According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute for the year 2016, which country, with military spending of about 55.9 billion United States dollars, became the world's fifth largest military spender?

Introduction / Context:
Military expenditure is an important indicator in international relations and defence studies. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute regularly publishes data on how much each country spends on its armed forces. Questions based on this data often test whether candidates can recall key rankings, such as which country became the fifth largest military spender in a particular year.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The year under consideration is 2016.
• The military spending figure is about 55.9 billion United States dollars.
• The question asks which country became the world's fifth largest military spender with this amount.

Concept / Approach:
In 2016, the top military spenders included the United States, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and India. The United States was the largest spender, followed by China and others. According to the referenced figure of 55.9 billion dollars, the country that ranked fifth in that year was India. Thus, in exams, when you see 55.9 billion and fifth largest spender for 2016, it should immediately point to India.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the basic ranking of countries by military spending in 2016.Step 2: Recognise that the United States, China and Russia were among the top three, while Saudi Arabia and India were also high spenders.Step 3: Remember the specific figure of roughly 55.9 billion dollars being associated with India's defence budget.Step 4: Match this figure and the description of being the fifth largest spender to India.Step 5: Choose India as the correct answer from the given options.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you cannot recall the exact figure, you can still reason that the United States and China would be ranked first and second with much higher budgets, and Russia and Saudi Arabia would be above India. By elimination, when you know that India was often discussed as entering the top five in recent years, you can confirm that India occupied the fifth position with that approximate level of spending.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
China: China was one of the top spenders, but its budget was significantly higher than 55.9 billion dollars; it ranked second, not fifth.
United States of America: The United States was the largest military spender with a very large budget, far beyond the figure in the question.
Russia: Russia was among the top spenders, but its rank and spending did not match the combination of 55.9 billion and fifth place described here.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia has high defence spending, yet in the 2016 ranking the specific figure and position for the fifth largest spender are associated with India rather than Saudi Arabia.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse exact rankings across different years or mix up the positions of India and Saudi Arabia, because both countries appear frequently in top spenders lists. To avoid such confusion, it is helpful to focus on the key association that in 2016, with spending around 55.9 billion United States dollars, India was reported as the fifth largest military spender according to SIPRI data.

Final Answer:
The country that became the world's fifth largest military spender in 2016 with about 55.9 billion dollars of military expenditure was India.