The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949 to defend the collective security of its member nations by both political and military means. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the group was formed in response to the growing threat and spread of Communism.
Currently, NATO consists of 31 member countries from North America and Europe, and it works primarily in crisis management and peace-keeping roles around the world. NATO also has 8 partner nations with whom it works to develop and recruit forces that could work alongside NATO troops on peacekeeping missions.