Editing Middle East (section)

== Countries and territory ==
{{Further|List of Middle Eastern countries by population}}

=== Countries and territory usually considered within the Middle East ===
Traditionally included within the Middle East are [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]], [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]], [[East Thrace]], [[Egypt]], [[Iran]], the [[Levant]], [[Mesopotamia]], and the [[Socotra Governorate|Socotra Archipelago]]. The region includes 17 [[UN]]-recognized countries and one [[British Overseas Territories|British Overseas Territory]].

{| class ="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center"
!class="unsortable"| [[Armorial of sovereign states|Arms]]
!class="unsortable"| [[Gallery of sovereign state flags|Flag]]
! [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
! [[List of countries and dependencies by area|Area]]<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! [[List of countries and dependencies by population|Population]]<br />(2025)<ref name="IMFAPR2025">{{cite web |title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2025/april/weo-report?c=419,423,469,429,433,436,439,443,446,449,453,456,463,186,466,487,474,&s=NGDPD,NGDPDPC,LP,&sy=2010&ey=2025&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |website=IMF |access-date=29 April 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
! [[List of countries and dependencies by population density|Density]]<br />(per km<sup>2</sup>)
! [[List of national capitals|Capital]]
! [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|Nominal<br />GDP]], {{abbr|bn|billions}} (2025)<ref name="IMFAPR2025" />
! [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|GDP per capita]] (2025)<ref name="IMFAPR2025" />
! Currency
! Government
! Official<br />language(s)
!Predominant religion 
|-
| {{Coat of arms|United Kingdom|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Akrotiri and Dhekelia|size=45px}}
| [[Akrotiri and Dhekelia]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 254
| style="text-align:right;"| 18,195 (2020)<ref name="Akrotiri and Dhekelia">{{Citation |title=Akrotiri and Dhekelia |date=2024-05-15 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/akrotiri-and-dhekelia/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 72
| [[Episkopi Cantonment|Episkopi]]
| N/A
| N/A
| [[Euro]]
| ''De facto'' [[stratocracy|stratocratic]] [[dependent territory|dependency]] under a [[constitutional monarchy]]
| [[English language|English]]
|[[Christianity]] 
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Bahrain|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Bahrain|size=45px}}
| [[Bahrain]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 778
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,657,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,130
| [[Manama]]
| $47.829
| $28,857
| [[Bahraini dinar]]
| [[Constitutional monarchy]]
| [[Arabic]]
|[[Islam]] (official)
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Cyprus|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Cyprus|size=45px}}
| [[Cyprus]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,251
| style="text-align:right;"| 942,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 102
| [[Nicosia]]
| $38.736
| $41,132
| [[Euro]]
| [[Presidential system|Presidential]] [[republic]]
| [[Greek language|Greek]],<br />[[Turkish language|Turkish]]
|Christianity 
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Egypt|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Egypt|size=45px}}
| [[Egypt]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,001,450
| style="text-align:right;"| 109,450,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 109
| [[Cairo]]
| $347.342
| $3,174
| [[Egyptian pound]]
| [[Semi-presidential republic|Semi-presidential]] [[republic]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|-
| {{Seal|Iran|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Iran|size=45px}}
| [[Iran]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,648,195
| style="text-align:right;"| 87,500,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 53
| [[Tehran]]
| $341.013
| $3,897
| [[Iranian rial]]
| [[Islamic republic]]
| [[Persian language|Persian]]
|Islam (official) 
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Iraq|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Iraq|size=45px}}
| [[Iraq]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 438,317
| style="text-align:right;"| 45,521,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 104
| [[Baghdad]]
| $258.020
| $5,668
| [[Iraqi dinar]]
| [[Parliamentary republic]]
| [[Arabic]],<br />[[Kurdish languages|Kurdish]]
|Islam (official, expect in autonomous [[Kurdistan Region]])
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Israel|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Israel|size=45px}}
| [[Israel]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 21,937
| style="text-align:right;"| 10,100,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 460
| [[Jerusalem]]{{ref|israel|a}}
| $583.361
| $57,760
| [[Israeli new shekel|Israeli shekel]]
| [[Parliamentary republic]]
| [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]
|[[Judaism]]
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Jordan|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Jordan|size=45px}}
| [[Jordan]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 89,318
