Middle East

The Middle East (also called Southwestern Asia) is a region comprising the lands that extend from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. The Middle East is a subregion of Africa-Eurasia, or more specifically, Asia, and sometimes North Africa and Afghanistan.

Related Topics:
Southwestern Asia - Mediterranean Sea - Persian Gulf - Africa-Eurasia - Asia - North Africa - Afghanistan

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The area encompasses several cultural and ethnic groups, including the Persian, Arabic, Greek, Jewish, Assyrian, Kurdish and Turkish cultures. The six main language groups are Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, Assyrian, Kurdish and Turkish. People from the Middle East are generally known by those in the West as being "Middle Eastern".

Related Topics:
Persian - Arabic - Greek - Jewish - Assyrian - Kurdish - Turkish - Persian - Arabic - Hebrew - Assyrian - Kurdish - Turkish - The West

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Most definitions of the "Middle East" -- in both established reference books and common usage -- define the region as 'nations in Southwest Asia, from Iran (Persia) to Egypt'. Consequently, Egypt, with its Sinai Peninsula in Asia, is usually considered part of the 'Middle East', although most of the country lies in North Africa. North African nations without Asian links, such as Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, are increasingly being called North African -- as opposed to Middle Eastern (Iran to Egypt - Asia) -- by international media outlets.

Related Topics:
Southwest Asia - Iran - Egypt - Sinai Peninsula - Asia - North Africa - Libya - Tunisia - Morocco

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