NATO Member States Trivia Quiz

Albania began its association with NATO in 1992, joining the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. During the regional war in 1994, it participated in NATO Operation Deny Flight to enforce a no-fly zone over neighbouring Bosnia.

Belgium was one of 12 countries that founded NATO in 1949. Brussels is the site of NATO headquarters where representatives of all member states meet to decide on political and military matters.

The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were the first former-Soviet Republics to join NATO. Other countries that were previously aligned with the USSR also joined in 2004, including Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovenia.

Finland fought against the invading Soviet Army in 1939. After securing their independence following WW2, Finland was for decades non-aligned during the Cold War. However, the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine influenced Finland and Sweden to join NATO as a guard against Russian aggression.

France was an active member in the founding of NATO, but President Charles de Gaulle withdrew from the alliance in 1966, citing disproportionate U.S. involvement in European matters. France maintained independent armed forces, including nuclear-capable, that generally supported NATO goals. In 2009 President Nicolas Sarkozy led France to rejoin NATO.

West Germany, occupied by U.S., British, and French forces following WW2, joined NATO in 1955. The former East Germany reunified with the West in 1990, forming the Federal Republic of Germany that reaffirmed their NATO membership.

Turkey and Greece joined NATO together, securing NATO's southern flank against the opposing Warsaw Pact countries. Although Turkey and Greece are frequently in conflict over territorial and cultural issues, they cooperate in NATO operations. Turkey is the site of many NATO aircraft and missile bases that allowed those forces access to much of the Warsaw Pact and the USSR/Russia.

Warsaw is the capital of Poland and was the location where the Soviet-backed Warsaw Pact was formed in 1955 as a counterpart to NATO. Poland was part of the first wave of NATO membership expansion following the fall of the USSR and contributes one of the highest percentages of their Gross Domestic Product to NATO operations.

Spain was famously neutral in both World Wars and during much of the Cold War. Formally joining NATO in 1982, Spain first fully participated in NATO operations in 1989. Through to 2025, Spain consistently contributed the lowest percentage of its Gross Domestic Product (around 2 percent) to NATO, which asks each member state to contribute 5 percent.

Sweden for centuries had maintained a non-aligned status during World Wars and other conflicts. However, the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine influenced Sweden (and neighbouring Finland) to join NATO. With Sweden's membership, NATO comprised 32 countries.