Time difference between Frankfurt and Bangalore 4.5 hours?

[Torsten]

Hi, up until a couple of days ago I thought that time differences are always measured in full hours. Then I met a software engineer from Bangalore who told me that the time difference between Berlin and Bangalore is 4.5 hours. Pretty amazing, isn't it?
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Diverhank]

I recently found this out myself after I bought an "atomic" watch with world time. India, Iran, Afghanistan, central Australia and a few other places have this half-hour difference. Pretty Amazing is right!

[Torsten]

Hi Hank,

Do you happen to know why there is this strange half hour time difference with some central Asian countries?
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Diverhank]

Hi Torsten
Good question...I can only guess that it was done to make sure that the sun is at its highest during noon time. Perhaps, in some cases, it's done just to be different Recently in 2007, Venezuela changed to a half-hour offset, making that the only country in America that has an offset. I also found out that Nepal has a 15 minute offset! Weird, huh?