Geography and imperialism, 1820-1940

1995 · Book · Morag Bell, R. A. Butlin, Michael J. Heffernan

This book examines the ways in which European imperialism was facilitated and challenged by geographical theory and practice in the period 1820-1940. It adds to current multi-disciplinary debates on the complex cultural, ideological and intellectual bases of European imperial conquests and colonisations by reference to geographical science. These authors examine maps and surveys, exploration and travel, the activities and debates of metropolitan and provincial geographical societies, and a range of written and visual representations. The use of geographical knowledge as a tool of imperial propaganda is evaluated, together with its contribution to imperial debates on race, environmental perception and management. The book explores imperial photography, the cartography of decolonisation and environmental management and conservation in the British empire. The work of societies such as the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Dutch Geographical Society and the Societe Geographie de Paris is evaluated. by Morag Bell, R. A. Butlin