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What is the full form of NATO?

By Anushree Goswami Last updated : April 20, 2024

NATO is an abbreviation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is also known as the North Atlantic Alliance, which is a political and military alliance or association between 29 North American and European countries. The organization was established to preserve and protect the freedom and security of the member countries. The organization head office is situated in Brussels, Belgium.

On 4 April 1949, NATO was founded with the principle of combined and cooperative defense which signifies an attack on any of its member countries will be taken as an attack on all allies.

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO

NATO Purpose

The most significant goal of NATO is to preserve and protect the freedom of its member countries. However, in modern times, with the changing expression of war, it has to develop its purpose and it has resolute that it will also make safe and protect the member countries from terrorism, cyber-attacks, and weapons of mass destruction.

NATO Brief History

• In 1949, NATO was founded, after World War II, when the United States and numerous European countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty to unite against enemies.
• In 1949, It began only with 12 member countries; Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, and the United States.
• In 1952, Greece and Turkey joined the organization.
• In 1955, it was joined by West Germany.
• In 1982, Spain joined the Organization.
• In 1997, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland were invited to join the organization.
• In 2004, one year after NATO took authority and control of the United Nations-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), it was joined by seven countries; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
• In 2009, Albania and Croatia turned out to be its members.

NATO Organizations and agencies

The organizations and agencies of NATO comprise:

• Head Offices for the NATO Support Agency will be in Capellen Luxembourg.
• The NATO Communications and Information Agency Head Offices will be in Brussels, as will the very small employees which will create the new NATO Procurement Agency.
• A new NATO Science and Technology (S&T) Organization will be created before July 2012, comprised of Chief Scientist, a Programme Office for Collaborative S&T, and the NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC).
• The present NATO Standardization Agency will carry on and be subject to review by Spring 2014.