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Philippe BuacheFrench geographer
Date of Birth: 07.02.1700
Country:  France |
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Biography of Philippe Buache
Philippe Buache was born on February 7, 1700, in La Neuville-au-Pont, a small village in northeastern France. He studied architecture and in 1721, he won the prize of the Royal Academy of Architecture, a scientific society founded by King Louis XIV. This prize was a precursor to the Prix de Rome. Buache spent a year studying at the French Academy in Rome.
Buache also studied under the geographer Guillaume Delisle, whose daughter he later married. In 1730, Buache replaced Delisle in his position at the Academy of Sciences. In 1729, Buache was appointed as the chief royal geographer.
Contributions to Geography
Buache's main contribution was the division of the Earth's surface based on seas and river systems, which he believed were interdependent. While not always completely accurate, Buache's innovations significantly advanced geography as a science and made it popular among the general public. Interestingly, Buache believed in the existence of a southern continent, and his hypothesis was later confirmed by the discoveries of other explorers.
Through careful examination of maps, Buache became convinced that there must be a connection between America and Asia through the Bering Strait. He placed a peninsula, later named Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands on his maps before their official discovery.
After reading Admiral de Fuente's accounts, Buache drew a map of the unexplored eastern coast of North America, which was used by sailors. In 1754, Buache published the "Atlas physique" and a few years later, he wrote extensive memoirs.
Legacy
Buache's nephew, Jean-Nicolas Buache (1741-1825), also held the position of royal geographer. Philippe Buache passed away in Paris on January 24, 1773.
Some of his key works in the history of geography include "Considérations géographiques et physiques sur les découvertes nouvelles dans la grande mer" (Paris, 1754), "Le parallèle des fleuves des quatre parties du monde pour servir a déterminer la hauteur des montagnes" (1757), "Mémoire sur la traversée de la mer glaciale arctique" (1759), and "Considérations géographiques sur les terres australes et antarctiques" (1761).
