FACTBOX - How much is $700 billion?

(Reuters) - Shockwaves from the global credit crisis spread on Thursday, threatening industry and jobs worldwide and putting pressure on the U.S. Congress to pass a $700 billion (397 billion pound) bailout of the U.S. financial sector.

But how much is $700 billion -- what can it buy? Compared to the debt of the United States, which the U.S. Treasury has asked to increase to $11.315 trillion to fund the plan, it doesn't seem much.

Here are a few of the things that can be done with $700 billion:

-- The United States has spent more than $800 billion on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

-- Just 12 Bill Gateses could foot the bail-out bill. The Microsoft founder tops Forbes' U.S. rich list with a personal fortune estimated at $57 billion.

-- Collectively, the 400 richest Americans have a net worth of $1.57 trillion, or roughly twice the value of the bail-out.

-- $700 billion is roughly equal to the GDP of Netherlands, or five times that of Pakistan.

-- It is only $100 billion short of the combined GDP of all of Africa.

-- It is only $78 billion more than the 2007 U.S. defence budget.