WorldTZ.zip  

11 January 2000 - Version 1.02 - Addition of Kostanayskaya (Qostinay) oblast with +5 GMT in Kazakhstan per Alexander Rodionov.

10 January 2000 - Version 1.01 - Addition of Kazakhstan western time zone from data provided by Alexander Rodionov.

01 January 2000  - Version 1.0

The WorldTZ.zip file contains the Manifold WorldTZ map of world Time Zones in Manifold format.  This map is published in Manifold System GIS format under the Free Software Foundation's General Public License (GPL).  (c) 2000 Manifold Net Ltd.

The full text of the GPL is available from www.gnu.org or from www.manifold.net.  This summary is not a replacement for the full text.  In summary, you may use and distribute this map however you like so long as a) you include the full text of this file with any redistribution of this map or any derived work, and b) you make it clear to any recipient of this map or of any work derived from this map that they too may utilize the map or derived work as set forth by the GPL.  This file and rights to reuse under the GPL must be clearly and explicitly disclosed to any recipient in an obvious manner.

Notes:

The map consists mostly of areas for each country and time zone split within that country.  In addition, a layer of points was added that gives the standard UNIX/Linux placenames and locations used for time zones.

This map was created by manifold.net to provide a base map of world time zones under the GPL.  The intention is to provide a framework within which improvements can be made.  The country outlines were taken from Manifold's "World" base map and were augmented with outlines taken from NIMA's VMAP0 (eg, Svalbard).  The principal guide to time zones was the US Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook Time Zone Map.  Detailed digitization was guided by this overview map (as vectorized from PDF format), except in the case of Canadian Time Zone boundaries.  The CIA map shows Canadian time zone boundaries as they are used informally (not following provincial boundaries) whereas the Manifold map follows the official zone designations following provincial boundaries.

Both the original DMA Digital Chart of the World and NIMA's VMAP0 were used for hydrography and hypsography information as well as boundaries.  Countries including multiple time zones will often have those time zones boundaries aligned to natural features.

For example, time zone boundaries in the Russian Far East (Yakutia and Magadan areas) are for the most part based on internal administrative boundaries that follow mountain range divides, rivers, and other natural features.  Boundary lines for these regions were digitized "free hand" using detailed maps from the Russian Federal Geodesic and Cartographic Service for guidance on natural features.  

Individual countries and regions have great latitude in deciding which time zone they will use.  Note that the general organization of a new time zone every 15 degrees of longitude works only at sea.  On land, it is a suggestion that is often ignored.  Likewise, countries can and do change their time zone usage and observance of summer time shifting.

Files:

WorldTZ.mfd/mdb - Manifold map of world time zones.
WorldTZ.mws - Manifold workspace with formatting information, etc.
WorldTZ.mas - A copy of the autoformatting scheme used to color the areas.

