Glossary: NATO

Raison d’etat is the French phrase for a country’s national interest.  Literally translated, “reason of the State,” this term is often used to describe a country’s military, economic or cultural goals.

Baltic states are the territories east of the Baltic Sea that gained independence from Russia following World War II.  Usually, the countries included in this group include Estonia, Latvia and Lituania, though Finland was often included until the start of World War II.

Moammar Gadhafi was the former rule of Libya and presided over the country from 1969 to 2011.  He was killed by rebel fighters during the Libyan Revolution of 2011.

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a term used to describe a foreign government or non-state actor with the capability to target a specific infrastructure entity.  The term is often used to describe cyber security related threats but can also be used to describe traditional security threats as well.

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia.  It is also the country’s largest city, with a population of 417,741 people.

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) refer to munitions with the capability to kill a large number of people indiscriminately.  The term is used to describe aerial, chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons.