Consider the following countries :

I. United Kingdom
II. Denmark
III. New Zealand
IV. Australia
V. Brazil

How many of the above countries have more than four time zones?

(a) All the five
(b) Only four
(c) Only three
(d) Only two

The correct answer is (b) Only four.

Explanation

Based on the geographical extent and overseas territories of the listed countries, here is the breakdown of their time zones:

United Kingdom:Yes. While the UK itself uses one time zone (GMT), its overseas territories (such as Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, etc.) span across the globe. This gives the UK approximately 9 distinct time zones.
Denmark:Yes. Denmark proper uses one zone, but the Kingdom of Denmark includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Greenland alone spans four time zones. Including Denmark proper and the Faroe Islands, the kingdom covers 5 time zones.
New Zealand:Yes. New Zealand proper has two main time zones (standard and Chatham Islands). However, the Realm of New Zealand includes the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau. This brings the total to 5 time zones.
Australia:Yes. Mainland Australia has three standard time zones. When including its external territories like Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island, and Lord Howe Island, Australia spans roughly 8 to 9 distinct time zones.
Brazil:No. Brazil has exactly 4 standard time zones:
- UTC-2 (Atlantic islands like Fernando de Noronha)
- UTC-3 (Brasilia time, covering the coast and major cities)
- UTC-4 (Amazon time)
- UTC-5 (Acre time, in the far west) Since 4 is not more than 4, Brazil does not meet the criteria.

Conclusion: Four of the listed countries (United Kingdom, Denmark, New Zealand, and Australia) have more than four time zones.

France holds the record: France actually has the most time zones of any country in the world (12), thanks to its scattered overseas regions and collectivities like French Guiana, Tahiti, and Reunion.
China’s single zone: Despite spanning a geographical width that naturally covers five time zones, China officially uses only one: Beijing Time (UTC+8).
Russia: Russia has the most contiguous time zones of any country, with 11 distinct zones stretching from Kaliningrad in the west to Kamchatka in the east.