CATALOG OF WORLDWIDE NUCLEAR TESTING

2. AREAS OF NUCLEAR TESTING

The geography of nuclear testing is rather wide, which was caused by political and economic potential of the nuclear-weapon states, specific features of atmospheric, underwater, and underground nuclear tests, and precise objectives of peaceful nuclear explosions. The catalogue contains locations of all nuclear tests. For the convenience of the reader, all areas where nuclear weapons tests and peaceful nuclear explosions were conducted are presented in this section.

2.1. United States of America (1032 nuclear tests)

2.1.1. Nevada test range (NTS). Located in Nevada and occupies an extensive territory of 3500 square kilometers with the characteristic length of 80 km and width of 45 km . Representative geographic coordinates of the NTS are 37 ° North and 116 ° West. Nine hundred and four U.S. nuclear tests (including 100 atmospheric and 804 underground) were conducted at the NTS from 1951 to 1992 (see also Section 2.3).

2.1.2. Japan . Combat uses of nuclear weapons in 1945 (2 atmospheric nuclear explosions) over Hiroshima ( Honshu Island ) and Nagasaki ( Kyushu

Island ).

2.1.3. Bikini Atoll. Located in Polynesia and a part of the Marshall Islands . Geographic coordinates are 11 ° 30' North and 165 ° 30' East. During 1946-1958

23 nuclear tests (including 22 atmospheric and 1 underwater) were carried out.

2.1.4. Enewetak Atoll. Located in Polynesia and a part of the Marshall Islands . Geographic coordinates are 11 ° 35' North and 162 ° 35' East. During 1948-1958 43 nuclear tests (including 41 atmospheric and 2 underwater) were carried out.

2.1.5. Johnston Island . Located in Polynesia . Geographic coordinates are 17 ° 18' North and 169 ° 45' West. Twelve atmospheric nuclear tests took place

from 1958 to 1962.

2.1.6. Christmas Island . Located in Polynesia and one of the Line Islands . Till 1979 it was included in the British protectorate of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, since 1979 - part of the republic of Kiribati . Geographical coordinates are 2 ° North and 157 ° 25' West. In 1962 the United States conducted here 24 atmospheric nuclear tests (see also Section 2.3).

2.1.7. Amchitka Island , Alaska , one of the Aleutian islands . Geographical coordinates are 51 ° 10' North and 178 ° 55' East. Three underground nuclear

tests were carried out from 1965 to 1971.

2.1.8. Continental United States (outside NTS):

• Colorado - 2 underground nuclear tests

• Mississippi - 2 underground nuclear tests

• Nevada - 7 nuclear tests (including 5 atmospheric and 2 underground)

• New Mexico - 3 nuclear tests (including 1 atmospheric and 2 underground)

2.1.9. Pacific Ocean .

2 underwater nuclear tests:

1955. Geographical coordinates 29 ° North and 126 ° West

1962. Geographical coordinates 31 ° 14' North and 124 ° 13' West

2 atmospheric nuclear tests:

1958. Geographical coordinates 12 ° 37' North and 163 ° 01' East, near Enewetak Atoll, Polynesia 1962. Geographical coordinates 4 ° E50' North and 149 ° 25' West, near Christmas Island, Polynesia

2.1.10. Atlantic Ocean .

3 atmospheric (space) nuclear explosions in 1958: Geographical coordinates: 38 ° 30' South and 11 ° 30' West

49 ° 30' South and 8 ° 12' West 48 ° 30' South and 9 ° 42' West

2.2. Soviet Union (715 nuclear tests)

2.2.1. Semipalatinsk test site (STS). Located in the Republic of Kazakhstan (the former Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic) in territory of three regions ( Semipalatinsk , Pavlodar , and Karaganda ). Its 18,450-square kilometer area has a complex configuration with the characteristic length of 180 km and width of 140 km . Representative geographical coordinates of the STS are 50 ° North and 78 ° East. From 1949 to 1989 456 nuclear tests were conducted at the STS, including 116 atmospheric and 340 underground, including 7 peaceful nuclear explosions.

