Regions of the Middle East

There are many interpretations of the term ‘the Middle East.’ One of the most common includes the Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia, the Near East, the Iranian plateau, and occasionally North Africa. To view more information on the region of Asia and/or Africa, visit the Middle East article.Different Middle Eastern cultures are spread out through this whole region.

The main religion is Islam, including Shia and Sunni, while significant Christian communities are found in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt and Jews are concentrated in Israel. Most of the people are Semites, various indo-european Iranian peoples, and Turks. The main languages spoken include Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Hebrew, and various Turkish dialects. Here are the regions of the Middle East:

Universally considered Middle Eastern
Near East, or Levant
Israel
Lebanon
Syria
Jordan
Iraq
Bilad al-Sham (Historical)
Israel
Lebanon
Syria
Jordan
Greater Syria (Historical)
Lebanon
Syria
Often parts of Jordan and Israel
Arabia or Arabian Peninsula
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Bahrain
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Oman
Yemen
Gulf States
Iran
Arabian states except Yemen

Usually considered Middle Eastern
Anatolia
Turkey
Nile valley
Egypt

Sometimes considered Middle Eastern
Caucasus
Azerbaijan
Georgia
Armenia
Mediterranean Sea
Cyprus
The Maghreb
Morocco
Western Sahara (SADR)
Algeria
Tunisia
Libya
Mauritania
Central Asia
Afghanistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan
Iranian plateau
Pakistan
Sudan