Time in Brazil

Brazil has three time zones. It also observes summer time; however, not only do the starting and ending dates often change from year to year, it is also not followed by all states (which ones observe summer time can change from year to year).

Time zones

Brasília time

The main time zone of Brazil corresponds to the time at Brasília. All the other time zones are given as offsets to it. Outside of summer time, it corresponds to UTC−3; during summer time, it changes to UTC−2, but this change is not followed by all states. It comprises the Southeast Region, the South Region, the Northeast Region (except some islands), Goiás, Distrito Federal, Tocantins, Pará, and Amapá.

Brasília time + 1

This time zone corresponds to UTC−2. It is used on a few islands on the east coast of Brazil (Fernando de Noronha, Trindade, Martin Vaz, Atol das Rocas, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks).

Brasília time − 1

Outside of summer time, this time zone corresponds to UTC−4. It is used in Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, and Roraima, and also Acre, since mid-2008. The west side of Pará was also part of this time zone until 2008, when it joined the rest of the state in observing Brasília time.

Brasília time − 2 (Defunct)

Until 2008, the far-western tip of the country, which included the southwestern part of Amazonas (including the city of Manaus) and Acre, was part of a fourth time zone, corresponding to UTC-5. However, on June 24, 2008, these areas advanced their clocks by an hour, so that they became part of the UTC-4 time zone.cite web|title=Brazil Abolishes Its Fourth Time Zone in 2008|url=http://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/brazil-abolishes-fourth-time-zone.html|accessdate=2008-06-25]

Summer time

There are no fixed start and end dates for summer time; they are decided every year by one or more decrees. The same decree(s) also say which states should or should not change their clocks. Sometimes these decrees are published very close to the start datecite web|title=Decretos sobre o Horário de Verão no Brasil|url=http://pcdsh01.on.br/DecHV.html|accessdate=2007-01-23|language=Portuguese] .

In the states which follow summer time, the clock is moved forward by one hour between the start and end dates; the other states (or parts of states) do not change their clocks, which results on a change of the offset to Brasília time.

History

Summer time in Brazil was first adopted in 1931cite web|title=HISTÓRICO DO HORÁRIO DE VERÃO|url=http://pcdsh01.on.br/HISTHV.htm|accessdate=2007-01-23|language=Portuguese] . Initially, it applied to the whole country (with an exception in part of 1963); since 1988, it started being used only in part of the country.

See also

* The zoneinfo database has detailed time zone information for Brazil
* List of time zones

References

External links

* [http://pcdsh01.on.br/ Divisão do Serviço da Hora do Observatório Nacional]
** [http://pcdsh01.on.br/fusobrasil.htm Fusos Horários no BRASIL]