Political map of the Middle East today

The Middle East is a historical and political region of Afro-Eurasia with no clear boundaries. Historical geography is the study of the human, physical, fictional, theoretical and "real" geographies of the past Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Afro-Eurasia or less commonly Afrasia or Eurafrasia Normally it is divided at the Suez Canal into Eurasia and Africa the former of which can be subdivided The term "Middle East" was popularized around 1900 in the United Kingdom; it has a loose definition traditionally encompassing countries or regions in Western Asia and parts of North Africa. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan The corresponding adjective to Middle East is Middle-Eastern and the derived noun is Middle-Easterner.

The history of the Middle East dates back to ancient times, and throughout its history the Middle East has been a major center of world affairs. See also Timeline of Middle Eastern history This article is a general overview of the history of the Middle East. "Ancient" redirects here For other uses see Ancient_(disambiguation. The Middle East is also the geographic origin of three of the world’s major religions - Christianity, Islam, Judaism. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut The Middle East generally has an arid and hot climate, with several major rivers providing for irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas. In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Many countries located around the Persian Gulf have large quantities of crude oil. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit In modern times the Middle East remains a strategically, economically, politically, culturally, and religiously sensitive region.

Etymology

The Middle East can have varying definitions and boundaries

The term "Middle East" may have originated in the 1850s in the British India Office,^[1] and became more widely known when American naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan used the term. The India Office was the British government department responsible for the direct administration of India during the British Raj. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alfred Thayer Mahan (September 27 1840–December 1 1914 was a United States Navy Flag officer, geostrategist, and educator ^[2] During this time the British and Russian Empires were vying for influence in Central Asia, a rivalry which would become known as The Great Game. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south For the film see The Great Game (film The Great Game was a term used for the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire Mahan realized not only the strategic importance of the region, but also of its center, the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the ^[3][4] He labeled the area surrounding the Persian Gulf as the Middle East, and said that after the Suez Canal, it was the most important passage for Britain to control in order to keep the Russians from advancing towards India. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British ^[5] Mahan first used the term in his article "The Persian Gulf and International Relations," published in September 1902 in the National Review, a British journal. The National Review was founded in 1883 by the English writers Alfred Austin and William Courthope.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

The Middle East, if I may adopt a term which I have not seen, will some day need its Malta, as well as its Gibraltar; it does not follow that either will be in the Persian Gulf. Naval force has the quality of mobility which carries with it the privilege of temporary absences; but it needs to find on every scene of operation established bases of refit, of supply, and in case of disaster, of security. The British Navy should have the facility to concentrate in force if occasion arise, about Aden, India, and the Persian Gulf. ^[6]

Mahan's article was reprinted in The Times and followed in October by a 20 article series entitled "The Middle Eastern Question," written by Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol ( 28 May, 1852 &ndash 22 October, 1929) was a journalist prolific author historian and British diplomat During this series, Chirol expanded the definition of the "Middle East" to include "those regions of Asia which extend to the borders of India or command the approaches to India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country "^[7] With the series end in 1903, The Times removed quotation marks from subsequent uses of the term. ^[8]

Until World War II, it was customary to refer to areas centered around Turkey and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean as the "Near East," while the "Far East" centered on China. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ^[9] The Middle East then meant the area from Mesopotamia to Burma, namely the area between the Near East and the Far East. Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The sense described in this article evolved during the war, perhaps influenced by the ancient idea of the Mediterranean as the "sea in the middle".

One widely used definition of the "Middle East" is that of the airline industry, maintained by the IATA standards organization. An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license This definition — as of early 2007 — includes Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestinian territories, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Name There are differences of opinion as to what the Palestinian territories should be called Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya ^[10] This definition is used in world-wide airfare and tax calculations for passengers and cargo. A fare is the Fee paid by a traveler allowing him or her to make use of a Public transport system rail, Bus, taxi, etc

Criticism and usage

Many have criticized the term Middle East for what they see as Eurocentrism,^[11][12] because it was originally used by Europeans (although Mahan was American) and reflects the geographical position of the region from a European perspective. Eurocentrism is the practice of viewing the world from a European perspective with an implied belief either consciously or subconsciously in the preeminence of European (and It is also criticized due to the fact that the term today is often used to only refer to the Arab world, making the situation more confused.

Blue Mosque in Mazari Sharif

Today the term is used by Europeans and non-Europeans alike, unlike the similar term Mashreq, used exclusively in Arabic-language contexts. Mazār-e Sharīf ( is the fourth largest city of Afghanistan, with population of 300600 people (2006 estimate This article is about the Mashriq region For other uses see Mashriq (disambiguation The Mashriq or Mashreq (also in use Mashrek The region is only east from the perspective of Europe. To an Indian, it lies to the west; to a Russian, it lies to the south. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The description Middle has also led to some confusion over changing definitions. Before the First World War, "Near East" was used in English to refer to the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire, while "Middle East" referred to Iran, Afghanistan, present-day Pakistan and Central Asia, Turkestan, and the Caucasus. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Turkestan (literally meaning "Land of the Turks" is a region in Central Asia, which today is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East In contrast, "Far East" referred to the countries of East Asia (e. g. China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, etc. ). Some critics usually advise using an alternative term, such as "Western Asia. " The official UN designation of the area is "Western Asia. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security "

With the disappearance of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, "Near East" largely fell out of common use in English, while "Middle East" came to be applied to the re-emerging countries of the Islamic world. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The term Muslim world (or Islamic world) has several meanings However, the usage of "Near East" was retained by a variety of academic disciplines, including archaeology and ancient history, where it describes an area identical to the term Middle East, which is not used by these disciplines (see Ancient Near East). Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos "Ancient" redirects here For other uses see Ancient_(disambiguation. The Ancient Near East refers to early Civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq

The Eisenhower Doctrine, a 1957 foreign policy of the United States government, was the first to officially use the term Middle East. The Eisenhower Doctrine, given in a message to the United States Congress on January 5, 1957, was the foreign policy of U The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. ^[9] Secretary of State John Foster Dulles defined the Middle East as "the area lying between and including Libya on the west and Pakistan on the east, Syria and Iraq on the North and the Arabian peninsula to the south, plus the Sudan and Ethiopia. John Foster Dulles ( February 25, 1888 &ndash May 24, 1959) served as U Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page "^[9] In 1958, the State Department explained that the terms "Near East" and "Middle East" were interchangeable, and defined the region as including only Egypt, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century ^[13]

The Associated Press Stylebook says that Near East formerly referred to the farther west countries while Middle East referred to the eastern ones, but that now they are synonymous. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio It instructs:

Use Middle East unless Near East is used by a source in a story. Mideast is also acceptable, but Middle East is preferred. ^[14]

At the United Nations, the numerous documents and resolutions about the Middle East are in fact concerned with the Arab-Israeli conflict, in particular the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and, therefore, with the four states of the Levant. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the The term Near East is occasionally heard at the UN when referring to this region.

Translations

There are terms similar to "Near East" and "Middle East" in other European languages, but since it is a relative description, the meanings depend on the country and are different from the English terms generally. In German the term "Naher Osten" (Near East) is still in common use (although nowadays the term "Mittlerer Osten" is more and more common) and in Russian Ближний Восток or "Blizhniy Vostok", Bulgarian Близкия Изток, Polish Bliski Wschód or Croatian Bliski istok (meaning Near East in all the four Slavic languages) remains as the only appropriate term for the region. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Croatian language ( hrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic language which is used primarily in Croatia, by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in neighbouring However, some languages do have "Middle East" equivalents, such as the French Moyen-Orient and the Italian Medio Oriente. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy.

Perhaps due to the influence of the Western press, the Arabic equivalent of “Middle East,” “‫الشرق الأوسط‬” (“ash-sharq-l-awsat”), has become standard usage in the mainstream Arabic press, comprehending the same meaning as the term “Middle East” in North American and Western European usage. The Persian equivalent for Middle East is خاورمیانه (Khāvarmiyāneh - Xâvarmiyâneh in "Unipers").

