NATO is a defensive alliance of 32 countries from Europe and North America. Its mission is to defend its member countries and their one billion citizens. Founded in the aftermath of World War II, NATO was established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.

Understanding the Context

The organization serves as a system of collective security and deterrence, whereby its independent members agree to defend each-other from attack by any outside party. At present, NATO has 32 member countries. These countries, called NATO Allies, are sovereign states that come together through NATO to discuss political and security issues and make collective decisions by consensus. NATO was created by 12 countries from Europe and North America on 4 April 1949.

Key Insights

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states from Europe and North America. It was established at the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. Of the 32 member countries, 30 are in Europe and 2 are in North America. NATO is a military alliance that, at its establishment in 1949, sought to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in central and eastern Europe after World War II. It was reconceived as a “cooperative-security” organization after the Cold War ended.

Final Thoughts

It currently has 32 members. Follow the latest on NATO, including summit coverage, policy and developments across member states. Get comprehensive coverage on Reuters. See the latest on NATO. From breaking news to in-depth reporting, Bloomberg tracks the full story in real time. NATO, Brussels.

2,506,659 likes 39,942 talking about this 27,915 were here. Official Facebook page of NATO - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization -...