Buzz
The majority of nuclear testing sites are situated in remote, often obscure locations, far from densely populated areas and under public scrutiny. While these sites occasionally make headlines during detonations, they are seldom known beyond the name. The nuclear club now boasts seven members, each having once sought out isolated regions to conduct their tests. Some countries, lacking sufficient remote terrain, had to rely on international cooperation or take over distant regions, despite objections from neighboring nations. After testing concludes, the real issue arises—what to do next? The aftermath of nuclear testing has proven to be a headache for all involved. Here’s a list of the top 10 nuclear test locations.
10. Koh Kambaran
Pakistan, the latest addition to the nuclear club, experienced a significant delay between developing nuclear weapons and conducting tests. While Pakistan likely had nuclear capabilities as early as 1983, its first nuclear test only occurred in May 1998. Koh Kambaran had been identified as a testing location in 1976. Situated in Baluchistan Province, the site was selected due to its granite mountain ranges, which provided at least a kilometer of protection between the underground explosions and the surface. The area’s sparse population mainly consists of nomadic herders. In the late 1970s, a 1 km tunnel was constructed beneath the site. Due to political turmoil, Pakistan's nuclear tests were delayed, and it wasn’t until May 28, 1998 that five nuclear devices were detonated in a single afternoon underground. This test, named Chagai-1, followed India’s nuclear detonation earlier that month. Pakistani officials claimed the largest device had a yield of up to 40 kilotons, although Western estimates suggest it was less than 20 kilotons. Although Pakistan has since conducted tests at other locations, Koh Kambaran and Chagai-1 are etched in the country’s history, with May 28 now commemorated as Day of National Greatness.
9. Maralinga
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the British faced the challenge of finding a suitable location within the British Isles to conduct nuclear tests. With a vast, though diminishing, Empire at their disposal, they turned to distant territories. Among various sites chosen for testing, the most contentious was their agreement with the pro-Imperial Australian government to test in the Australian Outback. Two locations in South Australia, Maralinga and Emu Field, were selected. Emu Field hosted two tests in 1953 before operations moved permanently to Maralinga. The problem of the existing Aboriginal population was 'solved' by forcibly relocating the native people to another community, though they would often return to their original homes. In 1956 and 1957, two major rounds of tests took place, including the first-ever dropping of a nuclear device from an RAF aircraft. Testing continued until 1963, with clean-up efforts lasting until 1967, but the site remained highly radioactive. In the 1980s, controversy erupted when Aboriginal groups, along with Australian and British veterans exposed to radiation, began showing symptoms of diseases linked to radiation. A major clean-up effort was launched, and in 2000, the area was declared safe for visits, though not for permanent settlement. Both the British and Australian governments paid substantial compensation to those affected, but the Aboriginal people were never allowed to return to their ancestral land.
8. Pokhran
India began its nuclear development following the 1962 border conflict with China and several subsequent confrontations with Pakistan. The state of Rajasthan's Pokhran was selected as the test site in the late 1960s. Although the Indian government initially described the area as a remote desert, it was located near a populated region. Pokhran had around 15,000 residents when India carried out its first nuclear test at a nearby army base in September 1974. This test, called Pokhran-1, produced an explosion with an estimated yield of 8 kilotons. Despite facing global criticism, India declared its nuclear pursuits were aimed solely at peaceful energy and insisted it would not build nuclear weapons. It wasn’t until May 11, 1998 that India conducted a second round of tests, designated Pokhran-2, which involved four nuclear detonations. On May 13, a thermonuclear device was also tested. According to Western reports, none of these tests achieved the expected results, leading India to cancel plans for further nuclear tests. While there are claims that India has dismantled its testing infrastructure at Pokhran, the government neither confirms nor denies this. The site remains heavily restricted and is inaccessible to foreign observers. Any information regarding the potential impact of these tests on the local population has been kept secret by the Indian government.
7. Bikini Atoll
Though the United States conducted numerous nuclear tests at various sites, Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands stands out as perhaps the most famous test site, partly due to the extensive film and photographic documentation available to the public. The atoll is also linked to the invention of the bikini, the two-piece swimsuit, which coincided with the start of nuclear tests here. Bikini was chosen in late 1945 as a new test site after the Trinity test in New Mexico, where the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were developed. The native population was relocated to a nearby island, with promises of a return in three months. On July 1, 1946, the first peacetime nuclear detonation occurred, targeting 250 obsolete and captured warships. Any ships that survived the blast were subjected to a second explosion a month later. From 1946 to 1954, approximately 20 tests were conducted. In 1957, the islands were declared safe, and some residents were allowed to return, only to be forced to leave once more due to radiation sickness. Today, the islands remain uninhabitable, although the area has become a popular diving destination for those exploring the sunken warships from the early tests. However, the site remains so contaminated that fish caught nearby are unsafe for consumption. Bikini Atoll was designated a World Heritage site in 2010.
6. Kiritimati
Kiritimati, formerly known as Christmas Island, is perhaps the only nuclear test site where two different nations have conducted weapon tests. Located in the remote Pacific Ocean, nearly equidistant between Australia and North America, it is part of the Republic of Kiribati. In 1957, Britain chose the island as a test site for its hydrogen bomb, conducting further tests in 1958 before abandoning the location. In 1962, the US took over and detonated 22 nuclear devices before ceasing operations in 1969. Despite the extensive testing, the island’s small population remained, and many locals, as well as servicemen from Britain, New Zealand, and the US, have reported radiation-related health issues, including cancer. However, the population of Kiritimati has grown significantly since the tests, and the local flora and fauna continue to thrive.
5. Lop Nur
China's first nuclear test took place in the isolated marshland of Lop Nur, located in the Bayingolin Autonomous Mongol Province, in October 1964. Known as Test 596, it had a yield of 22 kilotons. Over the years, China conducted 44 additional tests in the region—22 atmospheric and 22 underground—before halting all nuclear testing in 1996. Among the detonations was China’s first hydrogen bomb in 1967. The Chinese government has never disclosed the effects of the tests on the local population or the environment. The area is of particular interest due to its proximity to the Tarim mummies, whose remains date back to 1800 BC, along with significant remnants of their ancient civilization. Despite this, the Chinese government has not permitted foreign observers at the site, and it remains closed to both locals and tourists.
4. Mururoa
Mururoa, perhaps the most controversial nuclear test site in history, became the epicenter of international conflict when France chose to conduct its nuclear tests there. Situated in the remote French Polynesia, tensions soared with neighboring Pacific nations, especially Australia and New Zealand, due to these tests. Although France utilized multiple islands for its nuclear activities, the focus primarily remained on Mururoa Atoll and its nearby Fangataufa Atoll. Between 1966 and 1996, France conducted 41 atmospheric and 147 underground tests at these locations. New Zealand, a nation that had declared itself a nuclear-free zone, vehemently opposed the tests, even dispatching a naval force in protest. Environmental concerns grew when it was revealed that continued underground testing was causing cracks in the coral base of the islands, potentially leaking radioactive material into the Pacific Ocean. The conflict reached a dramatic point in 1985 when French agents bombed a Greenpeace vessel in Auckland Harbour, killing one individual. Eventually, under intense global pressure, France announced an end to its nuclear testing in the Pacific. The final test took place in January 1996, after which the site was dismantled. However, the Mururoa Atoll remains a sensitive location, with ongoing concerns about dangerous levels of radioactivity and inadequate monitoring systems implemented by the French.
3. Nevada Test Site
Welcome to the most nuked place on Earth. Between 1951 and 1992, a staggering 928 nuclear tests were conducted within a 3500 square kilometer area in Nevada, just 107 kilometers north of Las Vegas, with over 800 of them being underground detonations. This area, now a site marked by numerous subsidence craters, was once a surprising attraction for tourists. In the early days, mobsters trying to build the Las Vegas gambling industry offered tourists the opportunity to witness nuclear explosions. Thousands of photographs and films captured these tests, spreading worldwide. Even movie productions were filmed amid the dust and fallout of nuclear detonations. However, as the adverse health effects became clear, the site quickly transitioned from a tourist draw to a serious public health concern. It's been revealed that cancer rates in the surrounding area are almost double that of the U.S. average, with a notable increase in childhood leukemia. Since 1982, numerous lawsuits have been filed against the U.S. government for health-related damages, with over $500 million already paid out in compensation. The ultimate cost of health-related issues stemming from the Nevada Test Site is estimated to exceed $5 billion. In 2009, the site was officially ranked as the second most radioactive place on Earth after Chernobyl, with some areas having radiation levels higher than those in Hiroshima and Nagasaki right after the A-bombs were dropped.
2. Semipalatinsk
Once the primary location for Soviet nuclear testing, Semipalatinsk has been under the jurisdiction of Kazakhstan since 1991, leaving the country to contend with the legacy of significant health and environmental issues that could take generations to fully assess. Between 1949 and 1981, the Soviets conducted a staggering 465 nuclear tests at this site. Originally constructed during the Stalin era with forced labor from the gulags, Semipalatinsk was the location of Russia's first nuclear detonation in 1949. Due to the site's strategic significance, it was closely monitored by the West, especially the U.S., which conducted numerous U2 surveillance flights and spy satellite missions. In response, the Soviets moved much of their infrastructure underground to evade aerial observation. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the site was handed over to Kazakhstan, a signatory of the Central Asian Nuclear Free Zone treaty, which has since refrained from using the site for nuclear testing. However, the health impacts of the testing, including higher-than-average cancer rates among some 220,000 local residents, will continue to be a major concern for Kazakh authorities for many years.
1. Novaya Zemlya
This isolated, frigid island located above the Arctic Circle was the site of 224 nuclear tests by the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1990. Its most notable event occurred in 1961 when it hosted the largest nuclear explosion ever recorded, with a yield surpassing 100 megatons. However, due to its extreme remoteness and inhospitable conditions, it was never as popular for testing as the Semipalatinsk site in Kazakhstan. The final detonation here took place in 1990, just before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, though the Russian Federation has continued to conduct low-level nuclear tests without full detonations at the site. The small indigenous population, forcibly relocated in 1954, has never been allowed to return to their ancestral land.