History

Main article: History of the Middle East

Lady of Harissa Church in Lebanon

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem

The Imam Ali Mosque, an important shrine in Najaf

The Middle East lies at the juncture of Eurasia and Africa and of the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. See also Timeline of Middle Eastern history This article is a general overview of the history of the Middle East. The Imam Ali Holy Shrine ( Arabic: حرم الإمام علي also known as Meshed Ali or the Tomb of Ali, is a Mosque located Najaf ( BGN: An Najaf) is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface It is the birthplace and spiritual center of the Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Yezidi, and in Iran, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and the Bahá'í Faith. Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut The Yazidi (also Yezidi, Kurdish: ئزیدی or Êzidî, Arabic: يزيدي or ايزدي Assyrian/Syriac: ܓ̰ܠܟܝܐ is a The Mithraic Mysteries or Mysteries of Mithras (also Mithraism) was a Roman mystery religion which became popular among the military in the late Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Throughout its history the Middle East has been a major center of world affairs; a strategically, economically, politically, culturally, and religiously sensitive area.

The earliest civilizations, Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, originated in the Fertile Crescent and Nile Valley regions of the ancient Near East, as well as the civilizations of the Levant, Persia, and Arabian Peninsula. Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The Fertile Crescent is a Crescent -shaped region in the Middle East, originally incorporating the Levant and Ancient Mesopotamia, and often The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River The Ancient Near East refers to early Civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq The Levant is a geographical term that refers to a large area in Southwest Asia, south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in See Also Persian Empire History of Iran and Greater Iran (also referred to as the " Iranian Cultural Continent The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) The Middle East region was first unified under the Achaemenid Empire followed later by the Macedonian Empire. The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most It would be the Arab Caliphates of the Middle Ages, however, that would first unify the Middle East as a distinct region and create the dominant ethnic identity that persists today. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The Seljuk Empire would also later dominate the region. The Great Seljuq Empire was a Medieval Sunni Muslim empire established by the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks that once controlled .

The modern Middle East began after World War I, when the Ottoman Empire, which was allied with the defeated Central Powers, was partitioned into a number of separate nations. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Central Powers ( German: "Mittelmächte" Hungarian: "Központi hatalmak" Turkish: "İttifak The Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire was a political event that occurred after World War I. Other defining events in this transformation included the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the departure of European powers, notably Britain and France. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. They were supplanted in some part by the rising influence of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

In the 20th century, the region's significant stocks of crude oil gave it new strategic and economic importance. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Mass production of oil began around 1945, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates having large quantities of oil. ^[15] Estimated oil reserves, especially in Saudi Arabia and Iran, are some of the highest in the world, and the international oil cartel OPEC is dominated by Middle Eastern countries. Oil reserves are the estimated quantities of Crude oil that are claimed to be recoverable under existing Economic and operating conditions The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC) is a Cartel of thirteen countries made up of Algeria, Angola, Ecuador

During the Cold War, the Middle East was a theater of ideological struggle between the two superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union, as they competed to influence regional allies. Of course, besides the political reasons there was also the "ideological conflict" between the two systems. Moreover, as Louise Fawcett argues, among many important areas of contention, or perhaps more accurately of anxiety, were, first, the desires of the superpowers to gain strategic advantage in the region, second, the fact that the region contained some two thirds of the world's oil reserves in a context where oil was becoming increasingly vital to the economy of the Western world [. . . ]^[16] Within this contextual framework, the United States sought to divert the Arab world from Soviet influence. Throughout the 20th and into the 21st century, the region has experienced both periods of relative peace and tolerance and periods of conflict and war. Current issues include the Iraq War, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Iranian nuclear program. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program

Further information: List of conflicts in the Middle East

Geography

The Middle East defines a geographical area, but does not have precisely defined borders. There have been many conflicts in the Middle East since the time of the Ancient Near East up until Modern times. The modern definition of the region includes: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast Name There are differences of opinion as to what the Palestinian territories should be called Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya Egypt, with its Sinai Peninsula in Asia, is considered part of the Middle East, although most of the country lies geographically in North Africa. The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan According to international media, North African nations without Asian links, such as Libya, Tunisia and Algeria, are increasingly being called North African. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran are also increasingly listed as Middle Eastern countries. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.

