Electrical System Guide

When you travel from one country to other country where the voltage is different from your home country then it becomes very difficult to use those electrical appliances which you were using at home. It is because certain specific devices are made to operate at specific voltages and in different countries the voltage differs. It is very important to know the type of electric voltage used in the country you are traveling. Also other important factors are the type of plugs and outlets used.

In case the voltage is same at both places and you are using a universal power supply, then you need only a plug adapter. Converters are used to change the amount of line voltage. Different types of converters are available for different types of devices.

Electric Power Around the World
The design of all electrical power systems is such that they are liable to small variations in voltage due to certain unavoidable factors. The countries where the standard voltage used is 220 V are trying to convert this level to 230V as per the EU standard. Usually this gap of voltage is not so significant because most appliances are built such that they are able to tolerate a little fluctuation in current supply. However, major variations in current can harm electrical devices.

The information given in this table summarizes the voltages and frequency used in electrical systems in important countries of the world. The frequency is shown in the number of hertz (cycles per second). The systems described here use alternating current (AC).

Country	Voltage	Frequency
Afghanistan	220 V	50 Hz
Australia	240 V	50 Hz
Austria	230 V	50 Hz
Belgium	230 V	50 Hz
Brazil	110/220 V	60 Hz
Canada	120 V	60 Hz
Chile	220 V	50 Hz
People's Republic of China	220 V	50 Hz
Colombia	110 V	60 Hz
Denmark	230 V	50 Hz
Dominican Republic	110 V	60 Hz
Egypt	220 V	50 Hz
France	230 V	50 Hz
Germany	230 V	50 Hz
Greece	220 V	50 Hz
Hong Kong	220 V	50 Hz
Indonesia	127/230 V	50 Hz
Iran	230 V	50 Hz
Iraq	230 V	50 Hz
Israel	220 V	50 Hz
Italy	230 V	50 Hz
Japan	100 V	50/60 Hz
Korea, South	220 V	60 Hz
Mexico	127 V	60 Hz
Netherlands	230 V	50 Hz
New Zealand	230 V	50 Hz
Pakistan	220 V	50 Hz
Philippines	220 V	60 Hz
Poland	230 V	50 Hz
Portugal	230 V	50 Hz
Russia	220 V	50 Hz
Singapore	230 V	50 Hz
South Africa	220/230 V	50 Hz
Sweden	230 V	50 Hz
Switzerland	230 V	50 Hz
United Kingdom	230 V	50 Hz
United States of America	120 V	60 Hz
Venezuela	120 V	60 Hz
Zimbabwe	220 V	50 Hz