2006-07-12 13:38:25 · 6 answers · asked by reason4u2envy 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
China has one time Zone despite its vast territory.
Evidently the government of China decided that it didn't want to deal with different time zones, and it was able to impose this decision on the people. (I can't say, though, whether this arrangement was already in place before the Communists took power about 50 years ago.)
Looking at the map, I see that China covers a longitude range of about 60 degrees. A difference of 1 hour in time (one time zone, nominally) corresponds to 15 degrees of longitude, so China is about 4 time zones in width. If the time zone lines followed the lines of longitude, China would fall into 5 time zones. Instead they chose to have one.
The former Soviet Union covers a longitude range of about 165 degrees. It falls into 11 time zones naturally. The government moved the time-zone lines around quite a bit, but not enough to eliminate any.
Part of the reason that the former USSR covers 11 time zones is that it is so far north. It is not 11/4 times as wide as China; the time zones are narrower at latitudes closer to the poles. Still, the former USSR is a long way from east to west, more than in China.
You might think about what effect China's choice has on the people. If the sun reaches its highest point (astronomical noon) at 12:00 in Beijing, what is the time when the sun is highest in the westernmost parts of the country?
2006-07-12 13:48:06 · answer #1 · answered by nairb 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Last I heard, there is just one official time zone in China. But I guess there should be 4.
2006-07-12 13:44:07 · answer #2 · answered by genericman1998 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just one, the country is divided into 5 zones but all have the same time.
Time Zone Converter - Time Zone Help
Country: China (CN)
Time Zone
(click to show current time) Notes
Asia/Shanghai east China - Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, etc.
Asia/Harbin Heilongjiang
Asia/Chongqing central China - Gansu, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, etc.
Asia/Urumqi Tibet & most of Xinjiang Uyghur
Asia/Kashgar southwest Xinjiang Uyghur
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2006-07-12 13:56:32 · answer #3 · answered by DodgerBlueFan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amazingly, one!
This could be part of the ONE China policy.
:)
2006-07-12 16:08:32 · answer #4 · answered by ideaquest 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
believe it or not, there's only one time in China
2006-07-12 15:15:12 · answer #5 · answered by Rajan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Three, i guess
2006-07-12 13:42:21 · answer #6 · answered by Imtiaz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