Which country spans the greatest number of time zones?

France spans the greatest number of time zones because of its overseas territories.

France uses 12 standard time zones, or 13 during part of the year when Saint Pierre and Miquelon observes daylight saving time. Metropolitan France occupies one zone, while territories are scattered across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.

This record is based on the country’s sovereign territories, not the contiguous mainland. Russia spans eleven time zones across its continuous territory, so it is often mistakenly named as the global leader.

France’s overseas areas include French Guiana in South America, Réunion in the Indian Ocean, and French Polynesia in the Pacific. These distant territories explain the country’s unusual geographic reach.