Time zones
When it is noon in Rio de Janeiro, it is midnight in Tokyo. This is because we divide the earth into different time zones. Within each zone, people set their clock for the same time. If someone travels by plane between two zones, he or she will adjust his/her clock to the one used in the new zone.
Division of time
There are 24 timezones, separated by one-hour intervals, with each 15 degrees longitude. The zones were measured according to the Greenwich Mean Time, used as the starting meridian, which measured hours before and after GMT.
Governments can change their country’s time zone. Thus, for convenience, entire countries tend to adjust to the same local time rather than adjusting exactly to the zones. For example, China could be divided into several time zones, but instead, the whole country uses the same time. Some areas, such as parts of India, Iran, and Australia, use non-standard half-hour deviations.
Summertime
In the context of time zones, “summertime” typically refers to Daylight Saving Time (DST), which is the practice of setting the clock ahead by one hour during the summer months in order to extend the amount of daylight in the evenings. This is done by moving the clock ahead by one hour at a specified time in the spring and then moving it back by one hour at a specified time in the fall. The purpose of Daylight Saving Time is to make better use of the available sunlight during the longer days of the summer by shifting some of the daylight from the morning hours to the evening hours. The specific dates when Daylight Saving Time begins and ends, and the amount of time that the clock is adjusted, can vary depending on the location.
Many countries around the world observe Daylight Saving Time (DST), also known as “summertime.” Some countries that observe DST include the United States, Canada, Mexico, most of Europe, parts of South America, and some countries in Asia and Africa. However, not all countries observe DST, and the dates when it begins and ends can vary from place to place. In the United States, for example, Daylight Saving Time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. In the European Union, DST begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October. In Canada, DST begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, with some exceptions. It’s important to note that the dates and times when DST begins and ends can vary from country to country, so it’s always a good idea to check the local time and whether or not DST is in effect when traveling to a new location.
Changing dates
On the opposite side of the earth to the starting meridian, a date-line runs mainly through the Pacific Ocean, avoiding the mainland. The locations to the west are 24 hours ahead of the east of the line. This means that if we travel through it in the east, we will lose one day, while we will gain one day to the west.
The map below shows the different time zones of the world. Move your cursor above the country you want to see the current time for and click to view the time zone and your actual time details.
Scroll with your mouse to zoom, or use the zoom buttons on the left side of the map. For Google Street View, pull that small yellow man from the left side of the map.
Time zone map
A time zone map is a map that shows the division of the Earth into different time zones. Time zones are regions of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually for the purpose of coordinating activities such as transportation, communication, and work. Time zones tend to follow lines of longitude because the Earth rotates on its axis, and different parts of the Earth are exposed to sunlight at different times of the day.
The different time zones are usually represented by different colors or shading on a time zone map. The map will also typically show the boundaries between the time zones and indicate the standard time that is used in each zone. Some time zone maps will also include information about daylight saving time, which is a system that adjusts the standard time in some regions to make better use of daylight during the summer months.
One day around the earth
The development of transport and communication at the end of the 1820s necessitated the introduction of a uniform time reference for the whole earth: 24 time zones were designated.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) was created in 1675 to allow sailors to determine their position across the globe accurately. At the end of the 19th century, the earth was divided into 24 time zones, each of 15 degrees longitude, and on the opposite side of Greenwich South Circle, an international date-line was designated.
For practical reasons, the boundaries of the zones have adapted to geographical and political boundaries, many of which have involved changes in time zones. In countries that use the summer-winter time to save energy, local time varies by + 1 hour in summer. The time shift results from the unevenness of the earth's rotation. Corrected based on the world time measured by the atomic clock since 1972: The difference between the new Universal Central Time (UTC) and Greenwich Mean Time is 0.9 seconds.
Time zones of the world
There are 24 time zones in the world, each one corresponding to a 15-degree longitude. Time zones are generally referred to by their standard abbreviation, such as EST (Eastern Standard Time) or GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).
Some common time zones include:
- GMT (UTC+00:00): Greenwich Mean Time, used as a reference time for all other time zones. It is also known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
- EST (UTC-05:00): Eastern Standard Time, used in the eastern United States and Canada.
- CST (UTC-06:00): Central Standard Time, used in the central United States and Canada.
- MST (UTC-07:00): Mountain Standard Time, used in the mountain states of the United States.
