The various time zones are simply designated by the hourly difference between UTC. It is the standard by which all the world timing systems have adopted, synchronizing their local clocks with it. And contrary to what is generally believed, UTC is not a time zone. The Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is so-called since it has become the standard by which all the time zones are based. The GMT is especially used by many African countries, in the UK (winter season) and in Western Europe. Although the GMT is not considered a standard anymore, it still belongs to one of the 24 time zones of the world. It’s like grouping areas that are in daylight together.Īll time zones are now regulated after Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC), which in 1972 became the world’s time standard replacing the GMT. Different parts of the world enter and exit daylight at different times, so splitting the world into 24 time zones makes a lot of sense. There is no difference in time, even if the countries are thousands of miles apart. at the Greenwich Observatory.Īll countries and cities in a time zone observe the same time. This means that when it is noon in the Eastern time zone, then the time is 5 p.m. The Eastern time zone in the United States is designated GMT-5. The time at the Greenwich Meridian is known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This point is known as the Greenwich Meridian or Prime Meridian. It is important to note that all time zones are measured from a starting point centered at England’s Greenwich Observatory. To have an idea of how they are related: when it is noon in the Eastern time zone, it is 11 a.m. They include the Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific. This will make all the people within a particular time zone set their clock the same way.įor instance, in the United States, there are four time zones. In this system, the world is divided into 24 15-degree sections and clocks are set according to each time zone, with each time zone having a difference of one hour to the next zone. It was then agreed that a system of multiple time zones be adopted. If we have just one time zone, it would not be possible because the Earth rotates 15 degrees every hour. The ideal situation is to have the sun at its highest point in the sky when it is noon, that is when crossing the meridian. To coordinate a time and to help people, industries, governments, and businesses, the Earth was split into 24 time zones. Because the Earth rotates, various countries observe noon at different hours throughout the day. It would be impossible because the Earth is a rotating sphere, and only half of it faces the Sun during the day. You are probably aware that not all countries on Earth observe noon at the same time.

And top it all off, you’ll also find a list of fun facts about time zones towards the end of this article.įirst things first: you are probably wondering what a time zone really is. It may sound confusing at first, but understanding how time zones work and when do countries switch to Daylight Saving Time makes it easier to figure out. Curious fact: it is important to note that these countries and cities are not in the EDT time zone all year round, because some of them observe Daylight Saving Time, which means they enter another time zone during the summer months. In addition, we will list the most important countries and the major cities that are in EDT to make it easier. So, let’s take a look at what the EDT time zone is and how it relates to the other time zones on Earth. Just think about it: if you are based in, say, London, Paris, or Madrid, but you work or communicate with someone who lives in a city that observes the Eastern Daylight Time, you’ll need to know exactly what time is it over there to make sure you don’t call the other person at odd hours. They greatly influence social and commercial activity and have an influence over military communications and operations. The reality is that time zones are extremely important to everyone, whether we realize it or not.

However, how much do you know about time zone differences, and how did scientists come up with time zones in the first place? And, where does the EDT – Eastern Daylight – time zone stand in all of this? Of course, everyone knows what time zone they are in. They don’t know much about the different time zones in the world. Many people don’t understand the concept of a time zone.

Edt time zone