Time in Brazil
Encyclopedia
Brazil
has three time zone
s. Daylight saving time
(summer time) is also observed by the Southern, Southeast
and Central-Western Brazilian states. A proposal to switch the entire country to a single UTC offset is under consideration.
. All the other time zones are given as offsets to it.
Outside of summer time, it corresponds to UTC-03; during summer time, it changes to UTC-02, but this change is not followed by all states. It comprises the states in the Southeast Region
, the South Region and the Northeast Region
(except some islands), the states of Goiás
, Tocantins
, Pará
, and Amapá
, plus the Brazilian Federal District
.
islands on the east coast of Brazil (Fernando de Noronha
, Trindade, Martin Vaz, Atol das Rocas, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks
).
, Mato Grosso do Sul
, Rondônia
, and Roraima
, and since mid-2008, also in the state of Acre
.
Until 2008, the area of Pará
west of the Xingu River
was also part of this time zone, when it joined the rest of the state in observing Brasília time.
, was part of a fourth time zone, corresponding to UTC-05. However, on June 24, 2008, these areas advanced their clocks by an hour, so that they became part of the UTC-04 time zone. In a referendum held on October 31, 2010, a majority of Acre voters voted in favour of returning the state to the UTC-05, and, if given the support by the Brazilian Congress, the time zone would be reestablished.
(DST) starts on the 3rd Sunday of October and ends on the 3rd Sunday of February. Occasionally, in years when the Carnival
celebrations fall on the 3rd Sunday of February, DST
's ending is postponed to the following Sunday.
It is observed by Southern, Southeast and Central-Western Brazil ( i.e. the states of Rio Grande do Sul
, Santa Catarina
, Paraná
, São Paulo
, Rio de Janeiro
, Espírito Santo
, Minas Gerais
, Goiás
, Mato Grosso
and Mato Grosso do Sul
, plus the Federal District
) and by the Northeastern state of Bahia
.
The clock is moved forward by one hour between the start and end dates, moving Brasília Official Time from UTC-03 to UTC-02; the other states that do not follow summer time observe a change of the offset to Brasília time.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
has three time zone
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
s. Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
(summer time) is also observed by the Southern, Southeast
Southeast Region, Brazil
The Southeast Region of Brazil is composed by the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It is the richest region of the country, responsible for approximately 60% of the Brazilian GDP. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais are three richest states of Brazil,...
and Central-Western Brazilian states. A proposal to switch the entire country to a single UTC offset is under consideration.
Brasília official time - BRT (UTC-03)
The main time zone of Brazil corresponds to the time at BrasíliaBrasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
. All the other time zones are given as offsets to it.
Outside of summer time, it corresponds to UTC-03; during summer time, it changes to UTC-02, but this change is not followed by all states. It comprises the states in the Southeast Region
Southeast Region, Brazil
The Southeast Region of Brazil is composed by the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It is the richest region of the country, responsible for approximately 60% of the Brazilian GDP. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais are three richest states of Brazil,...
, the South Region and the Northeast Region
Northeast Region, Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil is composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18.26% of the Brazilian territory....
(except some islands), the states of Goiás
Goiás
Goiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community...
, Tocantins
Tocantins (state)
Tocantins is one of the states of Brazil. . The state was formed in 1988 out of the northern part of Goiás, and construction began on the capital, Palmas, in 1989, in contrast to most of the other cities in the state which date back to the Portuguese colonial period...
, Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
, and Amapá
Amapá
Amapá is one of the states of Brazil, located in the extreme north, bordering French Guiana and Suriname to the north. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south and west is the Brazilian state of Pará. Perhaps one of the main features of the state is the River Oiapoque, as it was once...
, plus the Brazilian Federal District
Brazilian Federal District
The Federal District is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Located in a region called Planalto Central, or Central Plateau, the Federal District is divided in 29 administrative regions. Brasilia - place where the three branches of the Federal Government are located - is the main...
.
Brasília time + 1 (UTC-02)
This time zone corresponds to UTC-02. It is followed by a few AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
islands on the east coast of Brazil (Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, offshore from the Brazilian coast. The main island has an area of and had a population of 3,012 in the year 2010...
, Trindade, Martin Vaz, Atol das Rocas, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks
Saint Peter and Paul Rocks
The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago is a group of 15 small islets and rocks in the central equatorial Atlantic Ocean. It lies in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a region of severe storms...
