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Some of the choices may irk some readers. Where accepted names and abbreviations are in place, they are used. Where names have been assigned and then changed, SCDTL may ignore them. Zone names for areas of U.S. possessions in the Pacific area were first governmentally ignored, then assigned, then changed haphazardly, as a case in point. |
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The Pacific area, especially near the International Date Line, is filled with special-case zones. Displacements from GMT can exceed twelve hours for some of these zones. Some entities have opted to remain on the wrong side of the International Date Line. |
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An attempt has been made to assign names that first correspond to major political entities within defined zones then to geographic areas where the first scheme is not practical. |
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The entire zone system for the former Soviet Union is shifted from its correct positions, making the use of names associated with political entities useless for the purpose of identifying longitudinal areas. Other areas have thus been used to supply names for most of the concerned zones. |
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I have consulted a number of sources in compiling this section. No two sources agree on all points, so the reader can easily find sources that disagree with certain statements. I have attempted to use the most reliable and latest information, but a number of confused cases remain. The actual zones to which certain nations on the western coast of Africa belong is moot, as are the zones for certain Central American countries. The Pacific Ocean is filled with time zone anomalies. |
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The reader will note that nomenclature often does not carry over from Standard to Advanced time. In these cases, the area chosen to designate the Standard time does not observe Advanced time, so the advanced designator is meaningless, and another entity that does observe advanced time must be chosen. This entire issue is made more complex because sources often do not agree or entities may change zones or cease to exist by one name and mutate to another. I have made an effort to choose zone names that correspond to large and stable cultural groupings, rather than national names which are subject to change. Some names long sanctified par l'usage, such as Burma, have disappeared. At the time of writing, the similar case of Congo may see the name restored once again. |
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I have also made an effort to avoid the use of names and abbreviations that correspond to zone names or abbreviations in common use in certain areas. A "Brazilian Standard Time" was not defined because it could be confused with British Summer Time, for example. In other cases, I have simply willfully trampled on existing usage. |
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The SCDTL zone system is based upon 127 zones in increments of 15-minute displacements from GMT. GMT corresponds to index 0. Positive displacements are indexed from 1 through 63, from 0 hours 15 minutes to 15 hours 45 minutes. Negative displacements are indexed from 64 through 127, from 0 hours 15 minutes to 15 hours 45 minutes. Names and abbreviations are defined for both standard and advanced times. |
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