WASHINGTON, Feb 15: There are more than 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world and all but 300 in the hands of the five recognized nuclear powers, says a recent estimate published by a US weapons research organization.

The Washington-based Arms Control Association estimates that the United States possesses about 6,000 nuclear weapons, Russia 5,000, France 350, China 300 and Britain less than 200.

These five nations are recognized as nuclear powers under the 1968 nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT0. The United States was the first to acquire nuclear capability in 1945, followed by Russia in 1949, Britain in 1952, France in 1960 and China in 1964.

The US is also said to have some 3,000 warheads in reserve, while Russia has about 11,000 in non-operational stockpiles. Commenting on America's nuclear program at a recent seminar at the ACA, David Hobson, a Republican Congressman from Ohio, said: "When we want countries such as Iran and North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons development, it is hypocritical for the United States to embark on new weapons and testing initiatives."

The Arms Control Association estimates India to have between 45 and 95 nuclear warheads, Pakistan, 30 and 50, and Israel, 75 and 200. The Central Intelligence Agency says that North Korea, which this week announced it was pulling out of multilateral talks on its nuclear activities, has one or two nuclear weapons.

The ACA says Pyongyang also has sufficient spent nuclear fuel that could be reprocessed into fissile material for as many as six nuclear bombs.