Timezones

When it is noon in Rio de Janeiro, it is midnight in Tokyo. The reason for this is that we divide the Earth into different time zones. Within each zone, people set their clock for the same time. If someone is traveling 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 different timezones, separated by one-hour intervals with each 15 degrees longitude. The zones measured according to the Greenwich Mean Time used as the starting meridian, that measured in 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

Some countries change their clock in the summer. In Britain, for example, everyone sets their clocks one hour ahead. This is called daylight saving time – one way to give people an extra day of sunshine in the evening. With summertime, countries reduce energy consumption because people use less electricity for lighting.

Changing dates

On the opposite side of the Earth to the starting meridian, there is a date-line that 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 current time for and click to view time zone and your actual time details.



 
 

Scroll with your mouse to zoom, or use zoom buttons on the left side of the map. For Google Street View pull that small yellow man from the left side on the map.

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 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 is resulting 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.

Timezones of the world

AbbreviationFull nameLocationTimezone
AAlpha Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 1 hour
ACDTAustralian Central Daylight TimeAustraliaUTC + 10:30 hours
ACSTAustralian Central Standard TimeAustraliaUTC + 9:30 hours
ADTAtlantic Daylight TimeAtlanticUTC – 3 hours
ADTAtlantic Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
AEDTAustralian Eastern Daylight TimeAustraliaUTC + 11 hours
AESTAustralian Eastern Standard TimeAustraliaUTC + 10 hours
AFTAfghanistan TimeAsiaUTC + 4:30 hours
AKDTAlaska Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 8 hours
AKSTAlaska Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 9 hours
ALMTAlma-Ata TimeAsiaUTC + 6 hours
AMSTArmenia Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 5 hours
AMSTAmazon Summer TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
AMTArmenia TimeAsiaUTC + 4 hours
AMTAmazon TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
ANASTAnadyr Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 12 hours
ANATAnadyr TimeAsiaUTC + 12 hours
AQTTAqtobe TimeAsiaUTC + 5 hours
ARTArgentina TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
ASTArabia Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 3 hours
ASTAtlantic Standard TimeAtlanticUTC – 4 hours
ASTAtlantic Standard TimeCaribbeanUTC – 4 hours
ASTAtlantic Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
AWDTAustralian Western Daylight TimeAustraliaUTC + 9 hours
AWSTAustralian Western Standard TimeAustraliaUTC + 8 hours
AZOSTAzores Summer TimeAtlanticUTC
AZOTAzores TimeAtlanticUTC – 1 hour
AZSTAzerbaijan Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 5 hours
AZTAzerbaijan TimeAsiaUTC + 4 hours
BBravo Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 2 hours
BNTBrunei Darussalam TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
BOTBolivia TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
BRSTBrasilia Summer TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 2 hours
BRTBrasília timeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
BSTBangladesh Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 6 hours
BSTBritish Summer TimeEuropeUTC + 1 hour
BTTBhutan TimeAsiaUTC + 6 hours
CCharlie Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 3 hours
CASTCasey TimeAntarcticaUTC + 8 hours
CATCentral Africa TimeAfricaUTC + 2 hours
CCTCocos Islands TimeIndian OceanUTC + 6:30 hours
CDTCuba Daylight TimeCaribbeanUTC – 4 hours
CDTCentral Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 5 hours
CESTCentral European Summer TimeEuropeUTC + 2 hours
CETCentral European TimeAfricaUTC + 1 hour
CETCentral European TimeEuropeUTC + 1 hour
CHADTChatham Island Daylight TimePacificUTC + 13:45 hours
CHASTChatham Island Standard TimePacificUTC + 12:45 hours
CKTCook Island TimePacificUTC – 10 hours
CLSTChile Summer TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
CLTChile Standard TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
COTColombia TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 5 hours
CSTChina Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
CSTCentral Standard TimeCentral AmericaUTC – 6 hours
CSTCuba Standard TimeCaribbeanUTC – 5 hours
CSTCentral Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 6 hours
CVTCape Verde TimeAfricaUTC – 1 hour
CXTChristmas Island TimeAustraliaUTC + 7 hours
ChSTChamorro Standard TimePacificUTC + 10 hours
DDelta Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 4 hours
DAVTDavis TimeAntarcticaUTC + 7 hours
EEcho Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 5 hours
EASSTEaster Island Summer TimePacificUTC – 5 hours
EASTEaster Island Standard TimePacificUTC – 6 hours
EATEastern Africa TimeAfricaUTC + 3 hours
EATEast Africa TimeIndian OceanUTC + 3 hours
ECTEcuador TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 5 hours
EDTEastern Daylight TimeCaribbeanUTC – 4 hours
EDTEastern Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
EDTEastern Daylight TimePacificUTC + 11 hours
EESTEastern European Summer TimeAfricaUTC + 3 hours
EESTEastern European Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 3 hours
EESTEastern European Summer TimeEuropeUTC + 3 hours
EETEastern European TimeAfricaUTC + 2 hours
EETEastern European TimeAsiaUTC + 2 hours
EETEastern European TimeEuropeUTC + 2 hours
EGSTEastern Greenland Summer TimeNorth AmericaUTC
EGTEast Greenland TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 1 hour
ESTEastern Standard TimeCentral AmericaUTC – 5 hours
ESTEastern Standard TimeCaribbeanUTC – 5 hours
ESTEastern Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 5 hours
ETTiempo del EsteCentral AmericaUTC – 5 hours
ETTiempo del EsteCaribbeanUTC – 5 hours
ETTiempo Del EsteNorth AmericaUTC – 5 hours
FFoxtrot Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 6 hours
FJSTFiji Summer TimePacificUTC + 13 hours
FJTFiji TimePacificUTC + 12 hours
FKSTFalkland Islands Summer TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
FKTFalkland Island TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
FNTFernando de Noronha TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 2 hours
GGolf Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 7 hours
GALTGalapagos TimePacificUTC – 6 hours
GAMTGambier TimePacificUTC – 9 hours
GETGeorgia Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 4 hours
GFTFrench Guiana TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
GILTGilbert Island TimePacificUTC + 12 hours
GMTGreenwich Mean TimeAfricaUTC
GMTGreenwich Mean TimeEuropeUTC
GSTGulf Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 4 hours
GYTGuyana TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
HHotel Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 8 hours
HAAHeure Avancée de l’AtlantiqueAtlanticUTC – 3 hours
HAAHeure Avancée de l’AtlantiqueNorth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
HACHeure Avancée du CentreNorth AmericaUTC – 5 hours
HADTHawaii-Aleutian Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 9 hours
HAEHeure Avancée de l’EstCaribbeanUTC – 4 hours
HAEHeure Avancée de l’EstNorth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
HAPHeure Avancée du PacifiqueNorth AmericaUTC – 7 hours
HARHeure Avancée des RocheusesNorth AmericaUTC – 6 hours
HASTHawaii-Aleutian Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 10 hours
HATHeure Avancée de Terre-NeuveNorth AmericaUTC – 2:30 hours
HAYHeure Avancée du YukonNorth AmericaUTC – 8 hours
HKTHong Kong TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
HLVHora Legal de VenezuelaSouth AmericaUTC – 4:30 hours
HNAHeure Normale de l’AtlantiqueAtlanticUTC – 4 hours
HNAHeure Normale de l’AtlantiqueCaribbeanUTC – 4 hours
HNAHeure Normale de l’AtlantiqueNorth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
HNCHeure Normale du CentreCentral AmericaUTC – 6 hours
HNCHeure Normale du CentreNorth AmericaUTC – 6 hours
HNEHeure Normale de l’EstCentral AmericaUTC – 5 hours
HNEHeure Normale de l’EstCaribbeanUTC – 5 hours
HNEHeure Normale de l’EstNorth AmericaUTC – 5 hours
HNPHeure Normale du PacifiqueNorth AmericaUTC – 8 hours
HNRHeure Normale des RocheusesNorth AmericaUTC – 7 hours
HNTHeure Normale de Terre-NeuveNorth AmericaUTC – 3:30 hours
HNYHeure Normale du YukonNorth AmericaUTC – 9 hours
HOVTHovd TimeAsiaUTC + 7 hours
IIndia Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 9 hours
ICTIndochina TimeAsiaUTC + 7 hours
IDTIsrael Daylight TimeAsiaUTC + 3 hours
IOTIndian Chagos TimeIndian OceanUTC + 6 hours
IRDTIran Daylight TimeAsiaUTC + 4:30 hours
IRKSTIrkutsk Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 9 hours
IRKTIrkutsk TimeAsiaUTC + 9 hours
IRSTIran Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 3:30 hours
ISTIsrael Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 2 hours
ISTIndia Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 5:30 hours
ISTIrish Standard TimeEuropeUTC + 1 hour
JSTJapan Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 9 hours
KKilo Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 10 hours
KGTKyrgyzstan TimeAsiaUTC + 6 hours
KRASTKrasnoyarsk Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
KRATKrasnoyarsk TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
KSTKorea Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 9 hours
KUYTKuybyshev TimeEuropeUTC + 4 hours
LLima Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 11 hours
LHDTLord Howe Daylight TimeAustraliaUTC + 11 hours
LHSTLord Howe Standard TimeAustraliaUTC + 10:30 hours
LINTLine Islands TimePacificUTC + 14 hours
MMike Time ZoneMilitaryUTC + 12 hours
MAGSTMagadan Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 12 hours
MAGTMagadan TimeAsiaUTC + 12 hours
MARTMarquesas TimePacificUTC – 9:30 hours
MAWTMawson TimeAntarcticaUTC + 5 hours
MDTMountain Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 6 hours
MESZMitteleuropäische SommerzeitEuropeUTC + 2 hours
MEZMitteleuropäische ZeitAfricaUTC + 1 hour
