International Geographical Union (IGU) e khothalletsa thuto ea mathata a libaka; e qala le ho hokahanya lipatlisiso tsa libaka tse hlokang tšebelisano ea machaba; e khothalletsa lipuisano le phatlalatso ea saense; e fana ka bonkakarolo ba litsebi tsa jeokrafi mosebetsing oa mekhatlo e amehang ea machaba; e thusa ho bokella le ho hasa litaba tsa sebaka le litokomane ka har'a linaha tseo e leng litho; e khothalletsa Likopano tsa Machaba tsa Geographical, Likopano tsa Libaka le li-symposia tse khethehileng tse amanang le merero ea IGU; le ho nka karolo mofuteng ofe kapa ofe o loketseng wa tshebedisano-mmoho ya matjhaba e tswetseng pele boithuto le tshebediso ya jeokrafi.
Kopano ea pele ea Machaba ea Geographical e ile ea tšoareloa Antwerp ka 1871. Likopano tse ileng tsa latela li ile tsa lebisa ho thehoeng ha mokhatlo o tsitsitseng ka 1922. Lipuo tse sebetsang tsa IGU ke Senyesemane le Sefora. IGU e tšoara Likhonrose, Likopano tsa Lebatooa le Likopano tsa Thematic tse kopanyang litsebi tsa jeokrafi ho tsoa lefats'eng lohle ho rarolla mathata a bohlokoa. Seboka se Akaretsang sa IGU, se ts'oaroang ka kopanelo le Khonkerese e 'ngoe le e 'ngoe ea lilemo tse 'nè' me se na le litho tse felletseng le tse shebelletseng ho tsoa linaheng tse fetang 100, ke bolaoli bo phahameng ka ho fetisisa ba IGU. Mosebetsi oa liphuputso oa IGU o etsoa ke Likhomishene tsa eona tse fetang 45 tseo, tlas'a tlhokomelo ea molula-setulo le komiti e tsamaisang, e sebetsanang le lihlooho tse amang mefuta eohle ea taeo. International Geographical Union ke setho sa Sehlopha sa 1 sa Lekhotla la Machabeng la Saense (ISC) le la Lekhotla la Machabeng la Filosofi le Lisaense tsa Batho (CIPSH).