FUN WITH MAPS – ISSUE 2022-065 DAILY FEATURE:

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (April 04, 2022) – In Issue 2022-065 of Steve Kovacs Fun with Maps, it is the anniversary of the formation of NATO today.

Security

Alliances between nations, kingdoms, tribes, etc. are as old as human history.  They were, and are being formed for the common good, or at least for common security against other nations, kingdoms, tribes, etc.

One such security alliance is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, which was formed in 1949 on this day.  The US and many of the Allies from World War II are the original twelve members.   Now, membership is at 30 countries.

NATO’s chief nemesis was the Warsaw Pact, led by the Soviet Union, from the Pact’s formation in 1955 to its dissolution in 1991.  Now with geopolitical changes, Russia alone is the primary NATO foe. 

NATO is headquartered in Brussels, so here is a map of Flanders, or today’s northern Belgium, from 1602 by Ortelius, with Brussels on the right side.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Antique Maps & Fun Facts here on Loveland Beacon.