Royal Netherlands Geographical Society

The Royal Dutch Geographical Society, Koninklijk Nederlandsch Aardrijkskundig Genootschap (KNAG) is an association in the Netherlands for geographers and for those connected with the field geography.

The society supports its members with information, activities and services. The membership consists of teachers and pupils and carries out research, publishes and engages in expeditions. The society also loans items to libraries and museums.

The society was founded in 1873 in imitation of similar groups other the major European countries, such as France (1821: Société de Géographie de Paris), England (1830: Royal Geographical Society), Germany (Berlin, 1828, 1836 Frankfurt, Munich, 1869, Bremen 1870 Hamburg, 1873, Leipzig 1861), Russia (St. Petersburg] 1845). The society's first president was P.J. Veth.

A sister association in Belgium (Antwerp and Brussels) was founded in 1876. At that time the meaning of the Netherlands was as political and economic power have only been a fraction of what they were before. Dissatisfaction over there (the Dutch were a proud people become the Golden Age) to include merchants and scientists was a key driver. But the attractiveness of finding rich resources, especially in the then largely unexplored outer regions of the colonies was an underlying cause for the development of Dutch Geographical Society. This thought has to be seen in the then prevailing spirit of imperialism and colonialism, the "enlightened" Europeans a 'virgin' and 'savage' landscape with ditto peoples could convert into a usable civilization. This was generally found to justify such expeditions, sometimes with far-reaching consequences for the local population and area in the long term run. The time when the organization was founded (1873 Pieter Johannes Veth first president) is also referred to as "the great momentum" because of the enormous dynamism that the discipline Geography mainly by socially made.

The organization was at that time quite modern, practical and social intent. The organization that until 1888 "Geographical Society" was called, organized since 1877 numerous expeditions to mostly Dutch colonial places such as the numerous islands of the archipelago of the Dutch East Indies and the interior of Suriname and Borneo (see the expeditions by dr. Anton Willem Nieuwenhuis). This colonial territories were largely often no more than a number of administrative posts on the coast, from where trade was operated by tribes from the interior. The interior had hardly been mapped and were often referred to as "white spots". Expeditions were also conducted on the areas of Dutch farmers in the interior of South Africa and the indigenous peoples (then called Indians) of North America. These expeditions were often set up in collaboration with the colonial and colonial business organizations such as the Society for the Promotion of Scientific Research of the Dutch Colonies (MNK) and the Association for Suriname and there were often years of preparation. Usually such an expedition consisted of scientists from different disciplines, a photographer and a naval officer. The military escort increased as more hostilities were found in front of members of the expedition by local indigenous residents.

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