Kiribati time zone history
Kiribati has 3 zones of its own in the tz database. Standard times run from UTC+12 (Tarawa) to UTC+14 (Kiritimati), a spread of 2 hours. The Kiritimati zone has changed standard time most often since 1970: twice.
The 3 zones of Kiribati since 1970
Zones at a glance
| Zone | Area covered | Standard time | Clock changes today | New standard times since 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiritimati | Line Islands | UTC+14 | no | 2 |
| Kanton Island | Phoenix Islands | UTC+13 | no | 2 |
| Tarawa | Gilbert Islands | UTC+12 | no | 0 |
What sets each zone apart
- Kiritimati: The largest single move came on December 31, 1994, when clocks went forward 24 hours, from UTC−10 to UTC+14. At UTC+14, its standard time is the furthest ahead of UTC of all 312 zones.
- Kanton Island: The largest single move came on December 31, 1994, when clocks went forward 24 hours, from UTC−11 to UTC+13. Mean solar time at Kanton Island is about UTC−11:27, so the clock on UTC+13 runs a calendar day ahead of the sun, plus 27 minutes.
- Tarawa: The zone’s clock record is used in 5 countries and territories today.
How the zones compare with Tarawa since 1970
- Kanton Island: usually 1 hour ahead of Tarawa; different on 9,130 days in 1970–1994.
- Kiritimati: usually 2 hours ahead of Tarawa; different on 9,130 days in 1970–1994.
Every change of standard time since 1970
4 changes across the 3 zones, oldest first.
- October 1, 1979 Kanton Island: UTC−12 to UTC−11
- October 1, 1979 Kiritimati: UTC−10:40 to UTC−10
- December 31, 1994 Kanton Island: UTC−11 to UTC+13
- December 31, 1994 Kiritimati: UTC−10 to UTC+14