The Most Curious Time Zones in the World

Not all time zones follow the rule of whole hours. Some countries adopt differences of 30 or even 45 minutes, creating quite curious situations.

1. India (GMT+5:30)

Despite being the 7th largest country in the world, all of India uses a single time zone: GMT+5:30. This means that when it's noon in London, it's 5:30 PM in India. With 1.4 billion people, it's the most populous time zone on the planet.

2. Nepal (GMT+5:45)

Nepal is one of the few countries with a 45-minute time zone. GMT+5:45 was chosen to differentiate from neighboring India and corresponds to the mean solar time of the capital, Kathmandu.

3. China — One zone for everything

China is as large as the USA (which has 6 time zones), but uses only one: GMT+8 (Beijing Time). This means that in Xinjiang, in the far west, the sun rises around 10 AM.

4. Chatham Islands, New Zealand (GMT+12:45)

The Chatham Islands are 800 km from New Zealand and use GMT+12:45, one of the most unusual time zones in the world. They are always 45 minutes ahead of the rest of New Zealand.

5. International Date Line

The International Date Line (longitude 180°) is where one day ends and another begins. Kiribati, in the Pacific, adjusted its time zones so that the entire country would be on the same day, creating the GMT+14 zone — the most advanced in the world.

Bonus fact: Mars!

NASA engineers who control rovers on Mars work on 'Martian time.' A day on Mars (called a 'sol') lasts 24 hours and 37 minutes. Imagine adjusting your clock by 37 minutes every day!