How many time zones are there in the world?

zbeckabee

In 1878, Canadian Sir Sanford Fleming proposed the system of worldwide time zones that we use today. He recommended that the world be divided into twenty-four time zones, each spaced 15 degrees of longitude apart. Since the earth rotates once every 24 hours and there are 360 degrees of longitude, each hour the earth rotates one-twenty-fourth of a circle or 15 degrees of longitude. Sir Fleming's time zones were heralded as a brilliant solution to a chaotic problem worldwide. http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/timezones.htm http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/ Jan 12 08, 1:16 PM

queproblema

Dividing the world into 24 equal geographically-based time zones was a smart idea, but didn't take into account political boundaries or human preferences. I did some research last year on this in conjunction with a study on the impact railroads have had in the US. First in England, and then in the US, time zones were established because of the railroad's need for more exact scheduling. ZB's second list gives some 87 different zones, if I counted correctly, which I may not have. (Counting isn't my favorite hobby.) This following link goes to a list of 37 distinct zones formed by dividing up zones C, D, E, F, H, I, K, L, M, Q, and P into half- and even quarter-hour zones. This is without mentioning the chaos created each summer when parts of the globe are on Daylight Saving Time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_time_zones Jan 12 08, 5:23 PM

JesLewis

25... I live in Newfoundland. It's a half hour off Caracas and a half hour off Buenos Aires, it is the 25th Jun 23 09, 10:43 PM