[UPDATED] Optimal Scores for Regions

The UPDATED optimal number of regions by country, compared with the current NomadMania division, is outlined below. This will serve as our primary reference when reviewing and updating regional classifications, alongside common sense and traditional regional division practices, as advised by the NomadMania community.

Countries are sorted from most ‘generously’ divided on NomadMania, ending with those most under-divided.

How did we come up with such results?

Over a month ago we announced new criteria for the anticipated re-evaluation of NomadMania regions. Then, we presented the optimal scores for regions per country based on the criteria and their weightings decided by the Executive Committee.

In response, we received valuable feedback from the NomadMania community through several polls, comments on the article below, as well as via numerous emails and private messages in social media. While we believe our committee did an excellent job calculating the Optimal Score with care and based on quantitative data, we also acknowledge that the process cannot be entirely objective.

Introducing additional criteria — or changes in existing data points (such as annual tourist arrivals or newly designated World Heritage Sites etc.) — would inevitably result in slight variations in the final rankings. Recognizing that this discussion could continue indefinitely, and that any future adjustments to the criteria would influence the outcome, we have decided to revisit the analysis and work toward a more balanced and reasonable solution.

US50 Score Adjustment

Upon reviewing the numbers, we observed that the original Optimal Score for the United States — calculated based on the existence of current 1,301 regions on NomadMania — was 54.9 (*** see the large table below). This figure closely aligns with the actual number of U.S. states (50) and therefore provides a strong reference point for adjusting the number of regions worldwide, allowing for reasonable fluctuations.

Moreover, by applying this modest US50 recalibration, we also arrive at figures that closely match the actual number of the highest tier administrative units in several important and popular countries on every continent, including Brazil, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Ethiopia, South Africa, India, Australia and others.

This convergence suggests that we are moving closer to an underlying reality and aligning our model more closely with structures that already exist in the world.

In hindsight, had we approached this process from the outset with the insights we have now, this likely would have been the path we chosen. While it is not possible to go back in time, we can fix the Optimal Score at this stage and make every effort to apply thoughtful and consistent adjustments going forward, reviewing countries on a case-by-case basis — guided by community feedback and grounded in traditional divisions while allowing a small margin for ‘sui generis’ cases.

Methodology Behind the Original Optimal Score

If you’re curious about where the idea behind the Optimal Score originated and would like to dive deeper into the numbers, here you go. Prepare for a lot of math…

It was carefully calculated based on the Updated Criteria for New Regions published previously.

They are:

1. Geography – weighted at 35%
   – Size of a country – 15%
   – Geographic Diversity Index -15%
   – Biodiversity Index – 5%
2. People and Culture – weighted at 35%
   – Population – 15%
   – World Heritage Sites – 10%
   – Number of Languages Spoken – 5%
   – Ethnic Fractionalisation Index – 5%
3. History and Governance – weighted at 20%
   – GDP nominal – 5%
   – History and Governance Index – 10%
   – Human Development Index – 5%
4. Popularity – weighted at 10%
   – International Tourist arrivals – 5%
   – Accessibility – 5%

Below is the detailed table with all indicated criteria

Each element of columns 2-13 represents the score in one of the criteria of the Optimal, already explained in a previous post.

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The first total score represents the general total of these elements: however, this is not out of 1301, which is the number of regions that NomadMania has, so we need to recalculate this out of 1301 – and this is the OPT column, coloured in blue, which gives us the ‘ideal’ number of regions for each country based on each of the criteria and their relative weightings.

Essential Regions

The NM column shows the current number of NomadMania regions – after taking away territories which are considered ‘essential’ – even if we didn’t use the optimal, we would need to list these regions separately as they are significantly different either politically or geographically.

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There are 85 here, plus an additional 5 divisions of Antarctica which we feel are justified based on the significance and size of the continent.