- PST (UTC-08:00): Pacific Standard Time, used in the western United States and Canada.
- CET (UTC+01:00): Central European Time, used in most of Europe.
- JST (UTC+09:00): Japan Standard Time, used in Japan.
Many other time zones are used worldwide, and some places have multiple time zones within their borders. See all the time zones below in the following table.
Abbreviation | Full name | Location | Timezone |
A | Alpha Time Zone | Military | UTC + 1 hour |
ACDT | Australian Central Daylight Time | Australia | UTC + 10:30 hours |
ACST | Australian Central Standard Time | Australia | UTC + 9:30 hours |
ADT | Atlantic Daylight Time | Atlantic | UTC – 3 hours |
ADT | Atlantic Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 3 hours |
AEDT | Australian Eastern Daylight Time | Australia | UTC + 11 hours |
AEST | Australian Eastern Standard Time | Australia | UTC + 10 hours |
AFT | Afghanistan Time | Asia | UTC + 4:30 hours |
AKDT | Alaska Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 8 hours |
AKST | Alaska Standard Time | North America | UTC – 9 hours |
ALMT | Alma-Ata Time | Asia | UTC + 6 hours |
AMST | Armenia Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 5 hours |
AMST | Amazon Summer Time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
AMT | Armenia Time | Asia | UTC + 4 hours |
AMT | Amazon Time | South America | UTC – 4 hours |
ANAST | Anadyr Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 12 hours |
ANAT | Anadyr Time | Asia | UTC + 12 hours |
AQTT | Aqtobe Time | Asia | UTC + 5 hours |
ART | Argentina Time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
AST | Arabia Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 3 hours |
AST | Atlantic Standard Time | Atlantic | UTC – 4 hours |
AST | Atlantic Standard Time | Caribbean | UTC – 4 hours |
AST | Atlantic Standard Time | North America | UTC – 4 hours |
AWDT | Australian Western Daylight Time | Australia | UTC + 9 hours |
AWST | Australian Western Standard Time | Australia | UTC + 8 hours |
AZOST | Azores Summer Time | Atlantic | UTC |
AZOT | Azores Time | Atlantic | UTC – 1 hour |
AZST | Azerbaijan Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 5 hours |
AZT | Azerbaijan Time | Asia | UTC + 4 hours |
B | Bravo Time Zone | Military | UTC + 2 hours |
BNT | Brunei Darussalam Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
BOT | Bolivia Time | South America | UTC – 4 hours |
BRST | Brasilia Summer Time | South America | UTC – 2 hours |
BRT | Brasília time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
BST | Bangladesh Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 6 hours |
BST | British Summer Time | Europe | UTC + 1 hour |
BTT | Bhutan Time | Asia | UTC + 6 hours |
C | Charlie Time Zone | Military | UTC + 3 hours |
CAST | Casey Time | Antarctica | UTC + 8 hours |
CAT | Central Africa Time | Africa | UTC + 2 hours |
CCT | Cocos Islands Time | Indian Ocean | UTC + 6:30 hours |
CDT | Cuba Daylight Time | Caribbean | UTC – 4 hours |
CDT | Central Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 5 hours |
CEST | Central European Summer Time | Europe | UTC + 2 hours |
CET | Central European Time | Africa | UTC + 1 hour |
CET | Central European Time | Europe | UTC + 1 hour |
CHADT | Chatham Island Daylight Time | Pacific | UTC + 13:45 hours |
CHAST | Chatham Island Standard Time | Pacific | UTC + 12:45 hours |
CKT | Cook Island Time | Pacific | UTC – 10 hours |
CLST | Chile Summer Time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
CLT | Chile Standard Time | South America | UTC – 4 hours |
COT | Colombia Time | South America | UTC – 5 hours |
CST | China Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
CST | Central Standard Time | Central America | UTC – 6 hours |
CST | Cuba Standard Time | Caribbean | UTC – 5 hours |
CST | Central Standard Time | North America | UTC – 6 hours |
CVT | Cape Verde Time | Africa | UTC – 1 hour |
