10 Bizarre Borders That Change The Time

Time zones are a necessary aspect of our global lives

As we zip around the world, the hours change to better align with where the sun is

It may sound pretty simple, but time zones can be pretty weird. In fact, there are time zones that don't seem to make a lot of sense

and there are far more time zones than you would expect. And it all starts with where the entire idea of time zones originated

Did you know that the idea of time zones hasn't been in existence for all that long

And that the location for where we determine what time it is, is actually located in a small town outside of London, England

The choice of Greenwich, England as the reference point for global timekeeping

stems from British influence and power during the 1800s. Greenwich, meantime, was established at the Prime Meridian

located at zero degrees longitude, which runs through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich

This decision was formalized in 1884 at the International Meridian Conference, where delegates from 25 nations convened to standardize global timekeeping and navigation

The primary reason for choosing Greenwich was Britain's maritime dominance during the era

British charts and navigation tools were widely used, and the Royal Navy played a pivotal role in global trade and exploration

By the late 1800s, most ships relied on Greenwich as a baseline for calculating longitude

making it a logical choice for international standardization. But also, geographically, Greenwich is conveniently located near the center of the world's land masses

making it an accessible reference point. Moreover, the British Empire's vast reach ensured that adopting GMT would have minimal resistance from its territories

This system laid the groundwork for the global time zone structure we use today

with GMT serving as the foundation for coordinated universal time, the system we use today

You might expect there to be just 24 time zones, one for each hour of the day

but there are actually 40 recognized time zones today. So why the extra zones

This discrepancy stems from geographic, political, and practical factors, showing that time zones are shaped more by human needs than by the Earth's rotation alone

For instance, some regions use half-hour or even 45-minute offsets instead of sticking to whole hours

And don't worry, we're going to talk about those. Local and national preferences often override the neat 24-hour system

leading countries and regions to adjust their time zones to better suit their specific needs

This results in a patchwork of time zones that can seem random and confusing

But of course, one of the most perplexing examples of time zones is the international dateline

The international dateline is a very weird aspect of global timekeeping. Unlike most time zone boundaries, which merely adjust the hour of the day

the international dateline completely changes the day you're in, which means if you cross it going east, you'll jump back a day

And if you cross it going west, you'll jump forward. The line roughly follows the 180th meridian

but makes significant deviations to avoid splitting countries or islands into different calendar days

For instance, the line takes a sharp detour eastward around Kiribati, placing some of its islands, like the Line Islands, a full 14 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time

effectively making them among the first places in the world to experience a new day

Another notable deviation occurs between the country of Samoa and American Samoa

Though they lie close together geographically they separated by the international dateline meaning they are nearly a full day apart in time This divide allows American Samoa to remain aligned with the United States in terms of business hours

while Samoa aligns itself more closely with trading partners in New Zealand and Australia

A similar experience exists between the Diomedi Islands, which are lovingly nicknamed Tomorrow Island and Yesterday Island because they have this exact same trait

Big Diomedi, or Tomorrow Island, is owned by Russia, and Little Diomedi, or Yesterday Island

is owned by the United States. Now, all that said, the practical application of this line

isn't nearly as severe as you might think. Moving across the line in either direction still only

changes the clock by a single hour, despite the date change. These examples are weird, I know

but did you know that there are places where time zones simply don't work

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Fuel your best performance with Huel today. Time functions differently at the North and South Poles

where the standard concept of hours and days break down. At these extreme latitudes, most time zones converge

making it theoretically possible to walk through every hour on the planet in a matter of minutes

Because of this unique phenomenon, it's actually kind of challenging to determine what time it is

as traditional longitude-based timekeeping becomes irrelevant. Adding to the complexity is the polar cycle of daylight and darkness

Both poles experience six months of continuous daylight followed by six months of darkness

meaning the usual markers of sunrise and sunset are absent for half the year

This further disconnects time from its natural cues, leaving researchers, explorers, and residents to adopt arbitrary time zones

At the South Pole, where Antarctica's Amundsen-Scott station is located, time is typically set to New Zealand's standard time, reflecting its logistical ties to New Zealand

Similarly, communities and bases in the Arctic often follow the time zone of the country to which they belong

As it turns out, the Poles have too many time zones, which is the complete opposite of another area of the planet that doesn't have enough time zones

China's decision to use a single time zone, despite its vast size

is a striking anomaly in global timekeeping. Spanning approximately 5,000 kilometers from east to west

the country geographically should have five time zones. However, since 1949, the entire country has operated on Beijing time, set at UTC plus 8

This decision was made to promote national unity and simplify administration. reflecting the centralizing policies of the government

Unfortunately, the practical implications of this policy are difficult, especially in the western regions like Xinjiang

There the sun can rise as late as 10 a in winter and set close to midnight in summer Locals often operate unofficially on a secondary time system known as Xinjiang time which is two hours behind Beijing time

This dual time arrangement creates a subtle yet persistent tension between the standardized national clock

and the realities of daily life. China's single time zone has also influenced its neighbors

