What Country has the Most Time Zones

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Time zones are important tools that help in measuring time across different regions of the world or even in large countries. In this article, we will explore more about the time zones like which country has the most time zones, how many time zones there are in the world, countries with more than one time zone and more.

Country with Most Time Zones

The country with the most time zones in the world is France. You will think how it is possible as France is a small country area wise with an area of 247,368 square miles. The reason behind this is that its territories are spread across the globe. France has a total of 13 time zones.

Metropolitan France, which is located in Europe and comprises Corsica along with nearby islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and the English Channel, observes a single time-zone. The rest of the 11 time zones are observed in the overseas territories of the country. The 13th time zone in Adélie Land is disputed due to ongoing territorial claims. So, while France technically claims 13 zones, it’s more accurate to consider 12 officially recognized ones.

France Time Zones

The 13 time zones of France are:

UTC−10:00 – most of French Polynesia
UTC−09:30 – Marquesas Islands
UTC−09:00 – Gambier Islands
UTC−08:00 – Clipperton Island
UTC−04:00 – Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin
UTC−03:00 – French Guiana, Saint Pierre and Miquelon
UTC+01:00 – Metropolitan France
UTC+03:00 – Mayotte
UTC+04:00 – Réunion
UTC+05:00 – Kerguelen Islands, Crozet Islands
UTC+11:00 – New Caledonia
UTC+12:00 – Wallis and Futuna
UTC+03:00 (disputed) – Adélie Land (French Antarctic claim)

How Many Time Zones are there in the World

We have explored France’s unique time zone distribution. Now let’s shift our focus to the global context and explore the total number of time zones in the world. The number of time zones in the world depends on how you define them. The two main views are:

Standard Time Zones – The Earth is divided into 24 longitudinal sections, each representing one hour of time. Based on this division of time, there are 24 standard time zones, each roughly spanning 15 degrees.
This division allows for standardized timekeeping across different regions, ensuring coordinated activities and schedules. This is the most common way to refer to time zones globally. For viewing all the time zones, you can check out our: World Time Zone Map.

Actual Time Zones in Use – Due to historical, political, and practical reasons, many countries deviate from these standard zones, resulting in a total of 39 unique time zones currently in use around the world. This includes countries with big areas or faraway territories, and some countries that don’t follow the standard one-hour differences but have, for example, 30-minute or 45-minute differences.

So, depending on how you look at it, there are either 24 or 39 time zones in the world.

Countries with More than One Time Zone

Other than France, there are 22 more countries in the world which have more than one time zone. These countries are:

United States (11) – Spanning coast to coast with Alaska and overseas territories, the US boasts 11 time zones. If you want to know more about each time zone, you can check out our article: How Many Time Zones are in the US.
Russia (11) – The largest country globally, covers 11 time zones, from Kaliningrad Time in the west to Kamchatka Time in the far east. For exploring all, you can check: How Many Time Zones are in Russia.
United Kingdom (9) – The United Kingdom follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in most of its territory but observes British Summer Time (BST) during daylight saving.
Australia (9) – From the bustling east coast (UTC+10) to the remote west (UTC+8), Australia’s nine time zones showcase its diverse geography and vastness.
Canada (6) – Canada spans six time zones, from Atlantic Time in the east to Pacific Time in the west. To know more about Canadian time zones, check our article: What is Canadian Time Zone.
Denmark (5) – Despite its relatively small size, Denmark manages five time zones due to Greenland (UTC-3 to UTC-4) and the Faroe Islands (UTC+0)
New Zealand (5) – New Zealand operates on New Zealand Standard Time (NZST) and New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT) during daylight saving.
Brazil (4) – Brazil has four time zones, including Brasília Time and Amazon Time.
Mexico (4) – Mexico has four time zones, from Pacific Time to Southeast Time.
Indonesia (3) – Indonesia covers three time zones, including Western Indonesia Time (WIB) and Central Indonesia Time (WITA).
Chile (3) – Chile observes three time zones, from Continental Chile Time to Easter Island Time.
Kiribati (3) – Kiribati spans three time zones, with Christmas Island Time, Phoenix Island Time, and Line Island Time.
DR Congo (2) – This vast African nation observes UTC+2 throughout, providing consistency across its diverse geography.
South Africa (2) – South Africa operates on South Africa Standard Time (SAST).
Spain (2) – Spain follows Central European Time (CET) but switches to Central European Summer Time (CEST) during daylight saving.
Kazakhstan (2) – Kazakhstan covers two time zones, including West Kazakhstan Time and East Kazakhstan Time.
Ecuador (2) : Ecuador observes two time zones, including Ecuador Time and Galapagos Time.
Netherlands (2) : The European part of the Netherlands follows Central European Time (CET).
Papua New Guinea (2) : Papua New Guinea operates on Papua New Guinea Time (PGT).
Portugal (2) – Portugal follows Western European Time (WET) but switches to Western European Summer Time (WEST) during daylight saving.
Mongolia (2) – Mongolia operates on Choibalsan Time and Ulaanbaatar Time.
Micronesia (2) – Micronesia covers Chuuk Time and Yap Time.

Rest of the countries in the world observe only one time zone.

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