Central European Time

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Central European Time (CET) is a standard time which is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+01:00). It is used in most parts of Europe and a few North African countries.

History

Central European Time was introduced to unify the timekeeping across the region. Before the adoption of CET, each country or region had its own local time, which was often based on the position of the sun. The introduction of CET helped to standardize timekeeping, which was particularly important for the development of the railway system and other forms of transportation and communication.

Usage

CET is used by many countries in Europe, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland. It is also used in some parts of North Africa, such as Algeria and Tunisia. During the summer months, these countries switch to Central European Summer Time (CEST), which is UTC+02:00.

Time Zone Boundaries

The boundaries of the CET time zone are defined by the Prime Meridian to the west and the 15th meridian east to the east. This means that CET is used in countries that are located between these two meridians.

Daylight Saving Time

Many countries that use CET also observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). During DST, the clocks are set forward by one hour, resulting in Central European Summer Time (CEST). DST typically starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

Related Time Zones

• Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• Eastern European Time (EET)
• Western European Time (WET)
• Central European Summer Time (CEST)

Related Pages

• Time zone
• Coordinated Universal Time
• Daylight Saving Time
• Greenwich Mean Time
• Eastern European Time
• Western European Time
• Central European Summer Time

Central European Time Resources
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