On November 29, 1946, on the initiative of the Ministry of Education, and with the decision by the Government of the People's Republic of Macedonia, in Skopje, was established the Faculty of Philosophy - the first higher education institution of the future Macedonian University. The Faculty of Philosophy consisted of two departments, i.e., the Historical-Philological Department and the Natural and Mathematical Department.
Within the framework of the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics were established the departments of biology, geography with ethnology, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. On December 16, 1946, the first university lectures in the People's Republic of Macedonia were officially organized and started in the mentioned departments.
The first lectures at the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics were started by the professors Boris Kitanov (biology), Atanasie Uroshevikj (geography), Dragoslav Mitrinovikj (mathematics), Marin Katalinikj (physics), who were accompanied by the first university lecturers (chosen from the most outstanding secondary school professors): Petar Ikonomov (biology), Lav Lozinski (biology), Jovan Trifunovski (geography), Branislav Rusikj (geography, ethnology), Jozhe Ulchar (mathematics), Ordan Pechijare (physics) and the first teaching assistant Dimche Toshev (chemistry). A large number of other professors from the universities in Belgrade, Zagreb, and Ljubljana also made a great contribution to the teaching process.
The Natural Sciences and Mathematics department, at the beginning, was located on the premises of the elementary school "Brakja Miladinovci" and the Museum of Natural Sciences. Later on, in 1951, the Natural Sciences and Mathematics department was relocated to the newly built object on the hill of Gazi Baba municipality, where most of the working units of the Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics exist today, including the Institute of Geography.
In 1955, the five departments of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the Faculty of Philosophy grew into separate Institutes. Soon after, in 1958 the department of Natural and Mathematical Sciences grew into the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, which merge out from the Faculty of Philosophy and began to exist as a separate legal entity within the "Ss. Cyril and Methodius University" in Skopje. Its composition includes the Institute of Biology, the Institute of Geography, the Institute of Mathematics, the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Chemistry, and the Seismological Observatory. In this composition, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics functioned until 1976, when later on, they separated as different faculties within the "Ss. Cyril and Methodius University" in Skopje as the Faculty of Biology, the Faculty of Geography, the Faculty of Mathematics, the Faculty of Physics and the Faculty of Chemistry.
In 1985, the above-mentioned faculties (due to rationalization in society) were returned to the rank of Institutes. The same year, the Institute of Informatics was established and thus the Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje was re-established and it started functioning as a separate legal entity until nowadays, with the following units: Institute of Biology, Institute of Geography, Institute of Ethnology, Institute of Mathematics, Institute of Physics, Institute of Chemistry and Seismological Observatory.
In the meantime, with the efforts of the teaching staff of the Institute of Geography (especially professors: prof. Dr.sc. Gigo Mileski, prof. Dr.sc. Mitko Panov, and prof. Dr.sc. Aleksandar Stojmilov) in 1984, with the Decision of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, the Department of Ethnology (which stopped working in 1953, and ethnology existed only as a subject within the geography studies) was re-established as the Institute of Ethnology within the Institute of Geography, as part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. This educational institution started giving lectures in 1985/86 as two-subject studies together with geography, and since 1988, a four-year studies in ethnology have been accredited. The Institute of Ethnology, after twenty years of development within the Institute of Geography, in 2005 at a formal session under the leadership of the then head of the Institute of Geography, prof. Dr.sc. Blagoja Markoski, grew into the Institute of Ethnology, which still functions today under the name of Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology.
Until 1976, postgraduate studies were carried out outside the Republic of Macedonia, mostly in Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana and other educational centers. During the 70s, efforts were made to prepare the documentation for the start of postgraduate study programs. Because of that and the formation of geography staff in other centers, in 1976 the first post-graduate program in Spatial Planning was established at the Institute of Geography at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje.
Postgraduate studies in Thematic Cartography started in 1998, which later, during 2009, were re-accredited in Geographical Information Systems, and afterwards, the study was transformed into a postgraduate course in Cartography and GIS. In 2004, postgraduate studies in Physical Geography were opened, and in 2009, studies in Geographical bases of tourism planning were opened, while postgraduate studies in Demography were accredited in 2013.
The acquisition of the title - Doctor of Geographical Sciences at the Institute of Geography has been realized since 1958. In 2009, changes were made to the Law on Higher Education at the University of "St. Cyril and Methodius" whereby a school for doctoral studies was organized. While in 2012 doctoral studies in geography were accredited in several subprograms: physical geography, social geography, economic geography, regional geography, cartography, and geographic information systems and interdisciplinary areas.
By October 2022, over 64 doctoral dissertations and over 125 master's theses were defended at the Institute of Geography.
