The aim of its founders was to aid a number of governmental agencies and through the efforts of liberal head of state, Valentín Gómez Farías.
From the beginning, the scope of projects was very broad, covering not only the physiography of the territory but also its natural resources and their potential for development.
Also included in their study was the nature of the population, its size, age distribution, ethnic and linguistic makeup.
One of the first publications was in 1850, the work of geographer Antonio García Cubas [es], followed by an atlas of the republic, started in 1841 and completed in 1850, but not published for several years due to lack of funds.
This includes close ties with Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI), and working with the various Mexican universities as well as with major U.S. institutions.