Russia reduces number of time zones

Moscow: Russia, the world's largest country, has reduced the number of its time zones to nine from eleven from Sunday in a bid to make its economy more manageable. The move follows up on an initiative announced by president Dmitry Medvedev last November to provide a boost to the economy.

In an address to the nation Medvedev had pointed out that China and the United States ran efficiently with much fewer time zones.

Russia's sprawling geographical spread stretches from Europe to Far East and Central Asia and in the south west to the Caucuses.

Last week, Medvedev ordered the government to cut the number of time zones, saying "this can help to breathe new life into business activity."

With Russia adjusting its clocks forward one hour on Sunday morning to shift to summer time, the easternmost Chukotka and Kamchatka peninsulas, located near the US state of Alaska, joined the same time zone as the neighbouring Magadan region, that is being just eight hours ahead of Moscow rather than the usual nine hours.

In the European part of Russia, the Samara region on the Volga river and Udmurtia in the Urals were brought into line with Moscow time and are no longer one hour ahead with their own time zones as previous.

Kemerovo, four hours ahead of Moscow, joined a clutch of Siberian regions three hours ahead of the Russian capital.

With some 17 million square km (6.6 million square miles) Russia covers more than a ninth of the Earth's land area.

Medvedev has suggested that the number of time zones could be pruned even further. He also wants the need for separate winter and summer times examined.