As for the organizational set-up of the Institute of Geography, at the beginning of its existence, it functioned as a whole entity, but after 1958, three departments have been established, as follows:
● Geography department;
● Geology department, and
● Ethnology department.
In the years when the Institute grew into a faculty, these departments were abolished, so that by the end of 1984 they were re-formed with slightly different names. The entire work of the Institute of Geography today takes place through three departments:
● Department for Physical Geography;
● Department for Socio-Economic Geography;
● Department for Cartography.
Today, at the Institute, organized in the most modern modular approach, the following study fields are active: teaching geography, GIS, physical geography, and demography, as well as the study program - tourism.
In the eighties of the last century, there was a program for applied geography that is currently dormant, while in 1986, a four-year study program in ethnology was opened within the Institute of Geography.
This organizational set-up enables the Institute to function normally and to successfully perform its teaching and scientific activities. The teaching at the Institute is done through lectures and exercises, which are mostly performed in the building of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. During the studies, field trips and field lectures are performed on several subjects, in accordance with the study programs, in order to improve the study quality.
As for the teaching staff, it was constantly increasing and upgrading. In 1946, the teaching process was conducted by four lecturers: Assoc. Prof. Dr.sc. Atanasie Uroshevikj; Jovan Trifunoski-lecturer, Branislav Rusikj-lecturer, and Aleksandar Malahov-lecturer. In the academic year of 1948/49, the number of lecturers increased by one - Chaslav Stojadinovikj, and in 1951 the first assistant, Gigo Mileski was hired.
In the period 1956-1960 the staff increased to 9 people, later to 14, and in the first half of the eighties to 16, 5 of which were full professors, 1 associate professor, 4 assistant professors, 1 lecturer, and 5 assistants. In the meantime, at the Institute of Geography, the following professors worked and held lectures and exercises: Prof. Dr.sc. Todor Kondev; Milosh Pavlovikj; Vladimir Maer, Dr.Sc.; Prof. Dr.sc. Ivan Nestorovski; Mitko Poptrendovski, Dr.Sc.; Prof. Dr.sc. Jordan Pendzerkovski, Prof. Dr.sc. Dusan Manakovikj,; Prof. Dr.sc. Mitko Panov; Prof. Dr.sc. Jakim Sinadinovski; Prof. Dr.sc. Stanko Stankoski; Prof. Dr.sc. Milivoj Gashevski; Prof. Dr.sc. Milorad Stojanovikj; Prof. Dr.sc. Ljube Milenkovski; Prof. Dr.sc. Milosh Konstantinov; Prof. Dr.sc. Nijazi Limanoski; Prof. Dr.sc. Vasil Gramatnikovski; Prof. Dr.sc. Vasa Daskalovski; Prof. Dr.sc. Mirjana Gjorgieva; Prof. Dr.sc. Tome Andonovski; Prof. Dr.sc. Aleksandar Stojmilov; Prof. Dr.sc. Mihailo Zikov; Prof. Dr.sc. Nikola Panov; Prof. Dr.sc. Gjorgji Zdravev; Prof. Dr.sc. Krste Bogoevski; Prof. Dr.sc. Aneta Svetieva; Ass.prof. Dr.sc. Ljupcho Risteski; Ass.prof. Dr.sc. Mirjana Mircevska; Ass.prof. Dr.sc. Ljupcho Nedelkov; ass. M.Sc. Davorin Trpevski, and assistants: Gorica Shoptrajanova, Galaba Palikrusheva, Nikola Tripchev and Tatjana Petkovska.
Nowadays, at the Institute of Geography, the lectures are executed by Prof. Dr.sc. Blagoja Markoski; Prof. Dr.sc. Risto Mijalov; Prof. Dr.sc. Dragan Kolchakovski; Prof. Dr.sc. Mirjanka Madjеvikj; Prof. Dr.sc. Olgica Dimitrovska; Prof. Dr.sc. Ivica Milevski; Prof. Dr.sc. Biljana Apostolovska Toshevska; Prof. Dr.sc. Dejan Iliev; Prof. Dr.sc. Milena Taleska; assoc. Prof. Dr.sc. Svemir Gorin; assoc. Prof. Dr.sc. Ivan Radeski; ass. Prof. Dr.sc. Hristina Dimeska Trajkova; ass. Prof. Dr.sc. Marija Ljakoska; ass. Prof. Dr.sc. Goran Kitevski; ass. Prof. Dr.sc. Vladimir Zlatanoski; ass. M.sc. Anita Todorova; senior laborant Arse Kuzmanoski, senior laborant Emilija Manevska, demonstrator Hristina Ninevska and demonstrator Bojana Aleksova.
Throughout its existence, the Institute is constantly striving for teachers and associates to improve their skills and competencies, and to motivate specializations at various institutions in the country and abroad, as well as through postgraduate and postdoctoral studies.