There are currently five states considered to be "nuclear weapons states", an internationally recognized status conferred by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In order of acquisition of nuclear weapons these are: the United States of America, Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), the United Kingdom, France, and the People's Republic of China. Since the signing of the NPT, two other states have conducted nuclear tests—India and Pakistan. North Korea has publicly declared itself to possess nuclear weapons though it has not conducted any confirmed tests. Israel is strongly suspected to have an arsenal of nuclear weapons though it has never confirmed or denied this. There have been reports that over 100 nuclear weapons might be in their inventory. This status is not formally recognized by international bodies; none of these countries are currently signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. There is some speculation that Iran has, or is preparing for, a secret nuclear weapons program. South Africa was once a nuclear weapons state but has reportedly destroyed its former arsenal. Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) generally include nuclear, biological, chemical and, increasingly, radiological weapons. ... Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) generally include nuclear, biological, chemical and, increasingly, radiological weapons. ... Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of any organism (bacteria, virus or other disease-causing organism) or toxin found in nature, as a weapon of war. ... Dressing the wounded during a gas attack by Austin O. Spare, 1918. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... A radiological weapon (or radiological dispersion device, RDD) is any weapon that is designed to spread radioactive contamination, either to kill, or to deny the use of an area (a modern version of salting the earth) and consists of a device (such as a nuclear or conventional explosive) which spreads... Biological Weapons Biological Weapons Program Chinese officials have stated that China has never engaged in biological activities with offensive military applications. ... The Republic of China on Taiwan denies having chemical or nuclear weapons. ... Map of nuclear nations Nuclear proliferation is the spread from nation to nation of nuclear technology, including nuclear power plants but especially nuclear weapons. ... Nuclear strategy involves the development of doctrines and strategies for the production and use of nuclear weapons. ... Nuclear terrorism can be used to describe any of the following terrorist assaults: Use of nuclear weapons against a civilian target Use of a radiological weapon or dirty bomb against a civilian target An attack against a nuclear power plant Some believe that no such act has ever taken place. ... Nuclear war, or atomic war, is war in which nuclear weapons are used. ... A nuclear fireball lights up the night in a United States nuclear test. ... The first nuclear weapons, though large, cumbersome and inefficient, provided the basic design building blocks of all future weapons. ... A 23 kiloton tower shot called BADGER, fired on April 18, 1953 at the Nevada Test Site, as part of the Operation Upshot-Knothole nuclear test. ... A nuclear test explosion is an experiment involving the detonation of a nuclear weapon. ... The term dirty bomb is most often used to refer to a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), a radiological weapon which combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. ... Radiological warfare is any form of warfare involving deliberate radiation poisoning, without relying on nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Opened for signature July 1, 1968 at New York Entered into force March 5, 1970 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and 40 other signatory states. ...

Declared nuclear states in order of total number of warheads

The following is a list of nations that have admitted the possession of nuclear weapons, the approximate number of warheads under their control in 2002, and the year they tested their first weapon. This list is informally known in global politics as the "Nuclear Club". Note that with the exception of Russia and the United States (which have subjected their nuclear forces to independent verification under various treaties) these figures are estimates, in some cases quite unreliable estimates. Also, these figures represent total warheads possessed, rather than deployed. In particular, under the SORT treaty thousands of Russian and US warheads are in inactive stockpiles awaiting destruction. For publications of this name, see also Nation (disambiguation) The most popular modern ethical and philosophical doctrines state that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... A warhead is an explosive device used in military conflicts, used to destroy enemy vehicles or buildings. ... Sort is the capital of the comarca of Pallars Sobirà, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. ...

