Mapping US Nuclear Targets

During the 1950's the United States identified 1,100 locations around the world as targets for nuclear weapons. These included locations in Eastern Europe, Russia, China, and North Korea. These targets also included a number of cities with large urban populations, including Beijing, Moscow, Leningrad, East Berlin and Warsaw.

The Future of Life Institute has created an interactive map which shows all U.S. nuclear targets in 1956. The targets have been revealed through a recently declassified list published by the National Security Archives. To create the interactive map of 1100 Declassified U.S. Nuclear Targets the Future of Life Institute partnered with NukeMap. Using NukeMap's nuclear weapon simulation model the map is able to not only show the 1,100 nuclear targets but also to show you the likely destruction that would be caused if any of these targets had actually been bombed.

If you select a target on the map an information window opens which includes a 'Detonate' button. If you press the detonate button you can view the likely fireball radius and radiation radius of a nuclear strike at this location. You can also view the number of estimated fatalities and injuries from such a nuclear strike.