North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Definition

Military alliance formed between 26 nations to enforce the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949. NATO was originally formed to combat the spread of communism, but has grown since then to provide a mutual defense from external threats. As of 2008, NATO is made up of these nations: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. The organization is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.