The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) turns 75 on Thursday - a milestone that has seen it expand from 12 members at inception to now 32 members.
What is NATO and why was it set up?
NATO is a military alliance formed in 1949 with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, more popularly known as the Washington Treaty on April 4 of that year.
The organisation was created after the Second World War. Its aim was to block expansion by the Soviet Union.
Collective defence is at the heart of the treaty. Members agreed that if one of them was attacked, the others will rally to help it defend itself.
Who are the members of NATO?
It was founded by 12 countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, US and UK.
Many eastern European countries joined after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The alliance now has a record 32 members, having recently admitted both Norway and Sweden.
Apart from members, NATO also has partner countries around the world including in Africa.
How does NATO work?
The alliance brings together countries from Europe and North America. They meet to cooperate in the field of security and defence. It also co-operates with non-NATO countries in security-related areas.
Each member country has a permanent representation at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
The alliance does not have its own armed forces, but members commit troops and equipment on a voluntary basis when a need arises. These forces return to their countries once the mission is completed.
In principle, members commit a minimum of 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defence spending to continue to ensure the alliance's military readiness.
Who funds NATO?
NATO has an annual budget worth around $3.6 billion which is funded through direct and indirect contributions of its members.
Members contribute according an agreed cost-sharing formula. Under the current formula.
Albania contributes the least amount while the US is the biggest contributor.
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