Which country has the most time zones?

France has the most time zones of any country, with 12 across its territory and overseas possessions. Counting France’s claim in Antarctica produces a total of 13, though standard rankings usually exclude Antarctic claims.

The reason is France’s far-flung overseas territories. Metropolitan France uses Central European Time, while places such as French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Réunion, Mayotte, New Caledonia, and French Guiana lie in widely separated parts of the world. Together, they stretch across nearly every major longitude.

A common mix-up is Russia, which has the most contiguous time zones within one connected mainland: 11. The United States also spans many zones when Alaska, Hawaii, and its territories are included, but it still ranks behind France under the usual country-by-country count. France’s answer depends on including overseas territories, not just the European mainland.