Further information: List of Middle Eastern countries

The Middle East is primarily arid and semi-arid, and can be subject to drought; nonetheless, there exists vast expanses of forests and fertile valleys. There are many interpretations of the term 'the Middle East.' One of the most common includes the Arabian Peninsula, the Near East, the Iranian plateau, In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply The region consists of grasslands, rangelands, deserts, and mountains; K2 in northern Pakistan rises 8611 meters above sea level to become the highest peak in the Middle East. Grasslands (also called greenswards) are areas where the Vegetation is dominated by Grasses ( Poaceae) and other Herbaceous (non-woody A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak K2 is the second- highest Mountain on Earth (after Mount Everest) Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and ^[17]. Water shortages are a problem in many parts of the Middle East, with rapidly growing populations increasing demands for water, while salinization and pollution threaten water supplies. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil Salt affected soils are caused by excess accumulation of salts typically most pronounced at the soil surface Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in ^[17] Major rivers, including the Nile and the Euphrates, provide sources for irrigation water to support agriculture. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture

Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, is located in a mountainous region, and is designated a World Heritage Site for its architecture

Landscape of northwestern Iran

Topography

While Middle East mainly contains areas with low relief, portions of Iran, and Yemen include mountainous terrain. Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya K2, located in Pakistan rises to 8,611 meters and is the highest peak in the Middle East. K2 is the second- highest Mountain on Earth (after Mount Everest) Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and ^[18] The Zagros Mountains are located in Iran, in areas along its border with Iraq. The Zagros Mountains (جبال زاجروس (رشته كوههاى زاگرس ( Sorani Kurdish: Zagros - زاگرۆس make up Iran 's and Iraq 's The Central Plateau of Iran is divided into two drainage basins. A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, The northern basin is Dasht-e Kavir (Great Salt Desert), and Dasht-e-Lut is the southern basin. Dasht-e Kavir (دشت كوير in Persian) also known as Kavir-e Namak or Great Salt Desert is a large desert lying in the middle Dasht-e Lut, also spelled Dasht-i-Lut, is a large salt Desert in southeastern Iran.

In Yemen, elevations exceed 3,700 meters in many areas, and highland areas extend north along the Red Sea coast and north into Lebanon. Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya The term highland is used to denote any Mountainous region or elevated mountainous Plateau. The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية A fault-zone also exists along the Red Sea, with continental rifting creating trough-like topography with areas located well-below sea level. In Geology a fault, or fault line, is a planar rock fracture which shows evidence of relative movement In Geology, a rift is a place where the Earth 's crust and Lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of Extensional tectonics In geology a trough generally refers to a linear structural depression that extends laterally over a distance while being less steep than a trench. Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface ^[19] The Dead Sea, located on the border between the West Bank, Israel, and Jordan, is situated at 418 m (1371 ft) below sea level, making it the lowest point on the surface of the Earth. The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern This article describes extreme locations on Earth. Entries listed in bold are Earth-wide extremes EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 ^[20]

A large lowland belt is located on the Arabian Peninsula, from central Iraq, through Saudi Arabia, and to Oman and the Arabian Sea. In physical Geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated: The Euphrates and Tigris rivers cut through the lowland belt in Iraq and flow into the Persian Gulf. The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת The Tigris is the eastern member of the two great Rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of southeastern The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the Rub'al KhāLī, one of the world's largest sand deserts, spans the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula in Saudi Arabia, parts of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The Rub' al Khali ( Arabic: الربع الخالي which translates as Empty Quarter in English, is one of the largest sand Deserts in the Jebel al Akhdar is a small range of mountains located in northeastern Oman, bordering the Gulf of Oman. Also known as the camals hideoutThe Jebel Akhdar, Jabal Akhdar or Al Jabal Al Akhdar ( Arabic: الجبل الأخضر meaning The Green The Gulf of Oman or Gulf of Makran ( Arabic: الخليج عمان transliterated: khalīj ʿumān( Urdu / Persian: خليج مکران

Geology

Cedar forest in winter, located in Lebanon

Three major tectonic plates converge on the Middle East, including the African, Eurasian, and Arabian plates. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere The African Plate is a Tectonic plate which includes the Continent of Africa, as well as oceanic crust which lies between the continent and various surrounding The Eurasian Plate is a Tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional Continents of Europe The Arabian Plate is one of three Tectonic plates (the African Arabian and Indian crustal plates) which have been moving northward over millions of The boundaries between the tectonic plates make up the Azores-Gibraltar Ridge, extending across North Africa, the Red Sea, and into Iran. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ^[21]

