News

The 2026 International Geography Championships concluded on July 11 with the Closing Ceremonies and Gala Dinner at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa in Khao Lak, Thailand. For the 251 Competing Students of IGC and their accompanying family members, IGC 2026 was an incredible week full of competition (47 official medal events, plus the Family Scavenger Hunt), field trips, family fun, and an introduction to Thai culture. IGC 2026 also featured three world championship events – congratulations to our newly-crowned World Champions! International Geography Championships – Overall World Champions High School – Manu Cherukumille, California Middle School – Avahan Gautam, Texas Intermediate – Aditya Vanka, California [...]

Dear IGC Families! Welcome to Khao Lak! For those of you doing the Scavenger Hunt, here are the rules, and here are your assignments (quizzes, buzzer matches, photos and videos to take, and things to bring). All the assignments are the same for all age divisions. NO actually doing this together with students or members from other families (except asking for locations of stations is ok!)   Good luck! Best, David

On behalf of the Staff of International Academic Competitions, the organizing body of IGC 2026, I would like to welcome the 251 Competing Students of the 2026 International Geography Championships, together with their families, coaches, and chaperones to Khao Lak, Thailand! IAC is delighted to be holding IGC 2026 (its first-ever world championship tournament in Asia) at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort and Spa. 47 official medal events await, highlighted by the International Geography Bee and International Geography Bowl World Championships. Field trips, family events, ceremonies, resort activities, and more round out the schedule of events. Among the 251 Competing Students are the first-ever students to represent [...]

The 2026 International Geography Championships are approaching 200 students signed up, and we're excited to see more students and families register each day! That said, we understand that families are concerned about flying to Thailand due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. What we strongly recommend is that anyone from North America fly via the Pacific Ocean rather than the Middle East. For families in Europe we recommend direct flights to Bangkok, or transferring in Istanbul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, or Tokyo. Moreover, we also recommend the following when looking for flights: 1. Use www.kayak.com (and then use their Layover Airports filter to exclude transfers in [...]

Happy new year from International Academic Competitions! Through the end of December 2025, 122 students have signed up for the 2026 International Geography Championships in Khao Lak, Thailand this coming July, including the first-ever competitors at any IAC World Championships event from Ireland, Rhode Island, and Romania! By comparison, through the end of December 2023, 43 students had signed up for IGC 2024 (which ultimately featured 310 Competing Students). So we're on pace for a record turnout next summer, and hope that you and your family will be able to join us! We particularly encourage you to register as soon as possible, as our room block at the [...]

The 2026 International Geography Championships will now see the debut of the Geopolitics Bee. This competition, featuring 2 rounds of preliminaries and a final round, will feature questions on global conflicts, international relations, espionage, international trade, diplomacy, and world current events from the year 2000 onwards (i.e. where the Historical Geography Bee leaves off). We expect this will be a popular event, and look forward to its inclusion in the IGC 2026 program! The Event Selection Period for all events will begin in late May or early June 2026, and will run for approximately two weeks.

Aerial view of the JW Marriott Resort and Spa Khao Lak Registration is now open for the 2026 International Geography Championships! With 45 different geography-themed medal events, breathtaking tropical beaches, and all the amenities of one of the nicest hotels in Asia, we are delighted to welcome Competing Students and their families to the beautiful JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Khao Lak, Thailand, the host venue for IGC 2026 this coming summer. The JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Khao Lak has been successfully hosting our Asian Championships since 2015, and is eager to welcome the world's top young geographers to the shores of the [...]

View to the Beach, JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Khao Lak, Thailand - Host Site of the 2026 IGC International Academic Competitions is pleased to announce that registration for the 2026 International Geography Championships at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Khao Lak, Thailand will open by November 26, 2025. At that point, costs will be confirmed for both IGC itself, as well as the pre-trip to Bangkok and the post-trip to Angkor Wat. A full schedule of events and competitions for IGC as well as itineraries for the pre-trip and post-trip will also be ready by then. Please note that as in past summers, [...]

The 3rd International Geography Championships were recently held from July 13-20, 2024 in Vienna, Austria. Organized by International Academic Competitions, the International Geography Championships are a biennial event featuring the world’s top geography students ages 8-18. Featuring 30 separate competitions as well as numerous field trips, ceremonies, and social events, the 2024 International Geography Championships were attended by 310 students. They competed for 51 separate affiliations, representing 19 independent countries, Hong Kong, 31 US states, and the District of Columbia. Students competed in four separate age divisions: High School (grades 9-12 or international equivalent), Middle School (grades 7-8 or equivalent), Intermediate (grades 5-6 or equivalent), and Elementary School [...]

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Go around Vienna and do things (mostly taking selfies) of yourself (at least 1 family member) in front of the following spots. 2. Then go to the checkpoints which are open from 4:30 to 6:30 and show us your photos / what you've done / brought / etc. 3. You can only go to a checkpoint ONCE and you can only check 10 things in at any one point. Quizzes are not things (i.e. you can do the quiz at the checkpoint and still check in up to 10 things at that checkpoint. CHECKPOINT LISTS AND NUMBERS Checkpoint number Location 1 Hauptbahnhof Starbucks (down, one floor, [...]