What is the Middle East?
The Middle East is the common term for a region consisting of countries in southwest Asia and, usually, at least part of North Africa. It is an interesting term – middle of what? east of what? While the term is now widespread both inside and outside the region, it is in fact relatively new. It was coined only at the end of the nineteenth century by the British foreign service, and used in a 1902 article by a United States naval officer.
It was originally used to distinguish the area east of the Near East – the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire – and west of India. It included Afghanistan and Persia. Of course, the Far East denoted the countries of East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. And of course, the term is entirely Eurocentric – the region is east from the perspective of western Europe, but not from China, or Russia, or Africa. Today, Near East and Middle East are synonyms, but Middle East is the more widely used term (except in archaeology, where Near East is still more common).
The origin of the name speaks volumes about the political realities of the nineteenth century, when the perspective of the British in particular carried enormous weight. Interestingly, today the term Middle East is commonly used within the region itself. The four most common languages of the Middle East all use the term in translation to describe the region:
Arabic: al-sharq al-awsat
Turkish: orta dogu
Hebrew: mizrach tichon
Persian: khavarmiyaneh
What's a region, anyway?
To decide what the Middle East is, and what area it covers, we have to understand what a region is. Regions are subjectively determined (and thus debatable) areas that we perceive to have certain characteristics in common. They may be defined by physical geography; for example, areas bordered by mountains or rivers or seas, or areas which share a similar climate. They may also be defined by characteristics of human geography, such as shared historical experience, the same language, the same religion, or similar cultural practices. In the case of the Middle East, both physical and human geographic considerations are brought to bear to define the region.
The Middle East is, very generally speaking, an arid region in Southwest Asia and part of North Africa stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, bounded by the Black and Caspian Seas in the north and the Sahara Desert and Indian Ocean in the south. It has a long shared history and a shared religious tradition, being the birthplace of the three main monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is also often defined as being a locale of trade and cultural transmission, and sometimes conflict, between Europe, Africa and Asia.
Within the larger Middle East, one can also describe sub-regions, such as North Africa or the Levant, which share certain characteristics. The Levant, for example, encompasses modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories, and is often seen as an important area in part because of its close historical connection with countries in Europe and around the Mediterranean.
The Gulf countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman are linked not only by shared history, language and religion, but by the shared opportunities and problems caused by the presence of large oil reserves in these countries. These countries all lie at the eastern edge of a large geological plate (the Arabian plate) that is tilted down from west to east – thus there are mountainous areas on the western end of the plate and oil deposits concentrated along the eastern edge at the shores of the Persian Gulf.
What's In, What's Out?
The exact roster of countries thought to be a part of the Middle East region is often debated. If you look at different maps of the Middle East, you will see different countries included and excluded. Almost everyone would agree that the following countries are part of the Middle East:
- Bahrain
- Egypt
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- The Palestinian Territories
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
Notice that all but two are Arabic-speaking majority countries, the exceptions being Iran (where the national language is Persian) and Israel (where the national languages are Hebrew and Arabic).
Egypt is normally included in maps of the Middle East, although it is in Northeast Africa. Why? Egyptians speak Arabic, and Egypt has been a major player in the politics of the Middle East for literally thousands of years, so it is difficult to conceive of the region without Egypt.
Likewise, many experts also include the other countries of North Africa – Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco – because they are also Arabic-speaking and their history and culture are tied to those of the other countries of the Middle East.
Also, most experts in the region would include Turkey – in fact, it is often referred to as a bridge between the Middle East and Europe, both because it straddles the continents of Europe and Asia, and because its historical experience is intertwined both with that of European states and with that of the Middle East.
For our purposes, the Middle East will include all of the countries in the list above as well as:
- Turkey
- Morocco
- Algeria
- Libya
- Tunisia
Not Quite the Middle East
Today, many maps include the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Until the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Central Asian countries were usually studied as part of the Soviet bloc and Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of political and cultural region of South Asia, rather than as part of the Middle East.
However, particularly after the tragic events of September 11 and the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, these countries have more often been associated with the Middle East because of their political and religious connections, although there are also many dissimilarities in politics, language and culture between these countries and the Middle East.