From a high of 65,000 active weapons in 1985, there were about 20,000 active nuclear weapons in the world in 2002. Many of the "decommissioned" weapons were simply stored or partially dismantled, not destroyed. [5] 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

(Statistics from Natural Resources Defense Council [6], or the other sources cited)

Declared nuclear states and their first tests

• The United States developed the first atomic weapons during World War II out of the fear that Nazi Germany would first develop them. It tested its first nuclear weapon in 1945 ("Trinity"), and remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons against another nation in war, during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (see: Manhattan Project). It was the first nation to develop the hydrogen bomb, testing it ("Ivy Mike") in 1952 and a deployable version in 1954 ("Castle Bravo").
• The USSR tested its first nuclear weapon ("Joe-1") in 1949, in a crash project developed partially with espionage obtained during and after World War II (see: Soviet atomic bomb project). The direct motivation for their weapons development was the development of a balance of power during the Cold War. It tested a primitive hydrogen bomb in 1953 ("Joe-4") and a megaton-range hydrogen bomb in 1955 ("RDS-37"). After its dissolution in 1991, its weapons entered officially into the possession of Russia.
• The United Kingdom tested its first nuclear weapon ("Hurricane") in 1952, drawing largely on data gained while collaborating with the United States during the Manhattan Project. Its program was motivated to have an independent deterrence against the USSR, while also remaining relevant in Cold War Europe. It tested its first hydrogen bomb in 1957.
• France tested its first nuclear weapon in 1960, also as an independent deterrence and to retain perceived Cold War relevance (see: Force de frappe). It tested its first hydrogen bomb in 1968.
• China tested its first nuclear weapon in 1964, much to the surprise of Western intelligence agencies. It had long sought assistance in becoming a nuclear power from an uneasy USSR, and developed them both as a deterrence against the USA, but also against the USSR as their relations began to sour. It tested its first hydrogen bomb in 1967.
• India tested a "peaceful nuclear device", as it was described by their government, in 1974 ("Smiling Buddha"), the first test developed after the creation of the NPT, and created new questions about how civilian nuclear technology could be diverted secretly to weapons purposes (dual-use technology). It seems to have been motivated as a deterrence against China. It tested weaponized nuclear warheads in 1998 ("Operation Shakti"), and claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb. However, based on the yields observed, western experts speculate a failed secondary on the thermonuclear device that was tested, while the Indian scientists claim the secondary was made less explosive by reducing the nuclear material to minimize the impact on the neighbouring villages.
• Pakistan covertly developed its nuclear weapons over many decades, and tested its first fission devices in 1998. It seems to have been motivated primarily in creating a deterrence against India. A chief scientist who worked on the Pakistani bomb, A.Q. Khan, confessed in 2004 to illicitly distributing nuclear-enabling technology to many other countries.

Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air, August 9, 1945. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... An early stage in the Trinity fireball. ... Citizens of Hiroshima walk by the A-Bomb Dome, the closest building to have survived the citys atomic bombing. ... Control panels and operators for calutrons at the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ... The first nuclear weapons, though large, cumbersome and inefficient, provided the basic design building blocks of all future weapons. ... The mushroom cloud from the Mike shot. ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1954 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Castle Bravo was the first test of a Teller_Ulam configuration thermonuclear dry fuel hydrogen bomb, detonated at the Bikini Atoll on February 28, 1954. ... External links http://gawain. ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... The Soviet project to develop an atomic bomb began during World War II in the Soviet Union. ... The Cold War was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The first (not true) Soviet Hydrogen (Super) Test, dubbed Joe 4 Joe 4 was an American nickname for the first Soviet test of a hydrogen bomb and was on August 12, 1953. ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... RDS-37 was a Soviet name for their first nuclear test of a true hydrogen bomb. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Operation Hurricane was the test of the first British atomic bomb. ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Force de frappe (French: Deterrence, literally Striking Force) is the designation of what used to be a triad of air, sea and land based French Nuclear Forces, part of the Military of France. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... The Smiling Buddha was the first test fission explosion by India on May 18, 1974. ... Dual-use is a term often used in politics and diplomacy to refer to technology which can be used for both peaceful and military aims, usually in regard to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Operation Shakti refers to the second round of nuclear tests conducted by India on May 11 and May 13, 1998. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Abdul Qadeer Khan (born 1935, Bhopal, India) is a Pakistani engineer widely regarded as the father of Pakistans nuclear weapons programme. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Suspected nuclear states

