s - (15) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil,
China, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvadore, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Mexico, Paraguay, Serbia, Ukraine, Uruguay

guests - (24) Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Italy,
Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Nordic Council (NC): established - 16 March 1952; effective - 12
February 1953

aim - to promote regional economic, cultural, and environmental
cooperation

members - (5) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland
(including Aland Islands), Iceland, Norway, Sweden

observers - (3) the Sami (Lapp) local parliaments of Finland, Norway,
and Sweden

Nordic Investment Bank (NIB): established - 4 December 1975; effective
- 1 June 1976

aim - to promote economic cooperation and development

members - (8) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Estonia,
Finland (including Aland Islands), Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway,
Sweden

North: a popular term for the rich industrialized countries generally
located in the northern portion of the Northern Hemisphere; the
counterpart of the South; see developed countries (DCs)

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): established - 17 December
1992

aim - to eliminate trade barriers, promote fair competition, increase
investment opportunities, provide protection of intellectual property
rights, and create procedures to settle disputes

members - (3) Canada, Mexico, US

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): established - 4 April 1949

aim - to promote mutual defense and cooperation

members - (26) Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK, US

Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA): note - also known as OECD Nuclear Energy
Agency

established - 1 February 1958

aim - to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; associated with
OECD

members - (28) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG): note - also known as