Similarly, the countries of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, located between the Black and Caspian Seas, are sometimes included on maps of the Middle East. Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean, has a majority Greek-speaking population, although there is a minority Turkish population in the northern part of the island who claim independence in a republic recognized only by Turkey. These countries and their peoples have had long interrelationships with the Middle East, but again have strong local characteristics that also distinguish them from their neighbors to the south and east.
Sudan is another country that is sometimes considered to be a part of the Middle East, sometimes because of its close and often contentious relationship with Egypt. While there are significant Arabic-speaking and Muslim populations in Sudan, its other cultural and linguistic differences would usually place it in an African context rather than a Middle Eastern one.
Very often, countries on the periphery of the Middle East are incorporated into maps and into the discourse on the Middle East when there is political strife in these areas, often involving Muslims, simply because many Americans don’t distinguish easily between the Middle East and Islam. For our purposes, we will not include these countries in our definition of the Middle East, but will incorporate them into our discussion where it is relevant.
What the Middle East is NOT
There are two common mistakes that are often made when referring to the Middle East. The first is to confuse the Arab world with the Middle East. The Middle East is a very diverse region, with many languages and cultures. While the majority of the inhabitants of the region speak Arabic, there are several countries in the Middle East that are not majority Arabic speaking, including Turkey, Iran, and Israel. Of course, there are also minority communities within the Middle Eastern Arab-majority states for whom Arabic is not their native language, including the Kurds, Berbers, and many other groups. At the same time, there are many Arabic speakers who live in non-Arab majority states, from Sudan to the United States. Although there is a great deal of overlap, the Middle East and the Arab world are not the same thing!
The second common mistake is to equate the Middle East and Islam. While Islam began in the area that is now the modern state of Saudi Arabia, it has spread over the centuries so that there are communities of Muslims all over the world.
Most Muslims today don’t live in the Middle East or grow up speaking Arabic (although many do learn some Arabic for religious reasons, since it is the language of the Quran). In fact, less than 20% of all the Muslims in the world-and there are over 1.3 bill ion-are native speakers of Arabic.
12 Responses to “What is the Middle East?”
December 21, 2015 at 4:57 pm, Rehema said:
So a region is not just a geographical area in which countries are close to each other but a place in which countries share traits that are similar and hence that is why even though some countries are far geographically they are still considered middle eastern countries, interesting fact.
Reply
December 22, 2015 at 2:25 am, Nariman Obias said:
Middle East is great part in the world. It has a lot of background culture and civilization.
Reply
August 25, 2020 at 5:04 am, Ashleigh said:
I really appreciate how they list what countries are included in the MIddle East. My geography is a bit rusty. I’m guilty of the he misconceptions of the Arab world and the Middle East. I’m looking forward to learning more.
Reply
February 02, 2021 at 4:17 am, William Uriegas-Johnson said:
I found this information about the middle east very intriguing and helpful.
Reply
October 01, 2021 at 4:44 am, Chukwu Amaechi O. said:
Satisfactory analysis of the Middle-East
Reply
December 20, 2021 at 11:34 pm, Cole Maxey said:
Very interesting! Great read and I had no idea that the term middle east was coined by a Brit.
Reply
April 29, 2022 at 2:20 pm, Tora Foerschler said:
You’re so awesome! I do not believe I have read through a single thing like that before. So great to discover someone with a few original thoughts on this subject. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that’s needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!
Reply
June 21, 2022 at 12:57 am, Middle East University said:
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July 14, 2022 at 2:12 am, Dorcas Gehrer said:
Good information. Lucky me I ran across your site by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve book marked it for later!
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FAQs
What is the Middle East most known for? ›
The Middle East is best known for its rich oil reserves and being home to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Source: There is a common misconception that the language spoken in the Middle East is Arabic or Turkish, but in reality, this is only a tiny part of the languages of the Middle East.
What are the 14 Middle East countries? ›A variety of countries make up the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
What is considered the Middle East countries? ›Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen.
What defines the Middle East? ›The most common but exclusive definition of the Middle East at the time of writing extends to Egypt in the West, Iran in the East, the Arabian Peninsula in the South and Turkey in the North (although occasionally Turkey and, more rarely, Egypt are omitted).
What language does Middle East speak? ›The four most commonly spoken languages of the region are Arabic, the most widely spoken language in many of the MENA countries; Persian or Farsi, spoken in Iran and by significant Persian speaking populations in Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates; Hebrew, primarily spoken in Israel and the neighboring countries; ...
