Timezones in French Polynesia
There are 3 different timezones in French Polynesia. Countries with a large distance from west to east are often devided into two or more timezones to adjust daytimes to the position of the sun. Timezones are always computed relative to UTC, the "Universal Time Coordinated".In French Polynesia, there is a time difference of one hour between the east and the west. French Polynesia has no time difference between summer and winter. A daylight saving time doesn't exist.
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Current time in Tahiti:
00:00
May 2023
Timezones by region
| Region | UTC | Standard time | Daylight saving time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gambier | -9 | Gambier Time (GAMT) | none |
| Marquesas | -9.5 | Marquesas Time (MART) | none |
| Tahiti | -10 | Tahiti Time (TAHT) | none |
No daylight saving time in French Polynesia
Due to the sun's orbit around the equator, the days are longer in summer (November to February in the southern hemisphere). Countries that switch to daylight saving time in the summer months align the daylight phase with the human rhythm. Unused bright morning hours are thus shifted into the evening (more information on daylight saving time here).Due to the relative proximity to the equator, the impact in French Polynesia is not particularly large. Papeete is only 1,950 km from the equator. A day in midsummer would then not last from 05:20 to 18:33, but from 06:20 to 19:33. The effect would be quite noticeable in the evening, but the sun rising later in the morning falls at a time when many people are already awake. Thus, daylight saving time was never introduced in French Polynesia.
Times for sunrise and sunset in French Polynesia
All Countries with DST
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