Anton Melik Geographical Institute
Encyclopedia
The Anton Melik Geographical Institute was founded in 1946 by the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
, and in 1976 it was named after the Slovene geographer
and academy member Anton Melik
(1890–1966), who was the first head of the institute. Since 1981, the institute has been a member of the Scientific Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Until 1992 the institute was mainly engaged with researching glacier
s, glacial, and fluvial transformation of the land surface, flood
ed areas, natural disasters, mountain farms, and social geography. Since 1993 the institute's main task has been to conduct geographical studies of Slovenia
and its landscapes and to prepare basic geographical texts on Slovenia
as a country and as part of the world
.
Research is mostly directed towards physical, social, and regional geography and thematic cartography
. Today it has nine organizational units:
The institute also houses a map collection and three specialized geographical collections: Landscapes of Slovenia, Settlements of Slovenia, and Glaciers of Slovenia. The institute is also headquarters of the Commission for the Standardization of Geographical Names of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
(Komisija za standardizacijo zemljepisnih imen Vlade Republike Slovenije).
The Institute publishes three scholarly publications. Geografija Slovenije
(Geography of Slovenia) is a series of books that appears in Slovene once or twice a year. Acta geographica Slovenica/Geografski zbornik is a journal published twice a year in English
and Slovene. The articles can be downloaded in Slovene or English from the journal homepage. Geografski informacijski sistemi v Sloveniji (Geographical Information Systems in Slovenia) is a bulletin published every second (even) year in Slovene.
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Slovenia, which encompasses science and the arts and brings together the top Slovene researchers and artists as members of the academy....
, and in 1976 it was named after the Slovene geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
and academy member Anton Melik
Anton Melik
Anton Melik was a Slovene geographer.- Biography :Melik was born in the village of Črna Vas, now part of Ljubljana, Slovenia, at that time part of Austria-Hungary. Before and during World War I, he studied at the University of Vienna, graduating in 1916 in history and geography. Later he was...
(1890–1966), who was the first head of the institute. Since 1981, the institute has been a member of the Scientific Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Until 1992 the institute was mainly engaged with researching glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s, glacial, and fluvial transformation of the land surface, flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ed areas, natural disasters, mountain farms, and social geography. Since 1993 the institute's main task has been to conduct geographical studies of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and its landscapes and to prepare basic geographical texts on Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
as a country and as part of the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
.
Research is mostly directed towards physical, social, and regional geography and thematic cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
. Today it has nine organizational units:
- The Department of Physical GeographyPhysical geographyPhysical geography is one of the two major subfields of geography. Physical geography is that branch of natural science which deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment like the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere, as opposed to the cultural or built environment, the...
- The Department of Social GeographySocial geographySocial geography is the branch of human geography that is most closely related to social theory in general and sociology in particular, dealing with the relation of social phenomena and its spatial components. Though the term itself has a tradition of more than 100 years, there is no consensus on...
- The Department of Regional GeographyRegional geographyRegional geography is the study of world regions. Attention is paid to unique characteristics of a particular region such as natural elements, human elements, and regionalization which covers the techniques of delineating space into regions....
- The Department of Natural DisasterNatural disasterA natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
s - The Department of Environmental ProtectionEnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
- The Department of the Geographical Information System
- The Department of Thematic CartographyThematic mapA thematic map is a type of map or chart especially designed to show a particular theme connected with a specific geographic area. These maps "can portray physical, social, political, cultural, economic, sociological, agricultural, or any other aspects of a city, state, region,nation , or...
- The Geographical Museum
- The Geographical Library
The institute also houses a map collection and three specialized geographical collections: Landscapes of Slovenia, Settlements of Slovenia, and Glaciers of Slovenia. The institute is also headquarters of the Commission for the Standardization of Geographical Names of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
Government of Slovenia
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia is the cabinet that excersises executive authority in Slovenia pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of Slovenia. It is also the highest administrative authority in Slovenia. It comprises the Prime Minister and 15 ministers, three of them without...
(Komisija za standardizacijo zemljepisnih imen Vlade Republike Slovenije).
The Institute publishes three scholarly publications. Geografija Slovenije
Geografija Slovenije
The series Geografija Slovenije , published by the Anton Melik Geographical Institute, was founded in 1998 to publish the latest findings in Slovenian geography research...
(Geography of Slovenia) is a series of books that appears in Slovene once or twice a year. Acta geographica Slovenica/Geografski zbornik is a journal published twice a year in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Slovene. The articles can be downloaded in Slovene or English from the journal homepage. Geografski informacijski sistemi v Sloveniji (Geographical Information Systems in Slovenia) is a bulletin published every second (even) year in Slovene.