What ethnicity is Middle Eastern? ›People of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent are categorized as non-White in many Western countries but counted as White on the US Census. Yet, it is not clear that MENA people see themselves or are seen by others as White. We examine both sides of this ethnoracial boundary in two experiments.
What was the Middle East called before? ›The central part of this general area was formerly called the Near East, a name given to it by some of the first modern Western geographers and historians, who tended to divide what they called the Orient into three regions.
What do you call people from the Middle East? ›Arab. noun. someone from the Middle East or North Africa who speaks Arabic.
What are the 22 countries in the Middle East? ›The Arab World consists of 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
What are the 17 countries of the Middle East? ›The following is the list of Countries in the Middle East include Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Yemen.
What is the main religion of the Middle East? ›
The majority of the Middle East's population today is Muslim, as it has been for centuries. However, as the place of origin of a range of world religions – including Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and many lesser-known faiths – it remains a region of remarkable religious diversity.
Is Turkey considered the Middle East? ›As one of the major components of the Middle East region, Turkey associates the stability, security and wellbeing of the Arab countries directly with its own.
Is Middle East Europe or Asia? ›The Middle East is a region in western Asia and north-eastern Africa. The term was created by British military strategists in the 19th century, and definitions of the Middle East vary; it is not simply a geographical term, but also a political one, connoting that it separates Europe ("the West") from the Far East.
Is Egypt Africa or Middle East? ›(3) Egypt. Located at the north-eastern edge of the African continent and facing Europe on the other side of the Mediterranean, Egypt is a major country which plays an important role in the stability of the Middle East and North Africa.
Are Greeks Middle Eastern? ›No, but they are Eastern Mediterranean like the “Middle Easterns”. Eastern Mediterraneans share similarities in culture, genetic and phenotype (that's why Greeks are often confused with Arabs in some countries).
Is Arabic hard to learn? ›Arabic is usually considered one of the most difficult languages to learn, topped by only a few languages like Japanese in terms of difficulty. Plus, it's even harder (or so they say) if you are a native speaker of English or a romance language.
Which religions originated in the Middle East? ›Three of the world's major religions -- the monotheist traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- were all born in the Middle East and are all inextricably linked to one another. Christianity was born from within the Jewish tradition, and Islam developed from both Christianity and Judaism.
What is the most spoken language in the world? ›English is the largest language in the world, if you count both native and non-native speakers. If you count only native speakers, Mandarin Chinese is the largest.
What is my ethnicity if I am white? ›White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
What race are Lebanese? ›The federal government officially categorizes people with origins in Lebanon, Iran, Egypt and other countries in the MENA region as white.
Where did the Arab race come from? ›
The Arabian Peninsula was the initial site of the out-of-Africa migrations that occurred between 125,000 and 60,000 yr ago, leading to the hypothesis that the first Eurasian populations were established on the Peninsula and that contemporary indigenous Arabs are direct descendants of these ancient peoples.
What is oldest country in the world? ›Japan. Japan is arguably the oldest country in the world. Dating back to 660 BCE, the nation was founded by Emperor Jimmu, and is at least 2,600 years old.
Who created the Middle East? ›The fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century marked the beginning of Western influence in the region and consequently created the 'Middle East' that we know today.
What was the old name of Iraq? ›During ancient times, lands that now constitute Iraq were known as Mesopotamia (“Land Between the Rivers”), a region whose extensive alluvial plains gave rise to some of the world's earliest civilizations, including those of Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria.
Why Arab is called Arab? ›Inscriptions dating to the 6th century BCE in Yemen include the term 'Arab'. The most popular Arab account holds that the word Arab came from an eponymous father named Ya'rub, who was supposedly the first to speak Arabic.
What do you call Arab people? ›A group of Arab individuals is made of Arabs, not “Arabics” or “Arabians.” The noun “Arabian” by itself normally refers to Arabian horses. The other main use of the word is in referring to the collection of stories known as The Arabian Nights.
Who are the original Arabs? ›Proto-Arabs are presumed to have originated from what is now northern Arabia, Jordan and southern Syria. From their urheimat, ancient Arabs established themselves as far as Babylon, Sinai and further into Arabia, over time replacing some of the old languages there such as Dadanitic and Taymanitic.
