Military Geographic Institute (Chile)

Military Geographic Institute
Instituto Geográfico Militar
Public agency overview
Formed1881
JurisdictionChile
HeadquartersSanta Isabel 1651, Santiago
Annual budgetCLP$ 4 406 235 million (2020)[1]
Public agency executive
  • Colonel Pedro Castillo Figueroa[2]
Parent Public agencyChilean Army
Websitewww.igm.cl

The Military Geographic Institute (Spanish: Instituto Geográfico Militar, IGM) is an agency of the Chilean Army responsible for producing and maintaining official cartography and geodetic reference information for Chile, for both defence and civilian uses.

History

Cartographic work linked to the Army predates the agency. During the Independence period, Bernardo O'Higgins established "Depósitos Cartográficos" to create plans and maps needed for the liberation campaign. In 1891, President Jorge Montt created the Geographic Office (Oficina Geográfica) under the Army General Staff, and Over the years, the agency adopted various names.[3]

The IGM was created by Decree No. 1664 of 29 August 1922, continuing work previously carried out by the Army's geographic and cartographic offices. In the 1930s, the agency expanded internal capabilities and staff training, including aerophotogrammetric work carried out in Chile with support from the Chilean Air Force. Chilean Army sources describe a 1947 cooperation agreement with the Inter-American Geodetic Survey of the United States, linked to joint technical work and aerophotogrammetric inputs used in national mapping. Analogue cartographic production began in 1955 using aerophotogrammetric flights, and later shifted from analogue to digital procedures toward the end of the 20th century and the start of the 21st century.[4][5]

Products

For scientific and educational dissemination, the agency publishes the journal Revista Geográfica de Chile Terra Australis, founded in 1948, and produces educational cartographic materials including an Atlas Geográfico para la Educación with editions used as school support material in Chile. In 1983, the agency also produced the multi-volume Colección Geográfica de Chile, described as a 32-volume set on aspects of Chilean geography.[5]

In 2012, the agency launched a geoportal intended to provide public access to mapping-related information and services, including map viewing, catalogues, and educational resources.[6]

References

  1. ^ Dipres. "Ley de presupuestos del sector público Año 2020" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  2. ^ "El Instituto Geográfico Militar expone su contribución al desarrollo nacional" (in Spanish). Colegio de Ingenieros de Chile. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  3. ^ "Nuestros inicios". Instituto Geográfico Militar (Chile) (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  4. ^ Espinosa, Alejandro Pinto; Espinoza, Marcos Meza (2022). "Evolución histórica y principales hitos del Instituto Geográfico Militar". Revista Geográfica de Chile Terra Australis (in Spanish). 58 (Especial 1): 3–15. doi:10.23854/07199562.202258esp.Pinto3E.
  5. ^ a b Araneda, Gelissa Araya; Rivas, Pablo Larraín. "Instituto Geográfico Militar: su historia y contribución en la generación de información geoespacial" (PDF). Memorial del Ejército de Chile (in Spanish) (105): 106–128.
  6. ^ "IGM Chile launches geoportal". Geospatial World. 28 March 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
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