Northwest Institute of Historical Environment and Socio-Economic Development locates in Shaanxi Normal University, based on the Institute of Historical Geography. There are many professionals and scholars joining in it, and it was established in Mar. 2000. It’s a new, multi-discipline, comprehensive research organization. It belongs to Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Universities.
As the predecessor of Institution of Historical Geography, it is the first two institutions which established in colleges and directly operated under the Ministry of Education in China, specializing in historical geography. The famous historical geography professor Shi Nian-Hai, who advocated for historical geography research early in the 1950s .Mr. Shi promoted that researchers should apply what thay learn to practical problems, he also established the historical geography research in the history department of Shaanxi Normal University in the early 1960s. Since Reform and Opening up, historical geography plays an important role in the national economic and cultural construction. In order to meet the needs of the development of the subject and the practical work, the historical geography research office extended to the Institute of Historical Geography in 1986.
Based on historical geography  scholars, cooperating with related disciplines such as history, geography, environmental science and social economics inside and outside school, Shaanxi Normal University set up Northwest Institute of Historical Environment and Socio-Economic Development in Mar. 2000. Shortly afterwards, in Sep. 2000, it was approved as Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Universities. Then, historical geography was approved to be one of national key disciplines in Jan. 2002.
The institute undertake the task concerning the subjects about the geographical environment change and social economic development in northwest China, they also come up with solutions and methods. Meanwhile, they train professionals skilled at research, organize academic exchange, served for government and companies. Otherwise, they promote basic knowledge, and establish information base.
In recent years, the institute take important subjects from National Natural Science Foundation, National Social Science Foundation, Philosophy and Social Science of the Ministry of Education, Research on Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Province Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project.
The facilities inside the institute are as follows: Shi Nian-hai Center of Historical Geography Research, Center of Rural Development Research, Center for Yellow River Studies, Center for Qinling Mountain Studies, Editorial Department of academic journals and the Key Laboratory of Historic Town Restoration and Simulation, etc.