What is the smallest country in the Middle East? ›Easily the smallest nation in the Middle East, Bahrain squeezes 1.7 million people onto a scant 294 square miles of land, which results in a population density of about 4,690 people per square mile.
How many countries have Middle East? ›The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region includes approximately 21 countries, according to The World Bank. The region has vast oil, petroleum, and natural gas reserves.
Is Dubai an African country? ›Last Updated 17/10/2022. Yes, Dubai is in Asia, but it's also a part of the Middle East which could also be considered part of Africa. Dubai is not a country, it is a city and emirate in a country called the United Arab Emirates, this country is in the Middle East and this is a transcontinental region, ie.
What makes the Middle East unique? ›
The Middle East is known in the west for its food, as a center of religion, and for its often troubled recent history. But it is also known for its history of innovation in philosophy, mathematics and literature, and science — which has given us many items, concepts, and institutions that we now use all the time.
What did Middle Easterners invent? ›Among many instruments that arrived in Europe through the Middle East are the lute and the rahab, an ancestor of the violin. Modern musical scales are also said to derive from the Arabic alphabet. According to Hassani, the Prophet Mohammed popularized the use of the first toothbrush in around 600.
What are the main exports of the Middle East? ›Fish and fishery product exports and imports
Pelagic fish such as sardines, anchovies, sprats and mackerels are the most exported products from the Middle East. Yemen and Oman, which produce 6% and 5% of the total fisheries production in the region, are the leading exporting nations in the Middle East by volumes.
Named for its rich soils, the Fertile Crescent, often called the “cradle of civilization,” is found in the Middle East. Because of this region's relatively abundant access to water, the earliest civilizations were established in the Fertile Crescent, including the Sumerians.
What do you call people from the Middle East? ›Arab. noun. someone from the Middle East or North Africa who speaks Arabic.
What religion is Middle East? ›The majority of the Middle East's population today is Muslim, as it has been for centuries. However, as the place of origin of a range of world religions – including Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and many lesser-known faiths – it remains a region of remarkable religious diversity.
What was the Middle East called before? ›The central part of this general area was formerly called the Near East, a name given to it by some of the first modern Western geographers and historians, who tended to divide what they called the Orient into three regions.
What are the Arabs famous for? ›Arab culture is known for its hospitality and generosity. Meals are usually large family affairs, served with a great deal of warmth and are meant for sharing.
Did Muslims invent soap? ›Muslims were the first to introduce soap as it is known today. They used vegetable oil, sodium hydroxide and herbal oils. In its earliest forms, Egyptians and Romans used soaps of sort. In 1759, an Indian Muslim opened a bath in Brighton called 'Mohammad's Indian Vapour Bath'.
What did Muslims discover? ›Coffee, windmills, carpets, soap and the fountain pen were invented by Muslims. Muslims have invented everything from surgical instruments to the camera, according to an exhibition currently touring the Museum of Croydon in south London.
Who is the richest country in the Middle East? ›
Qatar-2022 GDP Per Capita $62,100
Not only is Qatar the richest country in the Middle East, but it is also among the wealthiest in the world.
Today, abundant petroleum fields dominate the area's economy. The Middle East is similarly disproportionately rich in natural gas (32 percent of the world's known natural gas reserves are in the region) and phosphate (Morocco alone has more than half of the world's reserves).
What does the Middle East produce besides oil? ›Outside of Oil
One of the most advanced economies in the region, Israel, is not dependent on oil exports at all. The country has had to find other ways to create value in the global market and its three major exports include electronics and software, cut diamonds, and pharmaceuticals.
While modern civilizations extend to every continent except Antarctica, most scholars place the earliest cradles of civilizations—in other words, where civilizations first emerged—in modern-day Iraq, Egypt, India, China, Peru and Mexico, beginning between approximately 4000 and 3000 B.C.
What is the oldest civilization on earth? ›The oldest recorded civilization in the world is the Mesopotamia civilization. Overall, the 4 oldest civilizations of the world are Mesopotamia Civilization, Egyptian Civilization, Indus Valley Civilization, and Chinese Civilization.
What are the 4 oldest civilization? ›The four oldest civilizations are Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus valley, and China as they provided the basis for continuous cultural development in the same geographic location.