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Glossary of Terms & Indicators

Glossary

This glossary defines key terms and indicators used on this website. Definitions reflect how the terms are used within this project and may differ from external providers.

Geography & Administrative Codes

City Name

Official city name based on United Nations data, displayed without diacritical marks.

Source: United Nations (UNECE)

City Code

Standardized identifier used internally to uniquely identify a city. Derived from United Nations location codes. There is no official ISO standard for city codes.

Source: United Nations (UNECE)

Subdivision Abbreviation

Commonly used short abbreviation identifying an administrative subdivision.

Source: Calculated

Region

Broad geographic grouping based on continental or sub-continental location.

Source: Internal classification

Sovereign Country

Sovereign country responsible for governing an overseas territory or dependency.

Source: Internal classification

City Altitude (meters)

Height of a city above mean sea level, measured in meters

Source: OpenTopoData

Notes: Derived from geographic coordinates.

City Geographic Coordinates

The city’s geographic position, defined by its latitude and longitude in decimal degrees.

Source: United Nations (UNECE) and Google Earth

Notes: Weather data, time zone, and altitude are determined based on these geographic coordinates.

Time Zone (IANA)

Standard Time zone identifier from the IANA Time Zone Database (e.g., America/New_York).

Source: OpenStreetMap / IANA

Notes: Derived from geographic coordinates. Used to calculate city current local time and UTC.

City Current UTC

The city’s current local time expressed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). It is calculated from its geographic coordinates to determine the correct time zone and any active daylight saving time. Displaying the time in UTC allows for easy comparison across different locations.

Source: Calculated

City Current Local Time

The city’s current local time, calculated from its geographic coordinates to determine the correct time zone and any active daylight saving time. This value represents the actual local time at the selected destination.

Source: Calculated

Population & Demographics

City Population

Estimated metropolitan population including the city and surrounding urban areas that are economically and socially connected.

Source: SimpleMaps

Notes: No universal standard; definitions vary by country.

City Population Size Ranking

Classification of cities based on total population size, ranging from the top 10 most populous cities in the world to very small cities. Classification of cities by population size: Top 10 World Cities (top 10 globally), Extra-Large (≥10M), Very Large (5–10M), Large (2–5M), Medium-Sized (1–2M), Small (500k–1M), Very Small (<500k).

Source: Calculated

Notes: Population thresholds and rankings are applied consistently across all cities using the most recent available population data.

Country Population Rank

Rank of a country based on total population size.

Source: Calculated

Country World Population Percentage

Share of the global population represented by a country, expressed as a percentage.

Source: Calculated

Land Area (km²)

Total land surface area of a country, measured in square kilometers (km²), excluding inland water bodies.

Source: Worldometer

Country Official Languages

Official languages recognized in each country, listed by order of importance. These languages are typically used for government operations, legislation, education, and official communications.

Source: Wikipedia

Notes: The number and status of official languages vary by country. Some countries recognize multiple official languages at the national or regional level, and the order may reflect legal status or relative prominence.

Economic & Social Indicators

Country GDP per Capita (USD)

GDP per capita (current US$) is calculated by dividing a country’s gross domestic product (GDP)—the total value of all final goods and services produced within its borders during a year—by its population, and expressing the result in current U.S. dollars, using prevailing exchange rates for reference year.

Source: World Bank Group

Notes: As of 2024

Exchange Rate

External service used to retrieve the most recent foreign exchange rates for currency conversion.

Source: Open Exchange Rates API

Notes: Rates are retrieved Daily from open.er-api.com and cached by the application for up to 24 hours. The exchange rate is used in the comparison tab with baseline.

Human Development Index (HDI)

Composite index measuring life expectancy, education, and income. Values range from 0 to 1.

Source: Human Development Report

HDI Tier

Categorical classification of HDI values into Very High, High, Medium, or Low human development.

Source: Calculated

Global Peace Index (GPI)

An index measuring the level of peace in a country based on indicators related to violence, ongoing conflict, and militarization. Lower values indicate higher levels of peace.

Source: Vision of Humanity

Notes: The Global Peace Index is a composite score calculated annually and is intended for comparative analysis between countries.

Global Peace Index Tier (GPI Tier)

A categorical classification derived from the Global Peace Index score, grouping countries into peace-level tiers for easier comparison and interpretation.

Source: Calculated (based on GPI)

Notes: Tiers are defined as follows: Very Peaceful (1.000–1.500), Peaceful (1.500–2.000), Moderately Peaceful (2.000–2.500), Low Peace (2.500–3.000), and Very Low Peace / High Conflict (3.000–4.000).

Governance & International Relations

International Memberships

Indicates the international organizations and groups to which a country belongs. This includes major economic, political, and security organizations such as the G7 (Group of Seven), OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), BRICS+, the United Nations (UN), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Membership reflects a country’s participation in international cooperation, governance, and collective decision-making.

Source: wikipedia

Cost of Living Indices

City Cost of Living Index

A numerical index used to compare how expensive it is to live in different cities. The higher the number, the more expensive the location; the lower the number, the cheaper it is.

Source: Numbeo

Notes: As of January 2026

City Groceries Index

A relative index that measures the average cost of grocery items in a city to a reference baseline. Higher values indicate more expensive grocery prices, while lower values indicate cheaper groceries.

Source: Numbeo

Notes: As of Januray 2026

City Restaurant Price Index

A relative index that measures the average cost of dining out in a city compared to a reference baseline. Higher values indicate higher restaurant prices, while lower values indicate more affordable dining options.