Mongolia and parts of Russia have adjusted their time zones to align more closely with Beijing

underscoring China's regional influence. All that said, at least China's singular time zone exists at a full-hour offset

which is not the case for everyone. Most countries align their time zones in full-hour increments

from coordinated universal time, based in Greenwich, England. But a few, such as Iran, Afghanistan, India, and Myanmar

use half-hour offsets, creating a unique twist for time zones. This divergence often reflects historic, political, or geographic factors rather than a practical necessity

India's UTC plus 530 offset, for instance, dates back to the colonial era

British administrators chose this compromise between Calcutta's and Bombay's local times to unify the country under a single standard

Post-independence, India retained this half-hour offset to avoid aligning too closely with its neighbors and to establish a distinct identity

In Iran and Afghanistan, the offsets serve a similar purpose, reflecting a desire to emphasize national sovereignty and independence

Myanmar, set at UTC plus 630, follows a time zone introduced during the British colonial period but retained post-independence

These offsets are also influenced by geographic positioning. The need to balance local solar time with global synchronization often led to unconventional solutions

For countries near the edges of traditional time zones, half-hour increments provide a better fit for their daily rhythms

But there is a place where half an hour offset is even stranger

Central Australia uses a half-hour time zone, UTC plus 930, which is unusual since most countries use whole-hour offsets

This area includes South Australia, the Northern Territory, and a few other regions, balancing between the nearby UTC plus 8 and the UTC plus 10 time zones

This half-hour time zone is a practical solution for managing Central Australia's large and sparsely populated area

By using UTC plus 930, the region better matches the sun's schedule and daily activities

For example, sunrise and sunset times are more balanced, making daily routines more consistent throughout the year

Historically, this arrangement also reflects Australia's decentralized development. With each state and territory managing its own time zone decisions

Central Australia's offset represents a regional adaptation rather than a national mandate

Over time, it has become a defining characteristic of the region's identity

Now all that said, this isn't even Australia's weirdest time zone. Southern Australia features one of the world's most precise time zone quirks

a 45-minute offset. This time zone is specific to a small region, including the city of Eukla

and a stretch of the Nularbor Plain, situated between South Australia and Western Australia

Known as the unofficial Central Western Time Zone, this unusual offset is a practical adaptation to the region unique geography and isolation The decision to adopt this offset was driven by the need to balance local solar time with schedules of the surrounding regions Eucla is located between Western Australia and South Australia which have different time zones

And the town itself is about halfway between Perth and Adelaide. By using a 45-minute offset, the local time fits better with daylight hours and works well with both major cities

Now, all that said, this unofficial time zone is not recognized nationally, but rather is only used locally, especially by businesses and travelers passing through the Nuller-Borre Plain

It highlights the flexibility of timekeeping in sparsely populated and geographically distinct areas, where adhering to rigid national time zones may create inefficiencies

efficiencies. While Australia's 45-minute offset may be unofficial, there is a whole country that

uses this same incremental offset. Nepal's time zone, set at UTC plus 545, is one of the world's

most unusual offsets, standing out as a 45-minute deviation from standard time zones. This distinctive

choice reflects both the country's geographic positioning and its desire for a unique national

identity. Located between India and China, Nepal's offset is a practical compromise that aligns with

its solar patterns while distinguishing it from its powerful neighbors. The decision to adopt this

time zone was made in 1986, replacing an earlier standard of UTC plus 540. The five-minute adjustment

brought Nepal's official time closer to the international system while still retaining a

uniquely Nepali identity. Geographically, Nepal's positioning along the longitudinal middle of the

Indian subcontinent makes this offset logical in terms of local solar time. For a mountainous

country where daylight hours are crucial to daily life, aligning time more closely with sunrise and

sunset holds significant importance. Arizona's refusal to observe daylight savings time sets it

apart in the United States, creating a unique timekeeping quirk. While most of the country

shifts their clock forward an hour in spring and back in fall, Arizona remains on standard time

year-round. This decision means the state effectively jumps between Pacific time and mountain time, depending on the season, confusing visitors and creating logistical

challenges. The primary reason for Arizona's stance is its hot climate. Daylight saving time

extends evening daylight, which would mean longer, hotter evenings, a scenario most residents would

prefer to avoid. In 1968, the state opted out of the Uniform Time Act, which mandates daylight

saving time for participating states. Now, that said, the Navajo Nation, which spans parts of

Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, does observe daylight saving time, adding another layer of complexity

Meanwhile, the Hopi Reservation, which is completely surrounded by the Navajo Nation

does not, creating a confusing patchwork of timekeeping practices within the state

All that said, time simply doesn't get any weirder within the United States than it does in Arizona

Time zones are very important, but that doesn't mean individual countries and states

won't play around with them to better suit their needs, either politically or practically

And because of this, we have ended up with all of these areas where time just gets weird. Hey, speaking of a good time

be sure to check out my recent travel to Joshua Tree National Park to find out why it is, in my

opinion, the best place to do some stargazing. I hope you enjoyed learning more about time zones

If you did, maybe you'd like this video all about Svalbard. Thanks for watching. See you next time