Established in 1846 for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge”, the Smithsonian Institution is a trust of the United States' government and consists of 19 museums, the National Zoo, and numerous research centers. Smithsonian scientists implement science and conservation programs in more than 140 countries on all seven continents, from saving endangered species to building monitoring capacity, promoting sustainable natural resource management and tourism, conducting scientific exchanges and finding ways to predict and mitigate global climate change.