National Guard

The term National Guard originally referred to a French citizen militia (see: National Guard (France)). The term is now used in many countries. Depending on the country in question, "national guard" may refer to an organized militia, a military force, a paramilitary force, a gendarmerie, or a police force:

Forces

Americas

• National Guard of the United States—a federally-recognized militia organized by each of the 50 U.S. states and territories that serves both as a military reserve force of the U.S and a state militia. It consists of:
  • Army National Guard; and
  • Air National Guard.
• National Guard (Nicaragua) (1925–1979)
• National Guard (El Salvador) (1912–1992)
• Venezuelan National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Venezuela)—officially the Armed Forces of Cooperation (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperación)
• National Guard (Dominican Republic)

Europe

• National Guards Unit of Bulgaria
• National Guard of Georgia
• Cypriot National Guard
• National Guard (France), active on and off from the French Revolution to the Paris Commune
• Italian National Republican Guard—defunct
• Kaitseliit_Estonian National Guard
• Latvian National Guard
• Portuguese National Republican Guard
• National Militia (Spain), 19th century
• White Guard, Finland. (1918-1944)

Africa

• Tunisian National Guard

Asia

• Sri Lanka National Guard
• Saudi Arabian National Guard
• National Guard (Bahrain)
• Iraqi National Guard
• Kuwaiti National Guard
• National Guard of Georgia
• The National Guard of Pakistan is an army reserve force counted as part of the paramilitary forces of Pakistan

Political organizations

• National Guard, better known as the Blueshirts, a 1930s political movement in Ireland, antecedent to the modern Irish political party, Fine Gael

See also

• List of protective service agencies
• Republican National Guard (disambiguation)
• Republican Guard (disambiguation)
• Home Guard (disambiguation)
• Civil Guard (disambiguation)
• Gendarmerie