Middle East (or Middle East) is a region located on the Asian continent, bordering Europe and Africa.
The Middle East is still bounded by the Black, Mediterranean, Red, Arabian, Caspian and Persian Gulf seas, in addition to the Indian Ocean.
At the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century, the Middle East was marked by intense conflicts involving territorial disputes, mainly between the Arabs and the Israelis.
Most of the people who inhabit this region are Arabic, which is therefore the most spoken language in the Middle East. However, there are still other peoples with their respective languages, such as the Turks (who speak Turkish), the Jews (who speak Hebrew) and the Persians (who speak Farsi).
The Middle East is one of the regions considered as the “cradle of civilizations”, as it was the territory of ancient civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, the Egyptian and the Arab.
Another important highlight of this region is in the religious sphere, as Judaism, Christianity and Islam – some of the most expressive doctrines in the world – would have emerged in the Middle East.
In fact, in the religious sphere, most people who inhabit the Middle East are Muslims, which can be subdivided into sects, such as Sunnis, Shiites, Druses, Alawites, and so on.
Learn more about the meaning of Shiite and Islam.
In the economic context, the Middle East is known for being the biggest holder of oil. Approximately 65% of all oil on the planet is located under the soils of this region.
Due to the historical context of this region (struggle between different religious doctrines) and the economic potential it has (oil), the Middle East is one of the most conflicted areas in the world.
Middle East countries
The Middle East region is made up of 17 countries, with a population of approximately 260 million people.
There are many differences among historians to delimit which countries are part of the Middle East. However, the most accepted members of this region are:
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates
- Bahrain
- Israel
- Will
- Iraq
- Yemen
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Syria
- Turkey (Asian part)
- Cyprus
- Egypt (Asian part)
- Oman
- Palestine
See also the meaning of Near East.