GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST

Introduction:

Although the Middle East is defined by specific geographic areas, it does not contain actual outlined frontiers. Middle East is beyond the boundaries of countries. Middle East is inclusive of countries such as Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the territories belonging to Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Somalia, Turkey, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and United Arab Emirates.

Geography:

Numerous western countries define the term “Middle East” both in terms of common usage as also in books of reference as “southwest Asian nations spanning from Egypt to the East to Pakistan and Afghanistan to the west”. Some people are of the view that the addition of nations such as Turkey, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan is not justified as they are not Arab nations. Although the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt is a part of Asia, most part of Egypt is geographically located in North Africa and is still considered to be a part of the Middle East. Other nations in North Africa having traditional links with Asia including Algeria, Tunisia and Libya are mostly called as “North African” rather than being labeled as “Middle Eastern “. However, these countries may be taken as a part of Middle East. Just as Pakistan, Somalia, a Muslim country located in Africa’s East is also considered to be a component of the “Greater Middle East”. Some other countries which are also included in such definitions include the nations encompassing the Caucasus Mountains such as Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Miscellaneous: