The Country That Has The Most Time Zones In The World (And It's Not The US)

Some countries have multiple time zones by virtue of their size, like Russia, which measures 5,600 miles east to west and boasts 10 time zones in one contiguous country. That's the most time zones in a single landmass, plus one more in an off-shore province. Australia, which is its own continent, has eight, with a couple of quirky 45- and 30-minute offsets. And if you drive from one coast of the U.S. to the other, you'll have to tweak your watch four times on the trip. But none of these countries has the most time zones.

Factors like history, colonization, and politics have crowned France as the world's time-zone champion with a whopping 12 time zones. If you find that hard to believe, get this: All of mainland France, from quiet coastal town Yport in the north to the overlooked gem of Marseilles in the south, resides in one singular time zone, Central European Time. The other 11 come from dependencies like French Polynesia, which houses three time zones across an archipelago of 118 islands. Also, if you accept France's land claim in Antarctica, that brings the country's time-zone total to 13.

The history behind how France came to gather and govern so many dependencies is complicated and difficult, the result of around 400 years of imperialism and colonization circumnavigating the globe from South America and the Caribbean to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The time zones aren't all in France itself, but in these satellite territories. In Martinique, a volcanic beach-ringed Caribbean destination that observes Atlantic Standard Time, travelers can see how the French have inspired their characteristic architecture, Creole cooking, and Carnival celebrations. Time also stands still on the breathtaking yet under-the-radar Îles des Saintes islands, perfect for laidback snorkeling days with sea turtles and rare fish, and Tourment D'amour, a fruit-filled baked delicacy.

While visiting French Polynesia — which follows Tahiti Time, Marquesas Time, and Gambier Time — you'll find headliner destinations like Tahiti and Bora Bora as well as atolls like Rangiroa, a vast tropical aquarium of untouched marine life. Clipperton Island follows Easter Island Standard Time, French Guiana and Saint Pierre and Miquelon have their own time zones, and Mayotte observes Eastern Africa Time. That brings the time-zone total to nine, plus Reunion Time for Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean; New Caledonia Time; and French Southern and Antarctic Time for the Antarctic territories if you're counting those. Ten to 11 hours separate mainland France and its farthest flung territory, Wallis and Futuna in the South Pacific, which also has its own time zone.