National Geographic Society Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities 2006

At its meeting in Oviedo, the Jury for the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, made up of Ms. Carmen Alborch, Mr. Lluís Xabel Álvarez, Mr. Ignacio Bayón Mariné, Mr. Raúl Bocanegra Sierra, Mr. Alejandro Echevarría, Mr. Javier Gómez Cuesta, Mr. Javier González Ferrari, Mr. José Luis Gutiérrez, Mr. Manuel Lombardero, Mr. Ramón López Vilas, Ms. Catalina Luca de Tena, Mr. Jaime Montalvo Correa, Ms. Beatriz de Moura, Ms. Elena Ochoa, Mr. Pedro Páramo, Mr. Alberto Pico, Mr. José Antonio Sánchez, Mr. Ricardo Senabre, Mr. Jesús de la Serna and Mr. Enrique Ybarra, chaired by Mr. Manuel Olivencia with Mr. Juan Luis Iglesias Prada as secretary, has decided to bestow the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities on the National Geographic Society.

Founded in Washington in 1888, the National Geographic Society has played a crucial role throughout its history in exploring and discovering the Earth and in disseminating scientific advancement relating to Mankind´s historic, geographic and artistic heritage. Its publications and audiovisual productions are received by over three hundred million people on all five continents. Worldwide, thousands of its professionals - explorers, zoologists, geographers, naturalists, anthropologists, writers, archaeologists, photographers and a host of experts in other fields - work together to further our knowledge of man and his surroundings. The Society presently funds and runs over five hundred research projects, which now, as in the future, will help to sustain an appreciation of culture and awareness of ecology that are needed more than ever before to save our planet´s diverse and outstanding natural assets.

Oviedo, 10^th May 2006