Glossary
========

Short meanings for the words these docs use. Across the guides, a word with a
dotted underline links here, and pointing at it shows its meaning.

.. glossary::
   :sorted:

   antipode
      The point exactly opposite a place on the other side of the Earth. A
      straight tunnel through the center of the Earth would come out there.

   alpha-2 code
      A two-letter country code from the ISO 3166 standard, such as ``JP`` for
      Japan. PyWorldAtlas accepts it anywhere a country name works.

   border crossing
      One step from a country into a neighboring country over a shared land
      border.

   capital
      A country's capital city, as given by the atlas's sources. The
      capital is usually where the national government meets.

   coastline
      The length of a country's coast along the sea, in kilometers.

   Köppen climate zone
      A climate class from the Köppen system, such as ``Cfb`` for a mild
      ocean climate. The first letter is the main group: ``A`` tropical,
      ``B`` dry, ``C`` mild, ``D`` cold winters, and ``E`` polar.

   landlocked
      Having no coast on the open sea, such as Austria or Switzerland.

   latitude
      How far north or south of the equator a place is, from 90° S to 90° N.
      South is negative, so 12° S is written ``-12``.

   local name
      A country's name in its own language and writing system, such as
      日本 (Nihon) for Japan.

   longitude
      How far east or west of the prime meridian through Greenwich a place
      is, from 180° W to 180° E. West is negative.

   pack
      An optional download that adds more data, such as 3D maps or
      statistics. Install one with ``pyworldatlas get``, then it works
      offline.

   region
      A group of countries from the United Nations M49 list, such as Western
      Europe or South America.

   great-circle distance
      The shortest distance between two places over the curved surface of
      the Earth, the route a plane would ideally fly.

   World Heritage site
      A place listed by UNESCO for its cultural or natural value to all of
      humanity, such as Machu Picchu.