growing in popularity, since 2012 the competition has been held annually, rather than biennially, as is the case with the other large International Science Olympiads.
History of competition and national success
During the 1994 Congress of the International Geographical Union in Prague, people from Poland and the Netherlands launched the idea of an International Geography Competition or Olympiad for students between 15 and 19 years of age. The first one was held in 1996 in The Hague, Netherlands, with five participating countries. The participant count grew to 24 countries with the 2008 competition in Carthage, Tunisia.Before 2012, the International Science Olympiads were held every two years, and some regional geography Olympiads were held during intervening years. These include the Asia Pacific Regional Geography Olympiads, which were held in 2007, 2009, and 2011, and the Central European Regional Geography Olympiads. Since 2013, the International Geography Olympiad, in concordance with the other Olympiads, has been held on a yearly basis.
At the most recent iGeo, held in Hong Kong between July and August 2019, there were 43 participating countries.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 2020 iGeo in Istanbul, Turkey was cancelled.
The next Olympiad is the 2021 iGeo, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey in August 2021.
Member countries and regions
The participating countries and regions in the 2018 International Geography Olympiad are:The names used are the standard names officially used by the International Geographical Union, based on the roster list for the 2017 International Geography Olympiad in Belgrade.
Summary
Performances
Best nations by podium finishes (all time)
| Place | National Team | 1st, 2nd, 3rd | Years Champions | Years Runners Up | Years 3rd Place |
| 1st | 7, 1, 1 | 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2015, 2017 | 2002 | 2012 | |
| 2nd | 4, 3, 2 | 2002, 2008, 2013, 2018 | 2012, 2015, 2017 | 2006, 2014 | |
| 3rd | 3, 2, 1 | 2010, 2012, 2014 | 2016, 2018 | 2013 | |
| 4th | 1, 2, 1 | 2016 | 2010, 2014 | 2008 | |
| 5th | 0, 3, 0 | — | 2004, 2006, 2008 | — | |
| 5th | 0, 1, 2 | — | 2019 | 2017, 2018 | |
| 7th | 0, 2, 0 | — | 1996, 1998 | — | |
| 8th | 0, 1, 0 | — | 2013 | — | |
| 8th | 0, 1, 0 | — | 2000 | — | |
| 10th | 0, 0, 2 | — | — | 1996, 1998 | |
| 11th | 1, 0, 0 | 2019 | — | — | |
| 11th | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2016 | |
| 11th | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2019 | |
| 11th | Taiwan | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2015 |
| 11th | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2002 | |
| 11th | 0, 0, 1 | — | — | 2000 |
Most national individual victories (All time)
| Place | Nation | Wins | World Champions Produced |
| 1st | 4 | Jacek Próchniak, Maciej Hermanowicz, Adam Biliski, Katarzyna Kwiecińska | |
| 1st | 4 | Victor Vescu, Barbu Ion Alexandru, Florin Olteanu | |
| 3rd | 2 | Daniel Wong, Samuel Chua | |
| 3rd | 2 | James Mullen, Albert Zhang | |
| 4th | 1 | Wuttipat Kiratipaisarl | |
| 4th | Taiwan | 1 | Chang-Chin Wang |
| 4th | 1 | Steven Pattheeuws | |
| 4th | 1 | Alen Kospanov |