MHTMarshall Islands TimePacificUTC + 12 hours
MMTMyanmar TimeAsiaUTC + 6:30 hours
MSDMoscow Daylight TimeEuropeUTC + 4 hours
MSKMoscow Standard TimeEuropeUTC + 4 hours
MSTMountain Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 7 hours
MUTMauritius TimeAfricaUTC + 4 hours
MVTMaldives TimeAsiaUTC + 5 hours
MYTMalaysia TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
NNovember Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 1 hour
NCTNew Caledonia TimePacificUTC + 11 hours
NDTNewfoundland Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 2:30 hours
NFTNorfolk TimeAustraliaUTC + 11:30 hours
NOVSTNovosibirsk Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 7 hours
NOVTNovosibirsk TimeAsiaUTC + 6 hours
NPTNepal TimeAsiaUTC + 5:45 hours
NSTNewfoundland Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 3:30 hours
NUTNiue TimePacificUTC – 11 hours
NZDTNew Zealand Daylight TimeAntarcticaUTC + 13 hours
NZDTNew Zealand Daylight TimePacificUTC + 13 hours
NZSTNew Zealand Standard TimeAntarcticaUTC + 12 hours
NZSTNew Zealand Standard TimePacificUTC + 12 hours
OOscar Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 2 hours
OMSSTOmsk Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 7 hours
OMSTOmsk Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 7 hours
PPapa Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 3 hours
PDTPacific Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 7 hours
PETPeru TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 5 hours
PETSTKamchatka Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 12 hours
PETTKamchatka TimeAsiaUTC + 12 hours
PGTPapua New Guinea TimePacificUTC + 10 hours
PHOTPhoenix Island TimePacificUTC + 13 hours
PHTPhilippine TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
PKTPakistan Standard TimeAsiaUTC + 5 hours
PMDTPierre & Miquelon Daylight TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 2 hours
PMSTPierre & Miquelon Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
PONTPohnpei Standard TimePacificUTC + 11 hours
PSTPacific Standard TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 8 hours
PSTPitcairn Standard TimePacificUTC – 8 hours
PTTiempo del PacíficoNorth AmericaUTC – 8 hours
PWTPalau TimePacificUTC + 9 hours
PYSTParaguay Summer TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
PYTParaguay TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 4 hours
QQuebec Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 4 hours
RRomeo Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 5 hours
RETReunion TimeAfricaUTC + 4 hours
SSierra Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 6 hours
SAMTSamara TimeEuropeUTC + 4 hours
SASTSouth Africa Standard TimeAfricaUTC + 2 hours
SBTSolomon IslandsTimePacificUTC + 11 hours
SCTSeychelles TimeAfricaUTC + 4 hours
SGTSingapore TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
SRTSuriname TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
SSTSamoa Standard TimePacificUTC – 11 hours
TTango Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 7 hours
TAHTTahiti TimePacificUTC – 10 hours
TFTFrench Southern and Antarctic TimeIndian OceanUTC + 5 hours
TJTTajikistan TimeAsiaUTC + 5 hours
TKTTokelau TimePacificUTC + 13 hours
TLTEast Timor TimeAsiaUTC + 9 hours
TMTTurkmenistan TimeAsiaUTC + 5 hours
TVTTuvalu TimePacificUTC + 12 hours
UUniform Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 8 hours
ULATUlaanbaatar TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
UTCUniversal Time CoordinatedUniversalUTC
UYSTUruguay Summer TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 2 hours
UYTUruguay TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
UZTUzbekistan TimeAsiaUTC + 5 hours
VVictor Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 9 hours
VETVenezuelan Standard TimeSouth AmericaUTC – 4:30 hours
VLASTVladivostok Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 11 hours
VLATVladivostok TimeAsiaUTC + 11 hours
VUTVanuatu TimePacificUTC + 11 hours
WWhiskey Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 10 hours
WASTWest Africa Summer TimeAfricaUTC + 2 hours
WATWest Africa TimeAfricaUTC + 1 hour
WESTWestern European Summer TimeAfricaUTC + 1 hour
WESTWestern European Summer TimeEuropeUTC + 1 hour
WESZWesteuropäische SommerzeitAfricaUTC + 1 hour
WETWestern European TimeAfricaUTC
WETWestern European TimeEuropeUTC
WEZWesteuropäische ZeitEuropeUTC
WFTWallis and Futuna TimePacificUTC + 12 hours
WGSTWestern Greenland Summer TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 2 hours
WGTWest Greenland TimeNorth AmericaUTC – 3 hours
WIBWestern Indonesian TimeAsiaUTC + 7 hours
WITEastern Indonesian TimeAsiaUTC + 9 hours
WITACentral Indonesian TimeAsiaUTC + 8 hours
WSTWestern Sahara Summer TimeAfricaUTC + 1 hour
WSTWest Samoa TimePacificUTC + 13 hours
WTWestern Sahara Standard TimeAfricaUTC
XX-ray Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 11 hours
YYankee Time ZoneMilitaryUTC – 12 hours
YAKSTYakutsk Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 10 hours
YAKTYakutsk TimeAsiaUTC + 10 hours
YAPTYap TimePacificUTC + 10 hours
YEKSTYekaterinburg Summer TimeAsiaUTC + 6 hours
YEKTYekaterinburg TimeAsiaUTC + 6 hours
ZZulu Time ZoneMilitaryUTC