North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

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North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord
Flag of NATO
Flag of NATO
Headquarters Brussels
Membership 26 member states
Official language English, French
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Formation April 4, 1949
Official website http://www.nato.int/

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance, or the Western Alliance, is an international organization for peace and defense established in 1949, from the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., USA, on April 4, 1949. Its headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium. Its other official name is the same name in French, Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord (OTAN).

[edit] Languages

NATO has two official languages, English and French, defined in Article 14 of the North Atlantic Treaty. For English, NATO uses British English spelling. This is said in its online frequently asked questions (FAQ): "Q: Why do you spell 'organisation' with an 's' and not a 'z'? A: By tradition, NATO uses European English spellings in all public information documents...".

[edit] See also

[edit] External links