In which country the sun rises the first and why it is so ?!?!?!?!?
New Zealand
You may be thinking that Japan is the first county to see the sun, when it probably isn't. Japan is known as "The land of the rising sun" because of its geographical relationship with China.
This question is part of UPSC exam. View all Class 8 courses
In which country the sun rises the first and why it is so ?!?!?!?!?
In which country does the sun rise first and why?
The country where the sun rises first is Samoa, a group of islands located in the Pacific Ocean. This is because Samoa is situated near the International Date Line, which is an imaginary line that runs through the Pacific Ocean and marks the change in calendar date. Let's explore this in more detail:
International Date Line:
The International Date Line is an imaginary line that roughly follows the 180° longitude line. It is located in the Pacific Ocean and separates two consecutive calendar dates. When you cross this line from west to east, you move back a day, and when you cross it from east to west, you move forward a day.
Position of Samoa:
Samoa is located just west of the International Date Line, specifically between 171° and 173° West longitude. This means that it is one of the first places on Earth to see the sunrise each day.
Advantage of Time Zone:
Samoa lies in the UTC+13:00 time zone, which is one of the earliest time zones. Since it is positioned close to the International Date Line, Samoa experiences the sunrise before any other country. This gives it the distinction of being the first country to greet the new day.
Effects of Time Zone Change:
In 2011, Samoa decided to change its time zone to UTC+13:00, moving it forward by 24 hours. This decision was made to align Samoa's time zone with its neighboring countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, to facilitate trade and communication. As a result, Samoa skipped an entire day during the change, moving directly from December 29, 2011, to December 31, 2011.
Conclusion:
In summary, Samoa is the country where the sun rises first because of its proximity to the International Date Line. The combination of its geographical location and time zone allows Samoa to be among the first places on Earth to witness the sunrise each day.
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed Class 8 study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in Class 8.