While hundreds of millions of Muslims in the Middle Eastern and European countries as well as the UK, US and Canada marked the start of Ramazan on April 12, South Asian countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are expected to start the fasting month on the evening of April 13 (Wednesday).
Depending on geographical location, fasting hours vary from country to country. Countries near the North Pole have longer fasting hours while those near the South Pole shorter hours. This year, the faithfuls in Finland will observe a 23-hour and five-minute long fast, the longest fasting hours in the world, followed by a number of its neighbouring countries such as Sweden and Norway. In Russia, the Muslims will fast for 20 hours and 45 minutes. Australia will have the shortest fasting hours as the number of fasting hours in the country is 11 hours and 59 minutes, followed by Argentina (12 hours and 23 minutes), and Chile (12 hours and 41 minutes). In the Arab countries, Algeria and Tunisia top the list of states with the shortest fasting hours with 14 hours and 39 minutes on the first day of Ramazan, and 15 hours and 50 minutes on the last day.
