Middle East

The Middle East is a region that spans southwest Asia and northeast Africa. The term was first coined in the 1850s and the countries usually cited as part of the region include Egypt, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Palestine is also referenced as part of the region, however, is not recognised as a country by the UN. The Middle East is the birthplace of the three Abrahamic religions — Christianity, Islam and Judaism — as well as ancient civilisations originating in the Fertile Crescent and Nile Valley regions. Today the region is a global supplier of oil and faces regional conflicts such as the Israel-Gaza war which began in 2023.