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[[File:Middle east.jpg|thumb|Political map of the Middle East]]

[[File:Middle east.jpg|thumb|Political map of the Middle East]]

The '''Middle East''', or West Asia and Egypt, is an area of land and group of countries in [[Southwest Asia]] and [[North Africa]]. Today, people usually call these countries "Middle Eastern" since they are in the Eastern [[Mediterranean]] or west of [[Central Asia]].

The '''Middle East''' is a large area of land in the [[eastern hemisphere]]. The lands of the [[Arabian Peninsula]] and some of the lands of the [[eastern Mediterranean]] are part of the Middle East. The Middle East's population is mostly [[Muslim]]. The name of the Middle East comes from its position to the east of [[Europe]] and to the west of the [[Far East]].<ref name=":0" />

It is normal for the modern countries of Arabia ([[Saudi Arabia]], [[Oman]], [[Yemen]], [[Bahrain]], [[Jordan]], [[Kuwait]], and the [[United Arab Emirates]]) to be counted with the modern countries of  [[Iraq]], [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], and [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] (the [[State of Palestine]] and [[Israel]]) as part of the Middle East.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636|title=Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names|last=Everett-Heath|first=John|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2020|isbn=978-0-19-190563-6|edition=6th|language=en|chapter=Middle East, The|doi=10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636-e-4756|chapter-url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636-e-4756}}</ref>

* [[Bahrain]]

* [[Cyprus]]

* [[Egypt]]

* [[Iran]]

* [[Jordan]]

* [[Kuwait]]

* [[Lebanon]]

* [[Oman]]

* [[Palestine]]

* [[Qatar]]

* [[Saudi Arabia]]

* [[Syria]]

* [[Turkey]]

{{div col end}}

Sometimes, people also include countries in North Africa and in South-central Asia as part of a [[Greater Middle East]].

The name "Middle East" does not always have the same meaning, and the size of the area is not always the same.<ref name=":0" /> When the name Middle East started to be common, it was the name for the lands in between the [[Near East]] and the [[Far East]]. The [[Indian subcontinent]] was part of the Middle East at that time.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Oxford English Dictionary Online|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2020|edition=3rd|chapter=Middle East, ''n''.|orig-year=2002|chapter-url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/118149}}</ref> Now, parts of [[Southwest Asia|south-west Asia]] and [[northern Africa]] can count as the Middle East. The land between Egypt and Iran is a common [[definition]].<ref name=":1" /> Many countries in the Middle East today are also part of the [[Near East]].<ref name=":0" /> Sometimes, people name countries that are far away from these countries as countries in the Middle East. These countries can be in [[North Africa]] (like [[Morocco]]) and the Indian subcontinent (like [[Pakistan]]).<ref name=":0" /> This area also has the name [[Greater Middle East]].

[[Ancient history|Ancient]] [[civilization]]s began in the [[Fertile Crescent]] in the Middle East. These were [[Sumer]], [[Babylonia]] and [[Assyria]] in the area called [[Mesopotamia]], and [[Ancient Egypt]]. The three [[Abrahamic religion]]s that believe in [[Monotheism|one God]] also came from the Middle East. [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]] began in ancient Israel and [[Islam]] began in [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]].

Many [[Ancient history|ancient]] [[civilization]]s began in the [[Fertile Crescent]] in the Middle East. These were [[Sumer]], [[Babylonia]] and [[Assyria]] in the area called [[Mesopotamia]]. The [[Abrahamic religion]]s that believe in [[Monotheism|one God]] also started in the Middle East. ([[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]] began in ancient Palestine and [[Islam]] began in Arabia.) Today, the Middle East is the homeland of [[Arabs]], [[Turks]], [[Persians]], [[Kurds]], and [[Jews]], among many other [[ethnic groups]]. Islam is the most common religion in the Middle East. Islam came to most of the Middle East's lands in the 7th [[century]] [[AD]], during the first [[Muslim conquests]] of the [[Sasanian Empire]] and of the [[Roman Empire]]'s lands.

Today, the Middle East is very important because much of the [[petroleum]] that other countries use comes from here. There are also many arguments and wars, such as the conflict between [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] and [[Shia Islam|Shia]], the [[Israeli-Palestinian conflict]], and the [[Syrian civil war]].

Today, the Middle East is very important because much of the [[petroleum]] that other countries use comes from here. There are also many arguments and wars, such as the conflict between [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] and [[Shia Islam|Shia]], the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]], and the [[Syrian civil war]].

== Related pages ==

== Related pages ==

{{commons|Middle East}}

{{commons|Middle East}}

* [[Central Asia]]

* [[Central Asia]]

* [[East Asia]]

* [[East Asia]]

* [[South Asia]]

* [[South Asia]]

* [[Southeast Asia]]

* [[Southeast Asia]]

{{Middle East}}

{{Middle East}}