Map<Id, Id> mapGC = new Map<Id, Id>();

List<Geography_Classification__c> listGC = [select id,

Parent_Geography_Classification__c from Geography_Classification__c];

if (listGC != null && listGC.size() > 0)

{
for (Geography_Classification__c gc : listGC)
{
mapGC.put(gc.Id, gc.Parent_Geography_Classification__c);
}
}

public void returnParent(Id paramId)

{
if (mapGC.containsKey(paramId))
{
Id idPGC = mapGC.get(paramID);
system.debug('id... ' + idPGC);

returnParent(idPGC);
}
}

returnParent('a11j0000003nftaAAA');