Nato countries: Which member states are in the military alliance?

The alliance now has 31 signatory nations after Finland joined on Tuesday

The opening speech at the Nato summit talks in Paris in December 1957. Photo: Nato

Finland has completed the formalities to join Nato, becoming the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

The Nordic country made a joint request with Sweden to join the organisation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.

Sweden's request has been held up by objections from Turkey.

Finland's flag has now been raised alongside that of its allies. But who are they?

Fighter jets fly over flags at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Getty

Founding members, 1949

Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and United States

1952

Greece and Turkey

1955

Germany

1982

Spain

1999

Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland

2004

Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia

2009

Albania and Croatia

2017

Montenegro

2020

North Macedonia

2023

Finland

Who's next?

Sweden is next in line to join the alliance but its membership has been blocked by Turkey over a political dispute.

Ukraine is considered a Nato “partner country” but is not a full member. It could join in the future, although the war against Russia currently precludes this.

Georgia, which suffered a Russian invasion in 2008, is also a partner country and has long hoped to become a full member.

Several other European nations, including Austria, Switzerland and Ireland, are not part of the alliance due to their constitutional commitment to neutrality.

The Balkan nations of Kosovo, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are also not part of Nato.

Updated: April 04, 2023, 5:37 PM