User:DecafPotato/drafts/Member states of NATO

The member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2024

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states in Europe and North America.

Background

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance. Established in 1949 with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C., NATO's goal was to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union in Europe. The North Atlantic Treaty stipulated that an armed attack on a NATO member state would be considered an attack against all members, provided that it occurred in the European and North American mainlands, islands above the Tropic of Cancer, Turkey, or French Algeria.

Accession process

NATO had 12 member states when it was formed in 1949; four more members joined throughout the course of the Cold War. Since the disestablishment of its chief rival, the Warsaw Pact, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, membership has doubled from 16 states to 32 states. While two members of the alliance—the United States and Canada—are located in North America, membership in NATO is open to only European states "in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area." A state can accede to NATO only with the unanimous consent of all present members of the alliance.

In 1999, NATO introduced the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as a step for aspiring members to be reviewed by current members. 11 states have joined NATO after first participating in the MAP.

List of member states

Country	Date of Accession	Population	Area	Mil. Budget	GDP (USD)	NWS?
Albania						No
Belgium						Sharing
Bulgaria						No
Canada						No
Croatia						No
Czechia						No
Denmark						No
Estonia						No
Finland						No
France						Yes
Germany						Sharing
Greece						No
Hungary						No
Iceland						No
Italy						Sharing
Latvia						No
Lithuania						No
Luxembourg						No
Montenegro						No
Netherlands						Sharing
North Macedonia						No
Norway						No
Poland						No
Portugal						No
Romania						No
Slovakia						No
Slovenia						No
Spain						No
Sweden						No
Türkiye						Sharing
United Kingdom						Yes
United States						Yes

Aspiring member states

As of 2024, NATO recognizes three countries as aspiring members: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine.

The parliament of Kosovo adopted a resolution in 2022 urging the Kosovar government to "take all necessary steps" toward NATO membership.