History of Nuclear Testing

Found this on a blog I read:

http://www.informationdissemination.net/2010/07/history-of-nuclear-testing.html#disqus_thread

Its a ~14 minute video showing the locations of nuclear tests from 1945-1998. In that period it shows 2,053 tests, including the Hiroshima and Nagasaki warshots. Per wikipedia, some of those represent multiple detonations.

Myself, I had no idea that during that period we averaged three tests a month, weighted heavily towards the middle and latter part of that period.

I'm not as surprised that the US lead in tests - 1,030, not counting the two warshots. I'm quite surprised that France is as far up as they are - 210 tests; more than twice as many as the UK, China, India, and Pakistan combined (and some of the UK tests were in the continental US).

The possible Israeli test isn't shown, and since this is only up to 1998 North Korea's tests aren't included.

There have been over 500 tests in my lifetime.