Countries believed to have or sometimes suspected of having at least one unconfirmed nuclear weapon currently, or at some point in history, or research programs with a realistic chance of producing a nuclear weapon in the near future:

• Israel - It is questionable whether Israel should be classed as a "suspected state" at this point. Israel is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and refuses to officially admit or deny having a nuclear arsenal, or to having developed nuclear weapons, or even to having a nuclear weapons program. Although former Prime Minister Shimon Peres unofficially acknowledged this last fact in the summer of 1998, extensive information about this program in Dimona was disclosed by technician Mordechai Vanunu in 1986, and imagery analysts can identify weapon bunkers, mobile missile launchers, and launch sites in satellite photographs. It is clear that Israel can deploy or employ nuclear weapons at will, and it is suspected to possess nuclear weapons by the International Atomic Energy Agency. May have tested a nuclear weapon along with South Africa in 1979 (see Vela Incident). According to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Federation of American Scientists, they may possess 300-400 weapons, a figure which would put them above the median in the declared list. However until it admits to having an actual stockpile of weapons, it will be retained on the "suspect" list for the present time.[7]
• Iran - Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and says its interest in nuclear technology, including enrichment, was for civilian purposes only, but the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency claims to have found evidence of a nuclear weapons program during several of its inspections, and the CIA also claim this to be a cover for a nuclear weapons program. [8][9] The Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi stated on the intentions of his country's nuclear ambitions: "Iran has a high technical capability and has to be recognized by the international community as a member of the nuclear club. This is an irreversible path." [10]
• North Korea - On January 10, 2003 North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In February 2005 they claimed to possess functional nuclear weapons.
• Ukraine - signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Inherited about 5,000 nuclear weapons when it became independent in 1991, making its nuclear arsenal the third-largest in the world [11]. It transferred all of these to Russia by 1996. [12] However recent news has surfaced that due to a clerical error, Ukraine may still possess several hundred warheads which were not accounted for in the armaments repatriation move 14 years ago. In any case, even if Ukraine does possess these weapons, they are technically missing and not in a deployed state or any part of Ukraine's defense posture. [13]

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Opened for signature July 1, 1968 at New York Entered into force March 5, 1970 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and 40 other signatory states. ... Shimon Peres Shimon Peres (Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן פֶּרֶס) (born August 21, 1923), an Israeli politician, is the head of the Israeli Labour Party and served as 8th Prime Minister of Israel from 1984-1986 and 1995-1996 and Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel from 2001-2002, and became Vice Premier in a coalition... Dimona is an Israeli city in the Negev desert, 36 kilometers to the south of Beer-Sheva and 35 kilometers west of the Dead Sea in the Southern District of Israel. ... Mordechai Vanunu in the garden of St. ... IAEA The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), established as an autonomous organization on July 29, 1957, seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... Orthographic projection centered on the Prince Edward Islands, the location of the Vela incident The Vela Incident sometimes known as the South Atlantic Flash was a September 22, 1979 event that was perhaps a nuclear weapon test. ... The Natural Resources Defense Council is an environmental advocacy organization that led the drive to ban alar, claiming that it was a dangerous carcinogen. ... The Federation of American Scientists is a non-profit organization dedicated to the proper use of science and technology for the benefit of mankind. ... IAEA The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), established as an autonomous organization on July 29, 1957, seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Kamal Kharrazi (Persian: کمال خرازی) (born December 1, 1944 in Tehran), is the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, serving since August 20, 1997. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Opened for signature July 1, 1968 at New York Entered into force March 5, 1970 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and 40 other signatory states. ... 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Ongoing events • Iraqi legislative election • Bill C-38 (Canada gay marriage) • Tsunami relief Upcoming events • March 11: Red Nose Day 2005 in the UK. Deaths in February • 26 – Jef Raskin • 25 – Hugh Nibley • 25 – Peter Benenson • 21... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

States formerly possessing nuclear weapons or programs

These are nations known to have initiated serious nuclear weapons programs, with varying degrees of success, or to have possessed nuclear weapons for a time due to special political circumstances (i.e. the fall of the USSR). All of them are now regarded as currently no longer actively developing, or possessing, nuclear arms.