).
Brasília time − 1 (UTC-04)
Outside of summer time, this time zone corresponds to UTC-04; during summer time, it changes to UTC-03, but this change is not followed by all states. It is used in the states of Amazonas, Mato GrossoMato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
, Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul is one of the states of Brazil.Neighboring Brazilian states are Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay and Bolivia to the west. The economy of the state is largely based on agriculture and cattle-raising...
, Rondônia
Rondônia
Rondônia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country. To the west is a short border with the state of Acre, to the north is the state of Amazonas, in the east is Mato Grosso, and in the south is Bolivia. Its capital is Porto Velho. The state was named after Candido Rondon...
, and Roraima
Roraima
Roraima is the northernmost and least populated state of Brazil, located in the Amazon region. It borders the states of Amazonas and Pará, as well as the nations of Venezuela and Guyana. The population is 400,000 and the capital is Boa Vista...
, and since mid-2008, also in the state of Acre
Acre (state)
Acre is one of the 27 states of Brazil. It is situated in the southwest of the Northern Region, bordering Amazonas to the north, Rondônia to the east, Bolivia to the southeast and the Ucayali Region of Peru to the south and west. It occupies an area of 152,581.4 km2, being slightly smaller...
.
Until 2008, the area of Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
west of the Xingu River
Xingu River
The Xingu River , also called Rio Xingu, is a 1,230-mile long, river in north Brazil; it is a southeast tributary of the Amazon River.-Description and history:...
was also part of this time zone, when it joined the rest of the state in observing Brasília time.
Brasília time − 2 (UTC-05, Defunct)
Until 2008, the far-western tip of the country, which included the southwestern part of the state of Amazonas and the entire state of AcreAcre (state)
Acre is one of the 27 states of Brazil. It is situated in the southwest of the Northern Region, bordering Amazonas to the north, Rondônia to the east, Bolivia to the southeast and the Ucayali Region of Peru to the south and west. It occupies an area of 152,581.4 km2, being slightly smaller...
, was part of a fourth time zone, corresponding to UTC-05. However, on June 24, 2008, these areas advanced their clocks by an hour, so that they became part of the UTC-04 time zone. In a referendum held on October 31, 2010, a majority of Acre voters voted in favour of returning the state to the UTC-05, and, if given the support by the Brazilian Congress, the time zone would be reestablished.
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving timeDaylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
(DST) starts on the 3rd Sunday of October and ends on the 3rd Sunday of February. Occasionally, in years when the Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
celebrations fall on the 3rd Sunday of February, DST
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
's ending is postponed to the following Sunday.
It is observed by Southern, Southeast and Central-Western Brazil ( i.e. the states of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
, Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
, São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
, Espírito Santo
Espírito Santo
Espírito Santo is one of the states of southeastern Brazil, often referred to by the abbreviation "ES". Its capital is Vitória and the largest city is Vila Velha. The name of the state means literally "holy spirit" after the Holy Ghost of Christianity...
, Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
, Goiás
Goiás
Goiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community...
, Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
and Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul is one of the states of Brazil.Neighboring Brazilian states are Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay and Bolivia to the west. The economy of the state is largely based on agriculture and cattle-raising...
, plus the Federal District
Federal district
Federal districts are a type of administrative division of a federation, under the direct control of a federal government. They exist in various countries and states all over the world.-United States:...
) and by the Northeastern state of Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
.
The clock is moved forward by one hour between the start and end dates, moving Brasília Official Time from UTC-03 to UTC-02; the other states that do not follow summer time observe a change of the offset to Brasília time.
Tz database
The tz database contains 16 zones for Brazil. Columns marked with * are from the file zone.tab from the tz database.| c.c.* | coordinates* | TZ* | comments* | UTC offset | DST | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| -02:00 | |||
| -02:00 | |||
| -03:00 | |||
| -03:00 | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - |
See also
- The tz database has detailed time zone information for Brazil
- List of time zones
- Date and time notation in BrazilDate and time notation in Brazil-Date:In Brazil, dates follow the "day month year" order, using a slash as the separator. Example: 20/06/2008 or 20/06/08. Leading zeros may be omitted, specially on month, but never on the year field: 9/5/08. In formal writing, months are spelled out and not capitalized, e.g., "20 de junho de 2008"...