2.2.2. Novaya Zemlya test site (NZTS) is located in the Arkhangelsk region of the Russian Federation (the former Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic ) on the archipelago of Novaya Zemlya . The test site occupies a large territory consisting from two distinct areas of 91,180 square kilometers in total (including 55,205 square kilometers on land). The NZTS is about 670 km long and 140 km wide. Its representative geographical coordinates are 73 ° 30' North and 55 ° East. From 1955 to 1990 130 nuclear tests were conducted at that site, including 88 atmospheric, 3 underwater, and 39 underground.

2.2.3. Missile test range (MTR) is located in the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation in the vicinity of the settlement of Kapustin Yar. From 1957 to 1962 10 atmospheric tests were carried out in missile launches from that site.

2.2.4. During the atmospheric nuclear testing period two more nuclear tests were held outside the territories of the STS, NZTS, and MTR. 1954. The Orenburg region of RSFSR. Military exercises near the village of Totsk .

1956. The Kzyl-Orda region of Kazakh SSR. Near the city of Aralsk .

2.2.5. From 1965 to 1988 117 underground peaceful nuclear explosions were carried out in various regions of the USSR . Their distribution by region is presented in the Table 4.

2.3. Great Britain (45 nuclear tests)

2.3.1. Monte Bello Islands . Located in Western Australia . Geographical coordinates are 20 ° 20' South and 115 ° 32' East. From 1952 to 1956 3 atmospheric nuclear tests were carried out.

2.3.2. Emu Field. Located in South Australia . Geographical coordinates are 28 ° 42' South and 132 ° 21' East. In 1953 2 atmospheric nuclear tests were

carried out.

2.3.3. Maralinga Range . Located in South Australia . Geographical coordinates are 30 ° 10' South and 131 ° 10' East. From 1956 to 1957 7 atmospheric

nuclear tests were carried out.

2.3.4. Maiden Island . Located in Polynesia and a part of the Line Islands . Till 1979 it was included in the British protectorate, since 1979 - part of the republic of Kiribati . Geographical coordinates are 4 ° 15' South and 154 ° 20' West. In 1957 3 atmospheric nuclear tests were carried out.

2.3.5. Christmas Island . Located in Polynesia and a part of the Line Islands (see Section 2.1.6). From 1957 to 1958 Great Britain conducted 6 atmospheric nuclear tests at that site.

2.3.6. Nevada test range of the United States (see Section 2.1.1). From 1962 to 1991 Great Britain conducted 24 underground nuclear tests at the NTS.

2.4. French Republic (210 nuclear tests)

2.4.1. Reggane , Algeria . Geographical coordinates are 26 ° 10' North and 00 ° 05' West. From 1960 to 1961 4 atmospheric nuclear tests were carried out.

2.4.2. Hoggar , Algeria . Geographsical coordinates are 24 ° 03' North and 05 ° 03' East. From 1961 to 1966 13 underground nuclear tests were carried out.

2.4.3. Mururoa Atoll. Located in French Polynesia and a part of the Gambier Islands . Geographical coordinates are 21 ° 50' South and 138 ° 55' West. From 1966 to 1996 179 nuclear tests were carried out, including 42 atmospheric and 137 underground.

2.4.4. Fangataufa Atoll. Located in French Polynesia and a part of the Gambier Islands . Geographical coordinates are 22 ° 15' South and 138 ° 45' West. From 1966 to 1996 14 nuclear tests were carried out, including 4 atmospheric and 10 underground.

2.5. People's Republic of China (47 nuclear tests)

2.5.1 Lop Nur test site. Located in the province of Xinjiang . Geographical coordinates are 41 ° 30' North and 88 ° 30' East. From 1964 to 1996 47 nuclear tusts were conducted at that site, including 23 atmospheric and 24 underground.