Understanding time zones

Why are there time zones?

It takes 24 hours for the Earth to rotate once on its axis. We split the globe into time zones using imaginary lines called meridians. They run from the North Pole to the South Pole, crossing lines of latitude. There are 24 time zones.

There is an imaginary line running through the UK called the Prime Meridian. It runs through a place in London called Greenwich.

The Prime Meridian splits the world into eastern and western hemispheres.

SOURCE: BBC Bitesize