MIDDLE EAST


Meaning of MIDDLE EAST in English

or Mideast or Near East

Geographic region where Europe, Africa, and Asia meet.

It is an unofficial and imprecise term that now generally encompasses the lands around the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea

notably Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria

as well as Iran, Iraq, and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. Afghanistan, Libya, Turkey, and The Sudan are sometimes also included. The term was formerly used by Western geographers and historians to describe the region from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia; Near East is sometimes used to describe the same area.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.