It used to be said that Russia was the country with the largest number of time zones.

This was updated recently to France having the largest number of time zones.
12 time zones for France
11 time zones for Russia
11 time zones for United States
…
9 time zones for Australia

The 12 time zones for France are a bit of a cheat. So if you’re going to cheat you may as well do it properly.

The 12 for France are https://www.timeanddate.com/time/zone/france

The “bit of a cheat” is Clipperton Island, which is hardly a major French dependency. From Wikipedia “Clipperton Island, also known as Clipperton Atoll and previously referred to as Clipperton’s Rock, is an 8.9 km2 (3.4 sq mi) uninhabited French coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The only French territory in the North Pacific.”

The same source gives 9 time zones for Australia https://www.timeanddate.com/time/zone/australia

Well, if they’re going to cheat by including Clipperton Atoll for France, then they’d better also include Heard Island for Australia. After all, it does contain Australia’s highest mountain.

Then there is Australia’s Antarctic territory. There are three Australian Bases in Artarctica, Casey, Davis and Mawson.

“According to the Australian Antarctic Division, clocks in Casey Station will be turned 3 hours back to UTC+8 at 4 am (04:00) Hobart Time. Residents of Davis Station will advance their clocks 2 hours to UTC+7 at 7am (07:00) Hobart Time. There are currently about 20 people living in Casey Station. The population of Davis Station ranges from 20 (winter) to 70 (summer). Both stations are maintained by the Australian Antarctic Division.”

“The Casey station is now 11 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time, or UCT+11, while the Davis and Mawson station are now on UTC+5. Macquarie Island station, which is the fourth station, has not changed its time zone. It is on UTC+10 when it does not observe daylight saving time (DST) and UTC+11 when it is on DST.”

And if I’m going that far, what about the rest of Australian Antarctic territory. Antarctica has 10 official time zones.
Time zones at Antarctic stations do not necessarily match those of the Antarctic sector in which they sit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Antarctica

So, given Antarctic territory claims of Australia, France and the USA and the Russian Antarctic bases. How many time zones are there for France, Russia, USA and Australia?

And on the other end of the scale, China has one official timezone.

Seems stretching things a little far to assign time zones to little rocks in the ocean without any inhabitants to need to know what the time is.

OTOH, all the Antarctic time zones should certainly be counted if they have regular inhabitants.

buffy said:

And on the other end of the scale, China has one official timezone.

I’m in my own time zone. 16 minutes later than EST and 14 minutes earlier than SA time.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

And on the other end of the scale, China has one official timezone.

I’m in my own time zone. 16 minutes later than EST and 14 minutes earlier than SA time.

I prefer Bali’s elastic time.

don’t see the logic of including DST in the list.

Boris said:

don’t see the logic of including DST in the list.

The DST fans bring in DST then complain that there are too many time zones.

Tamb said:

Boris said:

don’t see the logic of including DST in the list.

The DST fans bring in DST then complain that there are too many time zones.

I’m not a fan but I do have to accept it against my will.

The UK must have a few…

dv said:

The UK must have a few…

The overseas territories and crown dependencies of the UK bring the total to 9 time zones.

dv said:

The UK must have a few…

It’s a narrow North South country so only one time zone including both Irelands.

roughbarked said:

dv said:

The UK must have a few…

The overseas territories and crown dependencies of the UK bring the total to 9 time zones.

They are, in effect different countries with their own local time.
At the height of the British Empire they had 24 time zones.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Seems stretching things a little far to assign time zones to little rocks in the ocean without any inhabitants to need to know what the time is.

OTOH, all the Antarctic time zones should certainly be counted if they have regular inhabitants.

I have the opinion that little rocks in the ocean should have inhabitants to be eligible for a time zone.

Tau.Neutrino said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Seems stretching things a little far to assign time zones to little rocks in the ocean without any inhabitants to need to know what the time is.

OTOH, all the Antarctic time zones should certainly be counted if they have regular inhabitants.

I have the opinion that little rocks in the ocean should have inhabitants to be eligible for a time zone.

Not really. If it is to have any scientific significance, then one needs to know what time it is at the given location and there are the nautical reasons of knowing which rocks not to run into and as a point of reference in navigation.

Tamb said:

dv said:

The UK must have a few…

It’s a narrow North South country so only one time zone including both Irelands.

The UK has territory across the globe

dv said:

Tamb said:

dv said:

The UK must have a few…

It’s a narrow North South country so only one time zone including both Irelands.

The UK has territory across the globe

Territory but not the UK.
Using your logic the northern territory should be on Canberra time.

dv said:

Tamb said:

dv said:

The UK must have a few…

It’s a narrow North South country so only one time zone including both Irelands.

The UK has territory across the globe

are they the pink bits?

Boris said:

SCIENCE said:

Feels like November here.

what timezone are you in?

Tamb said:

dv said:

Tamb said:

It’s a narrow North South country so only one time zone including both Irelands.

The UK has territory across the globe

Territory but not the UK.
Using your logic the northern territory should be on Canberra time.

Huh? How do you figure?

Boris said:

dv said:

Tamb said:

It’s a narrow North South country so only one time zone including both Irelands.

The UK has territory across the globe

are they the pink bits?

14 overseas territories, 3 crown dependencies.

roughbarked said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Seems stretching things a little far to assign time zones to little rocks in the ocean without any inhabitants to need to know what the time is.

OTOH, all the Antarctic time zones should certainly be counted if they have regular inhabitants.

I have the opinion that little rocks in the ocean should have inhabitants to be eligible for a time zone.

Not really. If it is to have any scientific significance, then one needs to know what time it is at the given location and there are the nautical reasons of knowing which rocks not to run into and as a point of reference in navigation.

Do ships follow their own time zone or their own countries time zone?

Tau.Neutrino said:

roughbarked said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

I have the opinion that little rocks in the ocean should have inhabitants to be eligible for a time zone.

Not really. If it is to have any scientific significance, then one needs to know what time it is at the given location and there are the nautical reasons of knowing which rocks not to run into and as a point of reference in navigation.

Do ships follow their own time zone or their own countries time zone?

they adjust their clocks to suit the time zone they are in. navigation is done using UTC, GMT successor.

Boris said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

roughbarked said:

Not really. If it is to have any scientific significance, then one needs to know what time it is at the given location and there are the nautical reasons of knowing which rocks not to run into and as a point of reference in navigation.

Do ships follow their own time zone or their own countries time zone?

they adjust their clocks to suit the time zone they are in. navigation is done using UTC, GMT successor.

This.