The foundation of the geographical societies of Paris, Berlin and London during the 1820's constitutes the major symbol of the creation of an independent and consistent discipline. In France, Prussia and Great-Britain, geographers expect that their field will be considered as a proper science. In order to complete this aim, they gradually organise geographical knowledge according to scientific patterns. This paper intends to question the epistemological and institutional foundations that structure the discipline, in order to highlight the ways shared by the three countries, in a spirit of scientific cooperation, and also to reveal the national manners to do geography, in a context of national competition.