THE COMMISSION

For some years, during the sessions of the UNGEGN (United Nations of Groups of Experts on Geographical Names), several topics on toponymy have been discussed. In a prestigious venue like this some scholars, Cosimo Palagiano, Helen Kerfoot, Peter Jordan, Georg Gartner and others decided to establish a Commission of Toponymy, which would study the Geographical names  from the point of view both of geography and cartography.

The geographical names are the object of study of many bodies, the same UNGEGN, the ICOS (International Council of Onomastic Sciences) and many other conferences have been held in many countries on Geographic Names. But there is no geographic and cartographic approach that could define the relationship between geographical names and identity and geographical names and old and new maps.  Geographers are interested in the meaning of geographical names and Cartography in their changes over time.