How many time zones are there in the world?

The world is typically divided into 24 time zones, which correspond to the 24 hours in a day. This division is based on the Earth's rotation, where every hour represents a geographical area of 15 degrees of longitude. Each time zone reflects one hour's difference in mean solar time. While there are 24 standard time zones, it's important to note that local variations, such as Daylight Saving Time or regions that may choose a different offset, can create additional discrepancies, but this principle holds for the fundamental structure of time zones globally.

In practice, coordinates such as GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) serve as reference points for these time zones, confirming that 24 standard units exist to accommodate the Earth's rotation and standardize timekeeping. Therefore, identifying 24 as the number of time zones is rooted in the basic understanding of global geography and the science of timekeeping.