Why is the International Date Line not a straight line?
Quick Answer: The International Date Line isn’t straight because it zigzags to avoid splitting countries and islands into different calendar days. This keeps local time and dates consistent within political and cultural boundaries.
The line roughly follows the 180° longitude but bends around places like Kiribati, Fiji, and the Aleutian Islands. If it were straight, some countries would wake up to different dates in neighboring regions, which would be confusing for daily life and governance.
These adjustments help maintain unity within nations and respect their time zone preferences, making the Date Line more practical rather than strictly geographical.