When you think of a country sprawling across many time zones, you likely imagine giants like Russia or the United States. But it’s actually France a country wedged principally into Western Europe that sets the world record with an astonishing 12 time zones, sometimes with 13.
That status is a direct result of its overseas territories, which ensure that, somewhere in the French Republic, the clock is always striking a different hour.
Why France has Various Time Zones
Everything is huge about the time zones of France, from nearly all parts of the planet. Where the heart of France Metropolitan France uses Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), its dependencies extend from the vast expanses of the South Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.
For example, the time in French Polynesia in the Pacific runs on Tahiti Time (UTC-10), or 12 hours behind that of Paris. On the other hand, the islands of Wallis & Futuna, also lying in the South Pacific, operate on UTC+12, keeping them 10 hours ahead of Paris.
This huge difference, amounting to 22 hours, explains why France has so many time zones to keep its different parts around the world in communication with each other.
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The Full French Time Zone Roster
Standard time zones in France total 12, which is nearly every segment of the global clock. Starting from the far west, they include Tahiti Time (UTC-10) and Marquesas Time (UTC-9:30).
Continuing to the east, they include the Atlantic regions: Atlantic Standard Time (UTC-4) and French Guiana Time (UTC-3). In the eastern hemisphere, these would extend to Eastern Africa Time at UTC+3, Réunion Time at UTC+4, and French Southern and Antarctic Time at UTC+5.
This worldwide roster briefly jumps to 13 total zones when Daylight Saving Time is in effect in the small Atlantic island territory of Saint Pierre & Miquelon, which shifts to UTC-2.
Why Does France Lead the World in Official Time Zones?
With a dozen time zones, France easily bests the competition among geographically vast nations. The United States and Russia share second place, each with 11 time zones.
While Russia spans an enormous distance east to west on a single continent, and the US reaches from the Caribbean to the Pacific, neither manages to cross the International Date Line and encompass as many official time zones as the French Republic and its far-flung territories.
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