CXT | Christmas Island Time | Australia | UTC + 7 hours |
ChST | Chamorro Standard Time | Pacific | UTC + 10 hours |
D | Delta Time Zone | Military | UTC + 4 hours |
DAVT | Davis Time | Antarctica | UTC + 7 hours |
E | Echo Time Zone | Military | UTC + 5 hours |
EASST | Easter Island Summer Time | Pacific | UTC – 5 hours |
EAST | Easter Island Standard Time | Pacific | UTC – 6 hours |
EAT | Eastern Africa Time | Africa | UTC + 3 hours |
EAT | East Africa Time | Indian Ocean | UTC + 3 hours |
ECT | Ecuador Time | South America | UTC – 5 hours |
EDT | Eastern Daylight Time | Caribbean | UTC – 4 hours |
EDT | Eastern Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 4 hours |
EDT | Eastern Daylight Time | Pacific | UTC + 11 hours |
EEST | Eastern European Summer Time | Africa | UTC + 3 hours |
EEST | Eastern European Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 3 hours |
EEST | Eastern European Summer Time | Europe | UTC + 3 hours |
EET | Eastern European Time | Africa | UTC + 2 hours |
EET | Eastern European Time | Asia | UTC + 2 hours |
EET | Eastern European Time | Europe | UTC + 2 hours |
EGST | Eastern Greenland Summer Time | North America | UTC |
EGT | East Greenland Time | North America | UTC – 1 hour |
EST | Eastern Standard Time | Central America | UTC – 5 hours |
EST | Eastern Standard Time | Caribbean | UTC – 5 hours |
EST | Eastern Standard Time | North America | UTC – 5 hours |
ET | Tiempo del Este | Central America | UTC – 5 hours |
ET | Tiempo del Este | Caribbean | UTC – 5 hours |
ET | Tiempo Del Este | North America | UTC – 5 hours |
F | Foxtrot Time Zone | Military | UTC + 6 hours |
FJST | Fiji Summer Time | Pacific | UTC + 13 hours |
FJT | Fiji Time | Pacific | UTC + 12 hours |
FKST | Falkland Islands Summer Time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
FKT | Falkland Island Time | South America | UTC – 4 hours |
FNT | Fernando de Noronha Time | South America | UTC – 2 hours |
G | Golf Time Zone | Military | UTC + 7 hours |
GALT | Galapagos Time | Pacific | UTC – 6 hours |
GAMT | Gambier Time | Pacific | UTC – 9 hours |
GET | Georgia Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 4 hours |
GFT | French Guiana Time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
GILT | Gilbert Island Time | Pacific | UTC + 12 hours |
GMT | Greenwich Mean Time | Africa | UTC |
GMT | Greenwich Mean Time | Europe | UTC |
GST | Gulf Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 4 hours |
GYT | Guyana Time | South America | UTC – 4 hours |
H | Hotel Time Zone | Military | UTC + 8 hours |
HAA | Heure Avancée de l’Atlantique | Atlantic | UTC – 3 hours |
HAA | Heure Avancée de l’Atlantique | North America | UTC – 3 hours |
HAC | Heure Avancée du Centre | North America | UTC – 5 hours |
HADT | Hawaii-Aleutian Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 9 hours |
HAE | Heure Avancée de l’Est | Caribbean | UTC – 4 hours |
HAE | Heure Avancée de l’Est | North America | UTC – 4 hours |
HAP | Heure Avancée du Pacifique | North America | UTC – 7 hours |
HAR | Heure Avancée des Rocheuses | North America | UTC – 6 hours |
HAST | Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time | North America | UTC – 10 hours |
HAT | Heure Avancée de Terre-Neuve | North America | UTC – 2:30 hours |
HAY | Heure Avancée du Yukon | North America | UTC – 8 hours |
HKT | Hong Kong Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
HLV | Hora Legal de Venezuela | South America | UTC – 4:30 hours |
HNA | Heure Normale de l’Atlantique | Atlantic | UTC – 4 hours |
HNA | Heure Normale de l’Atlantique | Caribbean | UTC – 4 hours |
HNA | Heure Normale de l’Atlantique | North America | UTC – 4 hours |
HNC | Heure Normale du Centre | Central America | UTC – 6 hours |
HNC | Heure Normale du Centre | North America | UTC – 6 hours |
HNE | Heure Normale de l’Est | Central America | UTC – 5 hours |
HNE | Heure Normale de l’Est | Caribbean | UTC – 5 hours |