• Argentina - Conducted a nuclear weapon research program, under military rule in 1978. This program was abandoned after returning to civilian rule in 1983. Later Argentina signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. [14]
• Australia - From 1950 to the early 1970s Australia first attempted to gain access to British nuclear technology, then investigated a fully indigenous nuclear program on a number of occasions, going so far as to plan and begin clearing a site for a plutonium-producing nuclear reactor at Jervis Bay (A.C.T.) in 1969, but abandoned its efforts at that time. Australia has large indigenous supplies of uranium. Currently Australia's uranium exports policy prevents export for military purposes, but there have been allegations about Australian uranium ending up in nuclear weapons. Curiously for an industrialized nation that is also a major uranium supplier, Australia has no nuclear power plants. There have however, been two research reactors in Australia that produce radioactive materials mainly for medical purposes. However, since mid-1995, only one has remained in service. Australia has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and is now one of the strongest supporters of anti-proliferation efforts.
• Belarus - A few Eastern European countries inherited whatever nuclear stockpiles happened to be stationed in their territory after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Belarus had 81 single warhead missiles which it returned to Russia by 1996. Belarus signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. [15]
• Brazil - Conducted a nuclear weapon research program to acquire nuclear weapons code-named "Solimões" in 1978 under military rule. On July 13, 1998 President Fernando Henrique Cardoso signed and ratified both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), denying that Brazil had developed nuclear weapons[16]
• Egypt - Had a nuclear weapon research program 1954-1967. Egypt signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. [17]
• Germany - During World War II, Nazi Germany researched possibilities to develop a nuclear weapon. However adequate resources were not invested into the effort and the project was found to be many years from completion by the end of the war. The research site was also sabotaged by the British spies which slowed down their reseach. Historian Ranier Karlschin his book Hitler's Bomb suggests that the Nazis may have tested[18] an atomb bomb in Thuringia in the last year of the war. (See: German nuclear energy project) Germany now is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Although it has an advanced science and technology infrastructure and would be capable of creating a nuclear weapons program, the government has decided to decrease even the civil use of nuclear energy.
• Iraq - Signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Had a nuclear weapon research program during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. In 1981, Israel destroyed Iraqi nuclear reactor Osiraq. In 1996, the UN's Hans Blix reported that Iraq had dismantled or destroyed all of their nuclear capabilities. Exact dates remain disputed. In 2003, the United States attacked Iraq, charging "evidence of weapons of mass destruction"; as of 2005, no such weapons have been reportedly found. [19]
• Japan - Japan conducted research into nuclear weapons during World War II though made little headway (see Japanese atomic program). Japan signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. While Japan has the technological capabilities to develop nuclear weapons in a short time there is no evidence they are doing so. Japan's constitution forbids it from producing nuclear weapons and the country has been active in promoting non-proliferation treaties. There exists some suspicion that there may exist nuclear weapons located in US bases in Japan. [20]
• Kazakhstan - Inherited 1,400 nuclear weapons from Soviet Union, returned them all to Russia by 1995. Signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. [21]
• Libya - Signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. On December 19, 2003, Libya admitted having had a nuclear weapon programme and simultaneously announced its intention to end it and dismantle all existing Weapons of Mass Destruction to be verified by unconditional inspections.
• Poland - Nuclear research began in Poland in the early 1960s, with the first controlled nuclear fission reaction being achieved in late 1960s. During the 1970s further research resulted in the generation of fusion neutrons through convergent shockwaves. In the 1980s research focused on the development of micro-nuclear reactions, and was under military control. Currently Poland operates the MARIA nuclear research reactor under the control of the Institute of Atomic Energy, in Swierk near Warsaw. Poland signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and officially posses no nuclear weapons.
• Romania - Signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In spite of this, under Ceauşescu, in the 1980s, Romania had a secret nuclear-weapons development program, that was stopped after the overthrow of Ceauşescu in 1989. [22]
• South Africa - Produced 6 nuclear weapons in the 1980s but disassembled them in the early 1990s. Possibly tested a low yield device in 1979, perhaps with Israel, over the southern oceans in the Vela Incident. Signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. [23]
• South Korea - Began a nuclear weapons program in the early 1970s, which was believed abandoned after signing NPT in 1975. However there have been allegations that program may have been continued after this date by the military government.[24] In late 2004, the South Korean government disclosed to the IAEA that scientists in South Korea had extracted plutonium in 1982 and enriched uranium to near-weapons grade in 2000. (see South Korean nuclear research programs)
• Sweden - During the 1950s and 1960s, Sweden seriously investigated nuclear weapons, intended to be deployed over costal facilities of an invading enemy (read: the Soviet Union). A very substantial research effort of weapon design and manufacture was conducted resulting in enough knowledge to allow Sweden to manufacture nuclear weapons. A weapon research facility was to be built in Studsvik. Saab made plans for a supersonic nuclear bomber, the A36. However Sweden decided not to pursue a weapon production program and signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• Switzerland - During 1946-1969 Switzerland had a secret nuclear program that came into light in 1995. By 1963 theoretical basics with detailed technical proposals, specific arsenals, and cost estimates for Swiss nuclear armaments were made. This program was, however, abandoned partly because of financial costs and by signing the NPT on November 27, 1969.
• Taiwan - Conducted a nuclear weapon research program in the 1970s. [25] Signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• Yugoslavia - Yugoslavia's nuclear ambitions began as early as 1950s when scientists considered both uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing. In 1956, the Vinca fuel reprocessing site was constructed, followed by research reactors in 1958 and 1959, for which the Soviets provided heavy water and enriched uranium. In 1966, plutonium reprocessing tests began in Vinca laboratories, resulting in gram quantities of reprocessed plutonium. During the 1950s and 1960s there was also cooperation in plutonium processing between Yugoslavia and Norway. In the year 1960 Tito froze the nuclear programme for unknown reasons, but restarted it, after India's first nuclear tests, in 1974. The programme continued even after Tito's death in 1980, divided into two components - for weapons design and civilian nuclear energy, until a decision to stop all nuclear weapons research was made in July 1987. The civilian nuclear programme however resulted in the Krško nuclear power plant in Slovenia, built in 1983, now co-owned by Croatia. During the NATO raids, Vinca has never been hit - Americans were aware of 50 kilograms of highly enriched uranium stored at the site - it may have been a reason for the NATO intervention. After the end of NATO bombings the U.S. government and the Nuclear Threat Initiative transported the HEU to Russia - the place from which Yugoslavia originally acquired it.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Opened for signature July 1, 1968 at New York Entered into force March 5, 1970 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and 40 other signatory states. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 13th is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Fernando Henrique Cardoso (born June 18, 1931) was the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil from January 1, 1995 to January 1, 2003. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air, August 9, 1945. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Hitler’s Bomb (Hitlers Bombe) is a nonfictional book concerning evidence for a possible atomic weapons test in Nazi Germany. ... The German experimental nuclear pile at Haigerloch The German nuclear energy project was an endeavor by scientists during World War II in Nazi Germany to develop nuclear energy and an atomic bomb for practical use. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Osiraq was a 40 MW light water nuclear materials testing reactor (MTR) in Iraq. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Hans Blix Hans Blix  listen? (born June 28, 1928 in Uppsala in Sweden) is a Swedish politician. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air, August 9, 1945. ... Yoshio Nishina The Japanese atomic program was a program by the Empire of Japan to develop a genzai bakudan, an atomic bomb during World War II. The program started around the same time as the U.S. Manhattan Project. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other people named Ceausescu or Ceauşescu, see Ceausescu (disambiguation). ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... Orthographic projection centered on the Prince Edward Islands, the location of the Vela incident The Vela Incident sometimes known as the South Atlantic Flash was a September 22, 1979 event that was perhaps a nuclear weapon test. ... In the autumn of 2004, South Korea publicly revealed for the first time the extent of its highly-secretive nuclear research programs, including some experiments which were conducted without reporting them to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in violation of its status as a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory... SAAB (originally an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan AB, where AB stands for aktiebolaget (corporation)) AB was founded as a Swedish aircraft concern in 1937 in the city of Linköping, in Sweden. ... November 27 is the 331st day (332nd on leap years) of the year. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ... Josip Broz Tito (May 7, 1892 - May 4, 1980) was the ruler of Yugoslavia between the end of World War II and his death in 1980. ... The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) is a an American public charity founded by Ted Turner and Sam Nunn which exists to strengthen global security by reducing the the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and also to reduce the risk that they will actually be used. ... Enriched uranium is uranium whose uranium-235 content has been increased through the process of isotope separation. ...

