The National Geographic World Championship is a biennial, two-day-long international geography competition typically held in late July or early August. The Championship was first held in 1993, and is sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Teams of three students plus one alternate are selected from among those who finished highest in their respective countries' national competitions. On the first day of competition, these teams take a written test on which all members confer and work together, then take part in a team geography skills-testing activity, such as using a map to find specified locations in unfamiliar surroundings. The scores from these two events are tallied, and the top three teams advance to the final round on the second day. The final round consists of questions primarily in the style of the National Geographic Bee, as a moderator reads questions to one team or one individual at a time. These questions may also involve the use of visual aids such as maps or photographs. Members of the top three teams receive bronze, silver, or gold medals for finishing third, second, or first, respectively. The National GeographicWorld Championship was initiated by the National Geographic Society in 1993. To be able to participate in the biennial competition, a National Geographic approved organization in a country, working with the Ministry of Education in the country, must run its own annual nationwide geography competition which is open to most students under 16 years of age, based on school level, regional and/or national competitions. In the USA it is called “The National Geographic Bee”. Other nations have different names for their competitions. Student team members must be 16 years of age or younger and not out of secondary school, at the time of the international competition. Each Country Sponsor is responsible for managing its own national competition, including compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. National Geographic has hosted nine international competitions to date. The medals are for recognition purposes and have no significant monetary value.
Rules and Regulations
Each Country Sponsor can send a team of three students and one adult escort to the National Geographic World Championship. As the event has grown, they must be firm with this number and cannot permit other students or adults to attend the activities associated with the event, other than the final part of the competition on the last day. The adult escort must be fluent in English, be knowledgeable on the subject of geography, and be associated with the national competition in their country. A student may not participate in more than one international competition. Students must be no older than 16 years of age at the time of the international competition.