HNE | Heure Normale de l’Est | North America | UTC – 5 hours |
HNP | Heure Normale du Pacifique | North America | UTC – 8 hours |
HNR | Heure Normale des Rocheuses | North America | UTC – 7 hours |
HNT | Heure Normale de Terre-Neuve | North America | UTC – 3:30 hours |
HNY | Heure Normale du Yukon | North America | UTC – 9 hours |
HOVT | Hovd Time | Asia | UTC + 7 hours |
I | India Time Zone | Military | UTC + 9 hours |
ICT | Indochina Time | Asia | UTC + 7 hours |
IDT | Israel Daylight Time | Asia | UTC + 3 hours |
IOT | Indian Chagos Time | Indian Ocean | UTC + 6 hours |
IRDT | Iran Daylight Time | Asia | UTC + 4:30 hours |
IRKST | Irkutsk Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 9 hours |
IRKT | Irkutsk Time | Asia | UTC + 9 hours |
IRST | Iran Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 3:30 hours |
IST | Israel Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 2 hours |
IST | India Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 5:30 hours |
IST | Irish Standard Time | Europe | UTC + 1 hour |
JST | Japan Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 9 hours |
K | Kilo Time Zone | Military | UTC + 10 hours |
KGT | Kyrgyzstan Time | Asia | UTC + 6 hours |
KRAST | Krasnoyarsk Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
KRAT | Krasnoyarsk Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
KST | Korea Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 9 hours |
KUYT | Kuybyshev Time | Europe | UTC + 4 hours |
L | Lima Time Zone | Military | UTC + 11 hours |
LHDT | Lord Howe Daylight Time | Australia | UTC + 11 hours |
LHST | Lord Howe Standard Time | Australia | UTC + 10:30 hours |
LINT | Line Islands Time | Pacific | UTC + 14 hours |
M | Mike Time Zone | Military | UTC + 12 hours |
MAGST | Magadan Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 12 hours |
MAGT | Magadan Time | Asia | UTC + 12 hours |
MART | Marquesas Time | Pacific | UTC – 9:30 hours |
MAWT | Mawson Time | Antarctica | UTC + 5 hours |
MDT | Mountain Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 6 hours |
MESZ | Mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit | Europe | UTC + 2 hours |
MEZ | Mitteleuropäische Zeit | Africa | UTC + 1 hour |
MHT | Marshall Islands Time | Pacific | UTC + 12 hours |
MMT | Myanmar Time | Asia | UTC + 6:30 hours |
MSD | Moscow Daylight Time | Europe | UTC + 4 hours |
MSK | Moscow Standard Time | Europe | UTC + 4 hours |
MST | Mountain Standard Time | North America | UTC – 7 hours |
MUT | Mauritius Time | Africa | UTC + 4 hours |
MVT | Maldives Time | Asia | UTC + 5 hours |
MYT | Malaysia Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
N | November Time Zone | Military | UTC – 1 hour |
NCT | New Caledonia Time | Pacific | UTC + 11 hours |
NDT | Newfoundland Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 2:30 hours |
NFT | Norfolk Time | Australia | UTC + 11:30 hours |
NOVST | Novosibirsk Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 7 hours |
NOVT | Novosibirsk Time | Asia | UTC + 6 hours |
NPT | Nepal Time | Asia | UTC + 5:45 hours |
NST | Newfoundland Standard Time | North America | UTC – 3:30 hours |
NUT | Niue Time | Pacific | UTC – 11 hours |
NZDT | New Zealand Daylight Time | Antarctica | UTC + 13 hours |
NZDT | New Zealand Daylight Time | Pacific | UTC + 13 hours |
NZST | New Zealand Standard Time | Antarctica | UTC + 12 hours |
NZST | New Zealand Standard Time | Pacific | UTC + 12 hours |
O | Oscar Time Zone | Military | UTC – 2 hours |
OMSST | Omsk Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 7 hours |
OMST | Omsk Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 7 hours |
P | Papa Time Zone | Military | UTC – 3 hours |
PDT | Pacific Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 7 hours |
PET | Peru Time | South America | UTC – 5 hours |
PETST | Kamchatka Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 12 hours |
PETT | Kamchatka Time | Asia | UTC + 12 hours |