Water resources

Desert in Qatar

Several major aquifers provide water to large portions of the Middle East. Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Saudi Arabia, two large aquifers of Palaeozoic and Triassic origins are located beneath the Jabal Tuwayq mountains and areas west to the Red Sea. The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life" The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago Jebel Tuwaiq (pronounced "Twayg" جبل طويق) is a narrow escarpment that cuts through the plataeu of Nejd in central Arabia, running approximately ^[22] Cretaceous and Eocene-origin aquifers are located beneath large portions of central and eastern Saudi Arabia, including Wasia and Biyadh which contain amounts of both fresh water and saline water. The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved Saline water is a general term for Water that contains a significant concentration of dissolved Salts ( NaCl) ^[22] The Nubian aquifer system underlies large areas of North Africa. The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS is the world’s largest Fossil water Aquifer system ^[22] The Great Manmade River project in Libya utilizes an extensive network of pipelines to transport water from the Nubian aquifer to its population centers. Great Manmade River or Great Man-made River ( GMR, ar النهر الصناعي العظيم is a network of pipes that supplies Water from the Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Groundwater recharge for these deep rock aquifers is on the order of thousands of years, thus the aquifers are essentially non-renewable resources. Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a hydrologic Process where Water moves downward from Surface water ^[23] Flood or furrow irrigation, as well as sprinkler methods, are extensively used for irrigation, covering nearly 90,000 km² across the Middle East for agriculture. Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops ^[24]

Further information: Geography of Asia and Geography of Saudi Arabia

The Sea of Galilee

Territories and regions

Main article: Regions of the Middle East

• Arabian Peninsula - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, U.A.E., Oman, Yemen and Bahrain
• Mesopotamia - Iraq
• Persian Plateau - Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan
• The Levant - Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestinian Authority and Israel
• Northern Africa - Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia

Country, with flag	Area (km²)	Population	Density (per km²)	Capital	GDP (Total)	Per capita	Currency	Government	Official languages	Coat of Arms
Persian Plateau:
Iran	1,648,195	71,208,000	42	Tehran	$852 billion	$12,300	Iranian rial	Islamic Republic	Persian
Afghanistan	647,500	31,889,923	46	Kabul	$32. Asia is the central and eastern part of Eurasia, comprising approximately fifty countries Saudi Arabia is a country situated in Southwest Asia, largest country of Arabia, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north The Sea of Galilee, also Sea of Genneseret, Lake Kinneret or Lake Tiberias (Hebrew ים כנרת) (Arabic بحيرة طبريا) There are many interpretations of the term 'the Middle East.' One of the most common includes the Arabian Peninsula, the Near East, the Iranian plateau, The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of The rial (ریال in Persian; ISO 4217 code IRR) is the currency of Iran. Islamic Republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mauritania Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with 4 billion	$1,490	Afghani	Islamic Republic	Persian, Pashto
Pakistan	880,940	169,300,000	206	Islamabad	$504. This article refers to the currency For other uses see Afghani. Islamic Republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mauritania Pashto ( Naskh: پښتو‎ pəʂ'to also rendered as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Pushtu, also known as Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type 3 billion	$3,320	Pakistani Rupee	Islamic Republic	Urdu, English
Mesopotamia:
Iraq	437,072	24,001,816	55	Baghdad	$90 billion	$3,600	Iraqi dinar	Parliamentary Democracy (Developing)	Arabic, Kurdish
Arabian Peninsula:
Kuwait	17,820	3,100,000	119	Kuwait City	$136 billion	$55,400	Kuwaiti dinar	Constitutional Hereditary	Arabic
Bahrain	665	656,397	987	Manama	$14 billion	$20,500	Bahraini Dinar	Constitutional monarchy	Arabic
Oman	212,460	3,200,000	13	Muscat	$54 billion	$17,000	Omani Rial	Absolute monarchy	Arabic
Qatar	11,437	793,341	69	Doha	$69 billion	$75,400	Qatari Riyal	Monarchy	Arabic
Saudi Arabia	1,960,582	23,513,330	12	Riyadh	$446 billion	$21,200	Riyal	Absolute monarchy	Arabic
United Arab Emirates	82,880	4,496,000	30	Abu Dhabi	$146 billion	$55,200	UAE dirham	Federal Constitutional Monarchy	Arabic
Yemen	527,970	18,701,257	35	Sanaá	$19 billion	$1,000	Yemeni rial	Republic	Arabic
The Levant:
Israel	20,770	7,029,529	290	Jerusalem1	$177 billion	$26,200	Israeli new sheqel	Parliamentary democracy	Hebrew, Arabic
Jordan	92,300	5,307,470	58	Amman	$28 billion	$5,100	Jordanian dinar	Constitutional monarchy	Arabic
Lebanon	10,452	3,677,780	354	Beirut	$24 billion	$5,700	Lebanese lira	Republic	Arabic
Syria	185,180	17,155,814	93	Damascus	$72 billion	$5,400	Syrian pound	Presidential republic	Arabic
Northern Africa:
Algeria	2,381,740	33,333,216	14	Algiers	$253 billion	$7,700	Algerian dinar	Presidential republic	Arabic
Egypt	1,001,449	77,498,000	74	Cairo	$334 billion	$4,200	Egyptian pound	Semi-presidential republic (democracy)	Arabic
Libya	1,759,540	6,036,914	3	Tripoli	$75 billion	$12,700	Libyan dinar	Jamahiriya	Arabic
Morocco	446,550	33,757,175	70	Rabat	$152 billion	$4,600	Moroccan dirham	Constitutional monarchy	Arabic
Tunisia	163,610	10,102,000	62	Tunis	$98 billion	$9,630	Tunisian dinar	Republic	Arabic
Autonomous region: Palestine:
Gaza Strip	360	1,376,289	3,823	Gaza	$0. The rupee ( sign: ₨; code: PKR) is the Currency of Pakistan. Islamic Republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mauritania Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous The dinar (pronounced di-'när ( Arabic: دينار Kurdish: دینار ( sign: ع A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Kuwait City ( Arabic: مدينة الكويت Transliteration: Madīnat al-Kūwait) is the Capital and largest A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf Manama ( Arabic: المنامة, Transliteration: Al-Manāmah) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain with The dinar (دينار is the Currency of Bahrain. The ISO 4217 currency code is BHD A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast Muscat ( Arabic: مسقط) is the Capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Oman. The rial ( Arabic: ريال ISO 4217 code OMR) is the Currency of Oman. Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated Doha (الدوحة or Ad-Dōḥah) is the Capital city of Qatar. The Riyal ( Arabic: ريال ISO 4217 code QAR) is the currency of Qatar. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Riyadh ( الرياض Ar-Riyāḍ) is the Capital of Saudi Arabia and its largest city The riyal ( Arabic: ريال ISO 4217 code SAR) is the currency of Saudi Arabia. Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The dirham (درهم ( sign: دإ; code: AED) is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya The rial or riyal is the currency of Yemen. It is technically divided into 100 fils, although coins denominated in fils have not been issued since A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Amman (ɑˈmɑːn sometimes spelled Ammann ( Arabic عمان ʿAmmān) is the Capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom The dinar ( ISO 4217 code JOD; unofficially known as JD) is the currency of Jordan. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 The Lebanese pound ( lira in Arabic, ليرة or livre in French) ( ISO 4217: "Lebanese pound" LBP is the currency A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. The Syrian pound ( Arabic: الليرة السورية al-līra as-sūriyya, French: livre syrienne) is the Currency of Syria A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Algiers (الجزائر Algerian Arabic: Dzayer ( (From kabyle pronunciation Kabyle: Ledzayer, Alger) is the Capital and largest The dinar ( Arabic: دينار ISO 4217 code DZD) is the currency of Algeria and it is subdivided into 100 santeem (سنتيم A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. The Egyptian pound or gineih (الجنيه المصرى el-Gineih el-Miṣrī) The semi-presidential system is a System of government in which a prime minister and a President are both active participants in the day-to-day administration Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Tripolis ( Arabic: طرابلس Ṭarābulus - also طرابلس الغرب Ṭarā-bu-lus al-Gharb Libyan vernacular: The dinar (دينار is the Currency of Libya. Its ISO 4217 code is "LYD" Jamahiriya (Arabic جماهيرية strict transliteration) is an Arabic term generally translated as "state of the masses Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Rabat ( Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ) population 2 million ( 2007 estimate) is the The dirham (درهم plural درهمان, دراهم or درهما is the currency of Morocco. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. Tunis ( Arabic: تونس Tūnis) is the Capital of the Tunisian Republic and also the Tunis The Dinar ( Arabic: دينار ISO 4217 currency code TND) is the currency of Tunisia. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language An autonomous area is an area of a Country that has a degree of Autonomy, or freedom from an external authority The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. 8 billion	$600	Israeli new sheqel	Palestinian National Authority Hamas	Arabic
West Bank	5,8602	2,500,0003	4322,3	Ramallah			Israeli new sheqel	Palestinian National Authority Fatah	Arabic

