What you need to know about nuclear weapons

Did you know that there are just over 15,000 nuclear weapons in the world and multiple ways that countries can deploy them?

A single 1 megaton hydrogen bomb is enough to destroy 40 square miles, or about 100 square kilometers, and can potentially wipe out the largest cities on Earth.

How many countries have nuclear weapons? Five nations are recognized in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Those are: the U.S., Russia, Great Britain, China and France. However, there are an additional four countries which aren’t recognized or just don’t admit to having nuclear weapons. They are Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea.

The vast majority of nuclear weapons are held by the U.S. and Russia with each country possessing a stockpile of over 7,000 warheads, down from the peak of the Cold War era when there were around 70,000 nuclear weapons around the world.

So how fast can a nuclear strike happen? Most of these weapons can be deployed, for example between the U.S. and Russia in 15 to 30 minutes.

Countries justify having nuclear weapons based on self defense. Even North Korea claims that they need their nuclear weapons to keep the United States from invading.

Today the number of nuclear powers is nine 9 and counting. Who do you want to have the nuke codes next year?