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Logo of the NATO – Image Source:

10 Things to know about the NATO

NATO, which stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a political and military alliance of 30 North American and European countries. It was forme4 in the wake of World War 2 with the purpose of protecting and upholding democratic freedom.

Since its formation, NATO has been a key pillar in ensuring the freedom and security of all its members through both political and military means. It is also the largest military alliance in the world, with more than 3 million military personnel at its disposal.

Here are 10 things you need to know about NATO

1. It was founded in 1949

NATO Headquarters – Photo Source:

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established by the United States, Canada, and several  European nations with the purpose of providing collective security against the communist Soviet Union which they viewed as a  Security threat in post-war Europe.

The Treaty was signed in Washington D.C. on 4 April 1949 by 12 founding members who consisted of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States

2. It was formed to deter the Soviet expansionism

Due to the Second World War, which had ravaged  Europe for over six years, most European countries became significantly weakened both economically and militarily.

In contrast, the communist Soviet Union emerged from the war much stronger which encouraged Communist groups to start threatening elected governments in Europe.

Alarmed and too weak to defend themselves individually against the Soviet Union, several  European countries joined the United States of America and Canada to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This was to deter Soviet expansionism and suppress various communist groups which were rapidly spreading across Europe.

3. It has 30 Members

NATO Members and Dates of Accession – Image Source:

NATO has thirty members, mainly in Europe and North America, with some having territories in other continents. Twelve of them are original members who founded the organization in 1949, while the other eighteen joined in one of eight enlargement rounds.

They are  Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United States.

 4. All NATO decisions are made through Consensus

All decisions in NATO are made through consensus which means there is no voting that takes place to reach any decision. No matter how long it takes, Consultations take place until a conclusion acceptable to all Members is reached.

Under Article 4 of NATO鈥檚 founding treaty, Member countries are free to disagree on particular issues, but the issue must be discussed among the members until an agreement is reached which then becomes the common decision of the organization.

5. 鈥淎n attack on one Member state, is an attack on all鈥�

鈥淎n attack on one is an attack on all鈥� is a basic principle within NATO鈥檚 operations manual. The principle is enshrined in article 5 of the organization鈥檚 treaty which commits that each member state should consider an attack on one member state,  as an attack on them all.

Upon such an attack, each member state is to assist by taking any action deemed necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of its members.

The principle has been invoked only once in NATO history. This was after the September 11 attacks on the United States when NATO determined that the attacks were indeed eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty.

6. Member states have equal rights

Although NATO is comprised of 30 independent countries that are not equal in terms of military or economic power, every member country has an equal say in discussions and decisions.

This means that the united states with an estimated half a million active-duty Military Personnel have equal rights same as Iceland which has no active standing army.

7. It has no its own Military Forces

NATO military conference – Photo Source:

Although NATO is largely a military-structured organization, it does not have its own permanent army. However, it has a number of standing forces on active duty that contribute to the Alliance鈥檚 collective defense on a permanent basis.

This multinational, integrated force is ready to act when called upon and is continuously available to perform tasks ranging from participating in joint military exercises to conducting NATO missions.

The standing forces also conduct sea and air policing missions in the territories of member states who are not capable to do so on their own.

8. It is funded by its own Members

NATO is funded through direct and indirect contributions from its members. All member countries contribute towards the organization鈥檚 operations using an agreed cost-sharing formula based on each member鈥檚 Gross national income.

The funds are used to cover the organization鈥檚 operating costs such as paying Salaries for its staff and other costs related to maintaining its operations. 

9. It maintains an Open-door Policy

Since its establishment in 1949, NATO has maintained an open-door policy. The policy is based upon article 10 of the organization鈥檚 treaty which states that any European country is free to join the alliance.

The article also sets out the guideline by which a new member may join. For example,  the guidelines dictate that an aspiring member must be approved by all existing members, uphold democracy and make progress toward a market economy. 

Currently, NATO currently has three candidate countries that are in the process of joining the alliance: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, and Sweden.

10. It has been involved in various Military Operations

NATO E-3A Sentry plane – Photo Source:

Although it was not involved in any military operations during the Cold War, NATO has now conducted a number of military operations in the last 40 years. It was involved in the Bosnian War of 1992, military strikes against Serbia in 1999 during the Kosovo war, and the War in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.

NATO was also involved in the Libyan Civil War in 2011 where its military strikes killed former Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi. It was also involved in the Syrian civil war after   Syrian forces shelled Turkish cities in October 2012.