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Countries Where a Nuclear Weapon Has Exploded

Can you name the modern-day countries in whose territory a nuclear weapon has been detonated?
Including in the air above or the ground below a country
Quiz by
interopia
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Last updated: May 14, 2025
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First submittedMay 14, 2025
Times taken53,882
Average score62.5%
Rating4.97
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Country
Algeria
Australia
China
France
India
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
North Korea
Pakistan
Russia
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United States
Uzbekistan
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60 Comments
Quizmaster
+22
Level ∞
May 14, 2025
Note: this quiz has existed since 2021 and is the earliest one on the topic. Due to technical issues the date displayed is incorrect. Sorry about that.
AlmostAGenius
+21
Level 89
May 14, 2025
Interesting quiz. I didn’t realize just how many places nukes have been tested. This does make me wonder if there’s any sites that have been tested at that we don’t know about though.
toowise
+9
Level 81
May 14, 2025
There is bound to be some, they're a secretive lot these politicians you know.
AlmostAGenius
+4
Level 89
May 14, 2025
Yeah, unfortunately we can’t trust our politicians, but if I understand correctly, nuclear tests are often uncovered by to atmospheric readings, which I imagine are pretty hard to hide from the whole world given our current technological state. Maybe some countries have found a good way to hide it, but I actually am doubting it a little bit, but my knowledge of nuclear physics is pretty limited.
FlabberBapper
+15
Level 77
May 14, 2025
There hasn't been any atmospheric tests since the last done by China in the 70s. Since then all have been underground tests, which are impossible to go undetected today due to the seismic technology we have, same stuff we use to detect earthquakes.
TurkeyCookTime
+50
Level 85
May 14, 2025
There was potentially a secret test in South Africa in the 70s. A satellite picked up a double flash over the Prince Edward Islands that was consistent with nuclear tests. It was thought to be a joint test between Israel and South Africa, but neither country has admitted to it.
dumBunny
+5
Level 61
May 22, 2025
This is scary but cool visualization of every nuke explosion..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY&list=FLxE8SxcY3vlaYkcbLtcfQzQ&index=6

Maxibon
+37
Level 73
May 14, 2025
Nice quiz, I think a caveat should be added about the Vela incident as it could cause South Africa to be included.
carlonian
+8
Level 72
May 14, 2025
Nice timing, considering that Pakistan had a "small" nuclear mishap a few days ago ;)
JetPunker180
+2
Level 54
May 27, 2025
I don't know what makes you think that when everybody denies that, wether friends, enemies or neutral bodies.
zimny
+21
Level 71
May 14, 2025
Why this was updated? WHY? XD
cornflakesfu
+16
Level 89
May 14, 2025
QM giving us all heart attacks lol.
ogunir
+18
Level 67
May 14, 2025
I just saw this got updated and got a little scared
FlabberBapper
+35
Level 77
May 14, 2025
As what any rational person would do upon first hearing the news of if there was a nuclear explosion, it is to update a quiz on JetPunk.
McKenzieFam
+32
Level 68
May 15, 2025
No, we'd first edit the Wikipedia page, then the JetPunk quiz
JetPunker180
+1
Level 54
May 27, 2025
Wikipedia has many bots to do that for you.
Djilas
+6
Level 86
May 14, 2025
Interesting that Algeria is the least known.
Elboy
+14
Level 75
May 15, 2025
Even in France, most people are unaware of the country in which our own nuclear tests were conducted.
Quizmaster
+15
Level ∞
May 15, 2025
If you had to test nukes, the uninhabited interior of Algeria seems like the perfect place to do it.
zayd05
+30
Level 55
May 15, 2025
tell that to the thousands of algerians affected by the testings
Elboy
+16
Level 75
May 16, 2025
Algerians, but also malians and chadians.
cmr0
+6
Level 73
May 22, 2025
So if France didn't have colonies, it couldn't really test its nuclear weapons unless they were underground.
interopia
+17
Level 90
May 22, 2025
France tested in French Polynesia.
LuckyCat
+8
Level 72
May 22, 2025
France has so many territories it could throw nukes onto
McKenzieFam
+2
Level 68
May 15, 2025
Great quiz!
Emchupi
+16
Level 77
May 15, 2025
What about 1966 Palomares, Spain?

4 bombs were dropped after an accident. 2 of which partially detonated (not nuclear explosion, but the plutonium in them combusted instantly...)

I would add Spain. Maybe as a fixed answer in grey, already showing from the beginning, so that people can learn about this "fun fact" :)

Pontiac
+2
Level 62
Mar 17, 2026
They did not explode tho.
Jorissie
+3
Level 94
May 15, 2025
UK and Israel are also supposed to have nuclear bombs but they arent in this list. Is this because they never tested them, they tested them in other countries (like Australia, Kiribati and Marshall islands) or because those tests don't count for this quiz?
Philippelebel
+17
Level 79
May 15, 2025
According to Wikipedia, the UK tested in Australia, the US and Kiribati.

Israel may have tested in South Africa (Vela incident).

FlabberBapper
+7
Level 77
May 22, 2025
Correct, this isn't a quiz about which countries possess nuclear weapons, for that there is a different featured quiz. This is simply were nukes have gone off.
Zefyrinus
+2
Level 74
May 22, 2025
I thought Israel tested its bombs in the Negev desert. Am I misremembering?
Nestormakhno
+2
Level 79
Sep 30, 2025
Yes you misremember. Israel famously tested nuclear bombs with help of apartheid South Africa in the Vela incident.
DonTheLamplighter
+4
Level 87
May 17, 2025
" 'The Lord's our shepherd,' says the psalm. But just in case, we better get a bomb." - Tom Lehrer
FlabberBapper
+4
Level 77
May 22, 2025
There will be no more misery, when the world is our rotisserie. - Tom Lehrer
RobMaBoy
+2
Level 45
May 22, 2025
What was the incident in Ukraine? I can't seem to find the record of a nuclear weapon test in Ukraine.
Lama
+7
Level 56
May 22, 2025
According to the lists of Soviet nuclear tests on Wikipedia, there was an explosion in Kharkiv Oblast on July 9, 1972 with the goal of exstinguishing an underground oil fire.

The second explosion was "Klivazh" on September 16, 1979 in Donetsk Oblast. There, the explosion was conducted in order to stop gas leakage into a coal mine. Normal operations continued the next day. In 2018 the mine was flooded by Russian forces and now poses the risk of contaminating waterways.

PhilDaBirdMan
+1
Level 55
Sep 3, 2025
CHERNOBYL????
Vivelageo
+2
Level 43
Sep 22, 2025
Define 'weapon'
Mumzerz
+1
Level 62
May 22, 2025
I beleive that nuclear weapon tests were conducted in the Kalahari desert in south Africa for their nuclear program
Si2
+5
Level 66
May 22, 2025
From what I've read, it seems the plans to test atomic weapons at Vastrap were abandoned after discovery by Soviet and US intelligence, as well as threats by the French to void their reactor contracts.

But, it does seem South Africa ought to be on the list at least for the Vela incident.

Thomiqq
+6
Level 47
May 22, 2025
I forgot Japan 💀💀💀
obzies
+2
Level 40
Aug 12, 2025
...that...is...concerning...
dumBunny
+1
Level 61
May 22, 2025
Good Quiz. I had seen this video and i was trying to play it in my head - forgot some still.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY

dumBunny
+3
Level 61
May 22, 2025
At one point, didn't Israel and South Africa both have the bomb? I'm guessing neither one tested them.
Nestormakhno
+2
Level 79
Jan 8, 2026
They both tested on the prince edward islands of South Africa in 1979, not sure why it’s not on the quiz
dumBunny
+4
Level 61
May 22, 2025
Fun Factoid:

The US Army originally wanted the nuclear tests to take place on the outer banks of North Carolina. It was remote, very few people, and the winds would carry the radiation across the Atlantic where it would have thousands of miles to dissipate.

What saved them was the historic significance of Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers made their first powered flight.

ObiwanKenobite
+1
Level 40
May 22, 2025
hey great quiz, you could have accepted marshall for marshall islands!
aestheticdirt
+5
Level 53
May 22, 2025
If “marshall” didn’t work, wouldn’t the next logical step be to add “islands”?
orezza
+4
Level 39
May 22, 2025
nuclear test in algerian desert is quite famous in france
dumBunny
+6
Level 61
May 23, 2025
Algeria, too, i imagine!
Timbo
+3
Level 68
May 22, 2025
lmao forgot about Japan.....
GeographyFire15
+1
Level 35
May 22, 2025
What about Mexico, because America had tested their nuclear forces there
FlabberBapper
+1
Level 77
May 22, 2025
We have in the new version of it, not the old edition though
SP3NC3RRR
+3
Level 21
May 24, 2025
I'm surprised Japan is only 98% and not 100% ...
Cooldude185
+1
Level 60
Aug 28, 2025
I got Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, but not India or Pakistan..
PadClaw
+1
Level 17
Dec 16, 2025
Cool
HectorLysander
+1
Level 37
Feb 27, 2026
Drat! Missed Kiribati.
Snoflakes
+1
Level 73
Mar 3, 2026
Wait, are we counting Chernobyl for Ukraine or am I unaware of Soviet tests on Ukrainian soil?
interopia
+1
Level 90
Mar 3, 2026
They did weapons testing on Ukrainian soil.
Pontiac
+2
Level 62
Mar 17, 2026
If anyone is wondering why the Marshall Islands are on here, the US tested nuclear bombs at Bikini Atoll when it was a US Territory. It is now the Marshall Islands.
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