Table of Contents
Why is international date line not straight?
It goes zig-zag. In order to avoid the confusion of having different dates in the same country, the International Date Line bends and goes zig zag at the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska, Fiji, Tonga and in some other islands.
What is the effect of international date line on time?
The International Date Line provides a standard means of making the needed readjustment: travelers moving eastward across the line set their calendars back one day, and those traveling westward set theirs a day ahead.
Why is the International Date Line at 180 degrees?
Running down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the International Date Line is halfway around the Greenwich Meridian. It roughly follows the 180-degree meridian with some deviating east and west at certain places. This is done in order to accommodate the political and economic affiliations of the affected areas.
What is the concept of international date line?
The international date line, established in 1884, passes through the mid-Pacific Ocean and roughly follows a 180 degrees longitude north-south line on the Earth. The international date line functions as a “ line of demarcation ” separating two consecutive calendar dates.
What happens when you cross the International Date Line?
The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary — and arbitrary — line on Earth’s surface that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. When you cross the IDL, the day and date change. If you cross it traveling westward, the day goes forward by one, and the date increases by one.
What is the abbreviation for International Date Line?
“Date line” redirects here. For other uses, see Dateline (disambiguation). The International Date Line ( IDL) is an internationally accepted demarcation on the surface of Earth, running between the North Pole and South Pole and serving as the boundary between one calendar day and the next.
Where is the International Date Line on the map?
By Anne Buckle. The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line on Earth’s surface defining the boundary between one day and the next. The International Date Line (IDL) on the map. The International Date Line is located halfway around the world from the prime meridian (0° longitude) or about 180° east (or west) of Greenwich, London, UK,
Can countries change the side of the dateline?
Changing Sides of the Dateline. The dateline is not defined by international law. Countries are free to choose the date and time zone that they want to observe. For example, when the Republic of Kiribati gained independence from being a British colony in 1979 some of the islands were on one side of the dateline, and the rest were on the other.