Which country gets the New Year first?

• Central Pacific Ocean island of Kiritimati (Christmas Island) first to usher in the New Year
• Sydney saw 2013 at 1pm GMT, with some 1.5 million people attending the city's events
• The increasingly democratic Myanmar - also known as Burma - celebrated with its first ever public countdown
• Moscow's Red Square was filled with spectators as fireworks exploded near the Kremlin to welcome the new year
• Multicolored fireworks danced up and down the world's tallest building - the Burj Khalifa - in Dubai
• The festive mood in New Delhi has been marred by the death of a young rape victim on Saturday
• More than 1 million people will pack into New York's streets for the traditional crystal ball drop in Times Square
• American Samoa will be the last place on Earth to herald in the New Year on Tuesday at 11am GMT

Major celebrations to welcome the new year have taken place in some of the world's most iconic locations throughout today.

Lavish and expensive fireworks lit up skylines in Sydney, Hong Kong and Shanghai and even the once-isolated country of Myanmar - also known as Burma - joined the countdown party for the first time in decades.

Much of Europe joined in the celebrations with revellers taking to the streets for fireworks in Athens, Berlin, Warsaw, and Rome.

Celebrations have been planned for around the world, including the traditional crystal ball drop in New York City's Times Square, where 1 million people are expected to cram into the surrounding streets.

Happy: Revellers write the number 2013 with sparklers during the Hogmanay street party celebrations in Edinburgh

The fireworks explode as the Waterford crystal ball is raised at the beginning of Times Square's New Year's celebration earlier

Expensive: The firework display in Sydney cost 6.6 million Australian dollars

Stunning: Fireworks illuminate the sky around Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during celebrations in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

Bold: The tallest skyscraper in Taiwan was a fitting choice for this spectacular firework display