Source: Numbeo

Notes: As of Januray 2026

Country Cost of Living Index

A numerical index used to compare how expensive it is to live in different countries. The higher the number, the more expensive the location; the lower the number, the cheaper it is.

Source: Numbeo

Notes: As of Januray 2026

Country Groceries Index

A relative index that measures the average cost of grocery items in a country compared to a reference baseline. Higher values indicate more expensive grocery prices, while lower values indicate cheaper groceries.

Source: Numbeo

Notes: As of Januray 2026

Country Restaurant Price Index

A relative index that measures the average cost of dining out in a country compared to a reference baseline. Higher values indicate higher restaurant prices, while lower values indicate more affordable dining options.

Source: Numbeo

Notes: As of Januray 2026

Big Mac Price

Compares the relative price worldwide to purchase the Big Mac, the flagship hamburger sold at McDonald's restaurants. It shows how much a Big Mac costs in a country’s local and in US currency.

Source: TheEconomist big-mac-data

Notes: As of January 1st 2025

Climate & Weather Metrics (Monthly Averages from 2009-2025)

Total Snow (cm)

Total snowfall accumulated during the month.

Source: Calculated from total snowfall (mm) from Historique-Méteo data.

Notes: This is based on the average 10:1 ratio (1 mm of liquid water equals about 1 cm of snow). Keep in mind the actual amount can vary depending on snow type: ❄️ Wet, heavy snow: ~7–8 cm for 10 mm 🌨️ Average snow: ~10 cm for 10 mm ❄️❄️ Dry, powdery snow: 12–15 cm (or more) for 10 mm In practice, 10 mm = 10 cm is commonly used as a quick reference.

Weather Radius

The maximum distance from the city’s geographic coordinates within which meteorological data is aggregated.

Source: Calculated

Notes: Only a small number of cities exceed a 10 km radius; a notice is shown when applicable.

Tourism Highlights

Regional Attractions

Notable natural, cultural, or historical points of interest located within a region that contribute to its overall appeal for visitors. These attractions may include landscapes, landmarks, cultural sites, or recreational areas that complement a destination’s emblematic sites and enhance the travel experience beyond the city center.

Source: Open AI

Country Highlights

slug natural, cultural, or experiential features that represent a country’s identity and appeal to travelers.

Source: Open AI

International Tourism Arrivals

International Tourism Arrivals

International tourism arrivals represent the total number of non-resident visitors who travel to a country for tourism purposes during a specific reference year. The value shown corresponds to the most recent reliable year available for each country (typically 2019 or earlier), due to reporting delays and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This indicator reflects the overall scale of international tourism for a destination, but does not capture seasonal distribution or regional differences within the country.

Source: World Bank Group · Update: Annual

Notes: The reference year varies by country depending on data availability and is explicitly displayed alongside the value. Years after 2019 are intentionally excluded to avoid distortions related to the COVID-19 period.

Reference Year

The reference year indicates the specific calendar year to which a tourism value applies. For international tourism arrivals, it corresponds to the most recent reliable year available for each country, typically 2019 or earlier.

Source: Calculated · Update: Annual

Average Annual Growth Rate (%)

Average Annual Growth Rate (%) represents the long-term average yearly change in international tourism arrivals for a country, expressed as a percentage per year. It is calculated using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between the first and last reliable years available (up to 2019). Positive values indicate growth in arrivals over time, while negative values indicate a long-term decline.

Source: Calculated · Update: Long-term

Notes: Computed as CAGR: (Arrivals_end / Arrivals_start)^(1/years) - 1. The calculation period varies by country and is provided via Data Reference Period. Years after 2019 are excluded to avoid distortions from the COVID-19 period.

Tourism Growth Trend

Tourism Growth Trend describes the long-term evolution of international tourism arrivals for a country, based on the average annual growth rate calculated between the earliest and latest reliable years available (up to 2019). The growth rate reflects structural trends rather than short-term fluctuations and is expressed as a relative percentage per year.

Source: Calculated · Update: Long-term

Notes: Growth trends are calculated using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR). The calculation period varies by country and is explicitly provided as a data reference period. Short-term shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, are excluded from the analysis.

Travel Guide – Derived Indicators

Season Profile

A Season Profile is a classification that describes a destination’s typical tourism seasonality pattern throughout the year, based on the interaction between climate conditions, geographic factors, and traveler behavior. Each season profile is represented by a monthly index ranging from 1 to 10, where each value reflects the relative level of tourism activity for a given month.

Source: Calculated

Tourist Traffic Index

Relative index (1–10) indicating typical tourist crowd levels: 1–2 → Very low tourist activity (off-season, unfavorable conditions) 3–4 → Low tourist activity 5–6 → Moderate or transitional season 7–8 → High tourist activity 9–10 → Very high tourist activity (peak season)

Source: Calculated

Notes: The index does not measure absolute visitor numbers, but indicates how favorable a period is for travel relative to other months within the same destination. Because the index is relative rather than absolute, destinations with very different total visitor volumes can share similar seasonal patterns. For example, a country receiving 100 million visitors per year may have monthly indices ranging from 5 to 10, while another country receiving 1 million visitors per year may display the same index range, even though the absolute number of visitors is much lower. In both cases, the index captures seasonal intensity relative to each destination’s own baseline, not its global popularity.

Best Month Ranking

Composite monthly score (0 to 10) calculated based on traveler preferences by combining multiple weighted and normalized factors, including temperature, rainfall, snowfall, daylight duration, and tourist traffic. Each component is evaluated according to predefined preference ranges and weighting rules to reflect what travelers consider optimal or suitable travel conditions for a given month.

Source: Calculated

Notes: This is a preference-based analytical indicator, not a weather forecast.