The Middle East: The Region and Its List of Countries

UNGKIT.COM – Since the mid-20th century, the Middle East has been a focal point for global events and a highly sensitive region—strategically, politically, economically, culturally, and religiously.

The term "Middle East" is believed to have emerged in the 1850s, originating from a European perspective that described the transcontinental region spanning Western Asia and Egypt.

The term was popularized in 1902 by the American naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan, who used it to describe the area between Arabia and India. According to Mahan, the countries included in the Middle East are those situated around the Persian Gulf.

The majority of the population in this region identifies as Arab, while the remainder consists of various ethnic groups, including Turks, Arameans, Persians, Kurds, Berbers, Shabak, Zaza, Assyrians, and Samaritans.

In addition to possessing vast reserves of crude oil, the Middle East is the birthplace and spiritual center for Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

Politically and culturally, the Middle East is a region—or a part of the Asian or Afro-Eurasian continent—centered on the landmass between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, extending across Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Sinai Peninsula.

This area sometimes also encompasses regions stretching from North Africa in the west to Pakistan in the east, as well as the Caucasus and/or Central Asia to the north.

The media and several international organizations, such as the United Nations, generally define the Middle East as a region encompassing Southwest Asia—including Cyprus and Iran—along with Egypt.

The region is home to diverse ethnic and cultural groups, including Iranians, Arabs, Greeks, Jews, Berbers, Assyrians, Kurds, and Turks. Major languages ​​spoken in these countries include Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, Assyrian, Kurdish, and Turkish. 

Currently, the Middle East generally comprises approximately 17 countries located across Southwest Asia and North Africa.

Below is the list of countries included in the Middle East, along with their respective capitals:

Note: Some broader definitions may also include North African nations, such as Libya and Sudan, or Caucasus countries, such as Armenia and Georgia. (*)

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