Diplomatic bloc
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
North Atlantic Treaty Organization — 32-member transatlantic defensive alliance.
Members
32
Founded
1949
Headquarters
Brussels, Belgium
What is the NATO?
NATO is a transatlantic military alliance of 32 member states from North America and Europe. Its founding principle is collective defence: under Article 5 of the 1949 Washington Treaty, an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all.
Key facts
- Full name
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Founded
- 1949 · Established by the Washington Treaty
- Headquarters
- Brussels, Belgium
- Member states
- 32
- Collective defence
- Article 5 — an attack on one is an attack on all
- Newest members
- Finland (2023), Sweden (2024)
NATO member states
32 countries
Albania
ALB
Belgium
BEL
Bulgaria
BGR
Canada
CAN
Croatia
HRV
Czech Republic
CZE
Denmark
DNK
Estonia
EST
Finland
FIN
France
FRA
Germany
DEU
Greece
GRC
Hungary
HUN
Iceland
ISL
Italy
ITA
Latvia
LVA
Lithuania
LTU
Luxembourg
LUX
Montenegro
MNE
Netherlands
NLD
North Macedonia
MKD
Norway
NOR
Poland
POL
Portugal
PRT
Romania
ROU
Slovakia
SVK
Slovenia
SVN
Spain
ESP
Sweden
SWE
Türkiye
TUR
United Kingdom
GBR
United States
USA
Why the NATO matters
NATO is the world's most powerful military alliance and a central actor in European security. It expanded after the Cold War and again recently, with Finland joining in 2023 and Sweden in 2024 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Related blocs & alliances
EU27
2727-member political and economic union with a single market and shared institutions.
P5
5The five permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto power.
G7
7Industrialised democracies that coordinate global economic and security policy.
OECD
38Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development — 38 high-income democracies.
Frequently asked questions about the NATO
Quick answers to the most common questions about the NATO.
What does NATO stand for?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance founded in 1949 by the Washington Treaty.
What is Article 5?
Article 5 is NATO's collective-defence clause: an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all. It has been invoked once, after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
How many members does NATO have?
32, following the accession of Finland in 2023 and Sweden in 2024.
Where is NATO headquartered?
In Brussels, Belgium, which hosts the alliance's political headquarters and the North Atlantic Council.
Research the NATO with Model Diplomat
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