¹ Under Israeli law. The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The UN doesn't recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

² Includes the whole of the West Bank, according to the pre-1967 boundaries.

³ In addition, there are around 400,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, of which half are in East-Jerusalem.

Source:

• The World Factbook, United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 14 November 2006. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all [3]

Demographics

Ethnic groups

Various ethnic and religious types in the Middle East, 19th century

The Middle East is home to numerous ethnic groups, including Arabs, Turks, Persians, Jews, Armenians, Georgians, Egyptians, Kurds, Assyrians-Syriacs, Azeris, Circassians, Berbers, Greeks, Samaritans, Turkmens, Pashtuns, Baluch, and Nubians. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large The Georgians (ქართველები kartvelebi) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus, the oldest group of the This article is about the contemporary North African ethnic group The Assyrians are an Ethnic group whose origins lie in what is today Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. The Aramean-Syriac people ( Syriac: arc [[arcܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܐܪܡܝܐ]]) are an Ethnic group who are widely The Azerbaijanis are an Ethnic group mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. Circassians is a term derived from the Turkic Cherkess ( Çerkes) and is not the self-designation of any people Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions This article is about the Turkmen people of Turkmenistan. For the distinct group of Turk peoples of Iraq see Iraqi Turkmen. Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called Baluch may refer to The Baloch people and Balochistan region of south and southwest Asia The Nubians (Arabic نوبي Nuubi are an ethnic group originally from northern Sudan, now inhabiting East Africa and some parts of Northeast Africa in southern Egypt

Religions

Main articles: Religion in the Middle East and Christianity in the Middle East

The Middle East is very diverse when it comes to religions, most of which originated there. The Middle East is very diverse when it comes to Religions, most of which originated there Christianity has its origin in the Middle East and was the major religion of the region from the time of Jesus and for some time after The world's principal Religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups or world religions'. Islam in its many forms is by far the largest religion in the Middle East, but other faiths, such as Judaism and Christianity, are also important. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings There are also important minority religions like Bahá'í, Druze, Yazdanism, Zoroastrianism. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind The Druze ( Arabic: درزي derzī or durzī, plural دروز durūz) are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon Yazdânism is a term introduced by Mehrdad Izady to denote a group of native Kurdish monotheistic religions Alevism Yarsan and Yazidism Izady Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings

Languages

Languages of the Middle East span many different families, including Indo-European, Afro-Asiatic, and Altaic. The Afro-Asiatic languages constitute a Language family with about 375 languages ( SIL estimate and more than 300 million speakers spread throughout North Africa Altaic, according to its proponents is a language family that includes 66 Languages ref> Altaic languages spoken by about 348 million people mostly in and around

Arabic in its numerous varieties and Persian are most widely spoken in the region, with Arabic being the most widely spoken language in the Arab countries. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language See Arabic languages for the historical family of dialects The Arabic language is a Semitic language with many varieties Other languages spoken in the region include Armenian, Syriac (a form of Aramaic), Azeri, Berber languages, Circassian, Persian, Gilaki language and Mazandarani languages, Hebrew in its numerous varieties, Kurdish, Luri, Turkish and other Turkic languages, Urdu, Punjabi, Greek. The Armenian language (hy հայերեն լեզու hajɛɹɛn lɛzu —, conventional short form) is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian See Syriac (disambiguation for other uses Syriac (syr ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ leššānā Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language Aramaic is a Semitic language with Nomenclature The term Berber has been used in Europe since at least the 17th century and is still used today The Giləki language is an ancient and living Caspian language and a member of the northwestern Iranian language branch spoken in Iran 's Mazanderan Mazandarani or Tabari ( Also known as Mazeniki Taperki) is an Iranian language of the northwestern branch The Jewish languages are a set of Languages that developed in various Jewish communities around the world more notably in Europe, West Asia, and The Kurdish language (Kurdish Kurdî or کوردی is a term used for the language spoken by Kurds. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly English is also spoken, especially among the middle and upper class, in countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan and Kuwait. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Is a concept in Sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a Social hierarchy. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed ^[25][26] French is spoken in Algeria, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, and Egypt. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Urdu is spoken in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Pakistan and Arab states the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Qatar, which have large numbers of Pakistani immigrants. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The largest Romanian-speaking community in the Middle East is found in Israel, where as of 1995 Romanian is spoken by 5% of the population. Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 ^[27][28] Romanian is spoken mostly as a secondary language by people from Arab-speaking countries that made their studies in Romania. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania It is estimated that almost half a million Middle Eastern Arabs studied in Romania during the 1980s. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding ^[29] Russian language is also spoken by a large portion of the Israeli population, due to emigration in the late 1990s. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages

Economy

Middle Eastern economies range from nations being very poor (such as Gaza, Afghanistan, and Pakistan) to extremely wealthy nations (such as UAE and Saudi Arabia). Overall, as of 2007, according to the CIA World Factbook, all nations in the Middle East are maintaining a positive rate of growth.

According to the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook Database of April 2008, the two largest Middle Eastern economies in 2007 Saudi Arabia ($ 376,029,000,000) and Iran ($ 294,089,000,000) in terms of Nominal GDP^[30]; and Iran ($ 752,967,000,000) and Saudi Arabia ($ 564,561,000,000) in terms of GDP-PPP. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation ^[31] When it comes to per capita (PPP) based income, the three highest ranking countries are the UAE ($49,700), Qatar ($29,800) and Kuwait ($23,100). The two lowest ranking countries in the Middle East, in terms of per capita income (PPP) are Yemen ($1,000 as of 2006) and Iraq ($1,900 as of 2006).

The economic structure of Middle Eastern nations are different in the sense that while some nations are heavily dependent on export of only oil and oil-related products (such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait), others have a highly diverse economic base (such as Egypt). Industries of the Middle Eastern region includes oil and oil-related products, agriculture, cotton, cattle, dairy, textiles, leather products, surgical instruments, defence equipment (guns, ammunition, tanks, submarines, fighter jets, UAVs, and missiles). Banking is also an important sector of the economies especially in the case of UAE, and Bahrain. Tourism, with the exception of Egypt, remains largely unexplored and is underdeveloped due to the conservative nature of the region as well as the political turmoil in certain regions of the Middle East. In recent years, however, countries such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan have begun experiencing greater number of tourists due to improving tourist facilities and the relaxing of tourism-related policies.

Major economic and financial centers

Abu Dhabi, UAE	Dubai, UAE	Beirut, Lebanon	Cairo, Egypt
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Tehran, Iran	Shemiran, Tehran, Iran	Tel Aviv, Israel

See also

• Fertile Crescent
• Greater Middle East
• History of the Middle East
• List of conflicts in the Middle East
• Middle East Institute
• Middle East Studies Association of North America
• Maayan Middle East poetry magazine
• Near East
• Central Asia
• Orientalism
• Western Asia
• Timeline of Middle Eastern History

References

Further reading

Anderson, R. , Seibert, R. , & Wagner, J. Politics and Change in the Middle East, 8th Ed. (N. J. : Prentice-Hall, 2006).

External links

• "Middle East" - Council on Foreign Relations: "A Resource for Nonpartisan Research and Analysis"
• Middle East Department University of Chicago Library
• Middle East Economic Digest: "The leading information source on business in the Middle East" - magazine website
• Middle East News from Yahoo! News
• Middle East at the Open Directory Project
• Middle East Business, Financial & Industry News — ArabianBusiness. The Council on Foreign Relations ( CFR) is an American Nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (at The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory com