The International Geographical Union is an academic organization intended to overcome the national and regional divides between geographers. They host an International Geographical Congress every 4 years, the last was Glasgow, Scotland in August 2004, with regional and topical conferences between.

In there own words:

The International Geographical Union has the following aims:

1. to promote the study of geographical problems;
2. to initiate and co-ordinate geographical research requiring international co-operation and to promote its scientific discussion and publication;
3. to provide for the participation of geographers in the work of relevant international organizations;
4. to facilitate the collection and diffusion of geographical data and documentation in and between all member countries;
5. to promote International Geographical Congresses, regional conferences and specialized symposia related to the objectives of the Union;
6. to participate in any other appropriate form of international co-operation with the object of advancing the study and application of geography;
7. to promote international standardization or compatability of methods, nomenclature, and symbols employed in geography.