PGT | Papua New Guinea Time | Pacific | UTC + 10 hours |
PHOT | Phoenix Island Time | Pacific | UTC + 13 hours |
PHT | Philippine Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
PKT | Pakistan Standard Time | Asia | UTC + 5 hours |
PMDT | Pierre & Miquelon Daylight Time | North America | UTC – 2 hours |
PMST | Pierre & Miquelon Standard Time | North America | UTC – 3 hours |
PONT | Pohnpei Standard Time | Pacific | UTC + 11 hours |
PST | Pacific Standard Time | North America | UTC – 8 hours |
PST | Pitcairn Standard Time | Pacific | UTC – 8 hours |
PT | Tiempo del Pacífico | North America | UTC – 8 hours |
PWT | Palau Time | Pacific | UTC + 9 hours |
PYST | Paraguay Summer Time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
PYT | Paraguay Time | South America | UTC – 4 hours |
Q | Quebec Time Zone | Military | UTC – 4 hours |
R | Romeo Time Zone | Military | UTC – 5 hours |
RET | Reunion Time | Africa | UTC + 4 hours |
S | Sierra Time Zone | Military | UTC – 6 hours |
SAMT | Samara Time | Europe | UTC + 4 hours |
SAST | South Africa Standard Time | Africa | UTC + 2 hours |
SBT | Solomon IslandsTime | Pacific | UTC + 11 hours |
SCT | Seychelles Time | Africa | UTC + 4 hours |
SGT | Singapore Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
SRT | Suriname Time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
SST | Samoa Standard Time | Pacific | UTC – 11 hours |
T | Tango Time Zone | Military | UTC – 7 hours |
TAHT | Tahiti Time | Pacific | UTC – 10 hours |
TFT | French Southern and Antarctic Time | Indian Ocean | UTC + 5 hours |
TJT | Tajikistan Time | Asia | UTC + 5 hours |
TKT | Tokelau Time | Pacific | UTC + 13 hours |
TLT | East Timor Time | Asia | UTC + 9 hours |
TMT | Turkmenistan Time | Asia | UTC + 5 hours |
TVT | Tuvalu Time | Pacific | UTC + 12 hours |
U | Uniform Time Zone | Military | UTC – 8 hours |
ULAT | Ulaanbaatar Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
UTC | Universal Time Coordinated | Universal | UTC |
UYST | Uruguay Summer Time | South America | UTC – 2 hours |
UYT | Uruguay Time | South America | UTC – 3 hours |
UZT | Uzbekistan Time | Asia | UTC + 5 hours |
V | Victor Time Zone | Military | UTC – 9 hours |
VET | Venezuelan Standard Time | South America | UTC – 4:30 hours |
VLAST | Vladivostok Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 11 hours |
VLAT | Vladivostok Time | Asia | UTC + 11 hours |
VUT | Vanuatu Time | Pacific | UTC + 11 hours |
W | Whiskey Time Zone | Military | UTC – 10 hours |
WAST | West Africa Summer Time | Africa | UTC + 2 hours |
WAT | West Africa Time | Africa | UTC + 1 hour |
WEST | Western European Summer Time | Africa | UTC + 1 hour |
WEST | Western European Summer Time | Europe | UTC + 1 hour |
WESZ | Westeuropäische Sommerzeit | Africa | UTC + 1 hour |
WET | Western European Time | Africa | UTC |
WET | Western European Time | Europe | UTC |
WEZ | Westeuropäische Zeit | Europe | UTC |
WFT | Wallis and Futuna Time | Pacific | UTC + 12 hours |
WGST | Western Greenland Summer Time | North America | UTC – 2 hours |
WGT | West Greenland Time | North America | UTC – 3 hours |
WIB | Western Indonesian Time | Asia | UTC + 7 hours |
WIT | Eastern Indonesian Time | Asia | UTC + 9 hours |
WITA | Central Indonesian Time | Asia | UTC + 8 hours |
WST | Western Sahara Summer Time | Africa | UTC + 1 hour |
WST | West Samoa Time | Pacific | UTC + 13 hours |
WT | Western Sahara Standard Time | Africa | UTC |
X | X-ray Time Zone | Military | UTC – 11 hours |
Y | Yankee Time Zone | Military | UTC – 12 hours |
YAKST | Yakutsk Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 10 hours |
YAKT | Yakutsk Time | Asia | UTC + 10 hours |
YAPT | Yap Time | Pacific | UTC + 10 hours |
YEKST | Yekaterinburg Summer Time | Asia | UTC + 6 hours |
YEKT | Yekaterinburg Time | Asia | UTC + 6 hours |
Z | Zulu Time Zone | Military | UTC |
Visit this page for the Time Zone map and index of time zones and abbreviations.