Time Zone Maps

Time zones are regions of the world where people set their clocks to display the same time of day. This synchronization of time has many commercial, navigational, and social benefits.

By international agreement there are 24 time zones around the world. These 24 zones are shown in the accompanying time zone map. In each of these zones, 12:00 noon occurs at the approximate time of the solar mid-day. The actual solar noon occurs a little earlier in the east side of the time zone and a little later in the west. This variation is caused by Earth's rotation.

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