There are about 14,500 nuclear weapons in the
world.
The world’s nuclear club is an exclusive group –
and it has become even more dangerous with the relatively recent and unwelcome
addition of North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un.
The United States wants the rogue regime to give
up its nuclear-weapons ambitions, and President Donald Trump aims to achieve
that goal, possibly through direct diplomacy. The White House said Friday that
Trump still intends to meet Kim by the end of May, following his on-the-spot
acceptance of an invitation to talk.
It might be too big a demand, however. North Korea
is the only country to test nuclear weapons this century, and Kim has
emphasized that nuclear weapons are a fundamental part of his regime’s national
security. And so the potential summit puts into motion the most significant
development in years of intermittent negotiations about North Korea’s nuclear
weapons program.
North Korea is one of nine nations to have
stockpiled nuclear weapons – about 14,500 total worldwide, a figure that has
declined since the Cold War.
While the exact number of nukes in each country’s
arsenal is closely guarded, below is a breakdown of how many weapons exist,
according to estimates from the Arms Control Association and Federation of
American Scientists.
No
9: North Korea
Total nuclear weapons: ~10 to 20
Total nuclear tests: ~6
First tested: October 2006
Most recent test: September 2017
No.8
Israel
Total nuclear weapons: ~80
Total nuclear tests: 0
First tested: No confirmed tests
Most recent test: No confirmed tests
No.7
India
Total nuclear weapons: ~120 to 130
Total nuclear tests: ~3
First tested: May 1974
Most recent test: May 1998
No.6
Pakistan
Total nuclear weapons: ~130 to 140
Total nuclear tests: ~2
First tested: May 1998
Most recent test: May 1998
No.5
United Kingdom
Total nuclear weapons: ~215
Total nuclear tests: ~45
First tested: October 1952
Most recent test: November 1991
No.4
China
Total nuclear weapons: ~270
Total nuclear tests: ~45
First tested: October 1964
Most recent test: July 1996
No.3
France
Total nuclear weapons: ~300
Total nuclear tests: ~210
First tested: February 1960
Most recent test: January 1996
No.2
United States
Total nuclear weapons: ~ 6,550
Total nuclear tests: ~ 1,030
First tested: July 1945
Most recent test: September 1992
No.1
Russia
Total nuclear weapons: ~6,800
Total nuclear tests: ~ 715
First tested: August 1949
Most recent test: October 1990
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