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This map shows how enormous US military spending really is

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

It’s no surprise that the US military is a mighty organization, but this map, found in Bank of America’s “Transforming World” atlas, dramatizes exactly how enormous our defense budget is in context:

Not only does the US defense budget equal about half the world’s total military spending, but a huge chunk of the rest of the total is spent by close American allies. Russia’s military spending, for example, is dwarfed by the combined commitments of the UK, France, and Germany. North Korea’s military spending looks like a tiny pimple sitting on the top of South Korea’s head.

Watch: Why does the US have 800 military bases around the world?

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