NATO ~ Grunge Flag (1953 - )

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or NATO (French: Organization du traité de l’Atlantique Nord, OTAN) is an intergovernmental military alliance created by the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949 and headquartered in Brussels, capital of founding member Belgium. It became a military alliance as a result of the Korean War (1950 – 1953), which reinforced the incorrect idea of communist countries plotting together to engage in aggressive expansion. When NATO refused a Soviet proposal for entry in 1955, the USSR created its own military alliance: the Warsaw Pact. Following the Cold War and the Soviet implosion, NATO has participated in the wars sparked by the fall of Yugoslavia (until 1999), the occupation of Afghanistan (from 2001), anti-piracy activities in the Gulf of Aden (from 2009) and the Libyan Civil War (2011).

The flag of NATO displays a white compass rose emblem on a circle with four white lines, centred on a dark blue field. It was approved by the North Atlantic Council on 14 October 1953.

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