Other nuclear capable states

Virtually any industrialized nation today has the technical capability to develop nuclear weapons within several years if the decision to do so were made. Nations already possessing substantial nuclear technology and arms industries could do so in no more than a year or two. The larger industrial nations (Japan and Germany for example) could, within several years of deciding to do so, build arsenals rivaling those of the states that already have nuclear weapons. This list below mentions some notable capabilities possessed by certain states that could potentially be turned to the development of nuclear arsenals. It should also be noted that this list represents only strong nuclear capability, not that any political will to develop such weapon would exist. All of the listed countries signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

• Canada - Canada has a well developed nuclear technology base and large uranium reserves. While Canada has the technological capabilities to develop nuclear weapons, there is no hard evidence they are or have ever done so, nor has Canada ever shown the intention to join the nuclear club outright. In the early 1960s, Canada purchased Bomarc missiles from the United States (although to keep Canada a nuclear weapon free zone the plan was to keep the warheads in the US, although even this was too much for the Canadian public and government to agree on, thus the bomarcs were never used nor ever had the intention of being used for nuclear warheads while in Canada)
• Lithuania - Nuclear power reactors produces 77% of energy, has 2 of the world's most powerful reactors in its territory, although one was shut down recently. Due to this, has means of legally acquiring radioacive materials for power plants. Lithuania has former launch sites for Soviet Union missiles in its territory, and possibly people who had jobs related to Soviet nuclear facilities. However, there is no political will to develop nuclear weapons in Lithuania. And the capability might be lost because of EU pressure for the closure of nuclear power plants and the aging of scientists with nuclear knowledge.
• Netherlands - Operates a power reactor at Borsele, producing 452 MW electrical, 5% of its electrical needs. Several Dutch companies are key participants in the tri-national Urenco uranium enrichment consortium. By the year 2000 the Netherlands had about 2 tonnes of separated reactor grade plutonium. There is no evidence about past or present nuclear weapon program in the Netherlands.
• Saudi Arabia - In 2003 members of the government stated that due to the worsening relations with the USA, Saudi Arabia was being forced to consider the development of nuclear weapons. However, so far they have denied that they are making any attempt to produce them. [26] Rumor has it that Pakistan has transferred several nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia, but this is unconfirmed[27].

The Bomarc Missile Program was a joint United States of America-Canada effort during 1957 to 1971 to protect against the USSR bomber threat. ... Borsele is a municipality in the southwestern Netherlands on Zuid_Beveland. ... Almelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. ...

See also

• Nuclear disarmament
• Nuclear proliferation
• Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
• Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
• International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Nuclear disarmament is the proposed undeployment and dismantling of nuclear weapons particularly those the United States and the Soviet Union (later Russia) targeted on each other. ... Map of nuclear nations Nuclear proliferation is the spread from nation to nation of nuclear technology, including nuclear power plants but especially nuclear weapons. ... Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Opened for signature July 1, 1968 at New York Entered into force March 5, 1970 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and 40 other signatory states. ... Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Opened for signature September 10, 1996[1] at New York Entered into force Not yet in force Conditions for entry into force Ratification by all of the following 44 states: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Peoples Republic... International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) is a worldwide grouping of national medical organizations. ...

External links

• Nuclear Threat Initiative
• IPPNW: International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
• Globalsecurity.org - World Special Weapons Guide
• PSR: Physicians for Social Responsibility (USA)