| style="text-align:right;"| 11,442,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 128
| [[Amman]]
| $56.102
| $4,903
| [[Jordanian dinar]]
| [[Constitutional monarchy]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Kuwait|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Kuwait|size=45px}}
| [[Kuwait]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 17,818
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,112,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 287
| [[Kuwait City]]
| $153.101
| $29,951
| [[Kuwaiti dinar]]
| [[Constitutional monarchy]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|-
| style="background-color:#c8ccd1; text-align:center;"| <!-- The Lebanese constitution doesn't specify an official coat of arms -->
| {{flagicon|Lebanon|size=45px}}
| [[Lebanon]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 10,452
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,354,000 (2024)
| style="text-align:right;"| 512
| [[Beirut]]
| $28.280 (2024)
| $5,282 (2024)
| [[Lebanese pound]]
| [[Parliamentary republic]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam, large minority for Christianity 
|-
| {{Seal|Oman|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Oman|size=45px}}
| [[Oman]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 309,500
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,502,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 18
| [[Muscat]]
| $104.351
| $18,966
| [[Omani rial]]
| [[Absolute monarchy]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Palestine|size=30px|text=none|link=State of Palestine}}
| {{flagicon|Palestine|size=45px}}
| [[Palestine]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,020
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,477,000 (2023)
| style="text-align:right;"| 910
| [[Jerusalem]]<br />[[Ramallah]]{{ref|palestine|a}}
| $17.848 (2023)
| $3,259 (2023)
| [[Israeli new shekel|Israeli shekel]],<br />[[Jordanian dinar]]
| [[Semi-presidential republic|Semi-presidential]] [[republic]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|-
| {{Seal|Qatar|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Qatar|size=45px}}
| [[Qatar]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 11,586
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,109,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 268
| [[Doha]]
| $222.776
| $71,653
| [[Qatari riyal]]
| [[Absolute monarchy|Constitutional monarchy]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|-
| {{Seal|Saudi Arabia|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia|size=45px}}
| [[Saudi Arabia]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,149,690
| style="text-align:right;"| 36,006,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 17
| [[Riyadh]]
| $1,083.749
| $30,099
| [[Saudi riyal]]
| [[Absolute monarchy]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Syria|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Syria|size=45px}}
| [[Syria]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 185,180
| style="text-align:right;"| 21,393,000 (2010)
| style="text-align:right;"| 116
| [[Damascus]]
| $60.043 (2010)
| $2,807 (2010)
| [[Syrian pound]]
| [[Presidential system|Presidential]] [[republic]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam 
|-
| style="background-color:#c8ccd1; text-align:center;"| <!-- The Turkish Constitution doesn't specify an official coat of arms -->
| {{flagicon|Turkey|size=45px}}
| [[Turkey]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 783,562
| style="text-align:right;"| 86,026,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 110
| [[Ankara]]
| $1,437.406
| $16,709
| [[Turkish lira]]
| [[Presidential system|Presidential]] [[republic]]
| [[Turkish language|Turkish]]
|Islam
|-
| {{Coat of arms|United Arab Emirates|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|United Arab Emirates|size=45px}}
| [[United Arab Emirates]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 83,600
| style="text-align:right;"| 11,083,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 133
| [[Abu Dhabi]]
| $548.598
| $49,498
| [[Emirati dirham]]
| [[Federation|Federal]] [[constitutional monarchy]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|-
| {{Coat of arms|Yemen|size=30px|text=none}}
| {{flagicon|Yemen|size=45px}}
| [[Yemen]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 455,503
| style="text-align:right;"| 41,774,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 92
| [[Sanaa]]{{ref|sanaa|b}}<br />[[Aden]] <small>(provisional)</small>
| $17.401
| $417
| [[Yemeni rial]]
| [[Provisional government|Provisional]] [[presidential system|presidential]] [[republic]]
| [[Arabic]]
|Islam (official)
|}

:<small>a. {{note|israel}}{{note|palestine}}[[Jerusalem]] is the [[Jerusalem Law|proclaimed capital of Israel]], which is [[status of Jerusalem|disputed]], and the actual location of the [[Knesset]], [[Supreme Court of Israel|Israeli Supreme Court]], and other governmental institutions of Israel. [[Ramallah]] is the actual location of the government of Palestine, whereas the proclaimed capital of Palestine is [[East Jerusalem]], which is [[status of Jerusalem|disputed]].</small>
:<small>b. {{note|sanaa}}Controlled by the [[Houthi movement|Houthis]] due to the [[Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)|ongoing civil war]]. Seat of government moved to Aden.</small>

===Other definitions of the Middle East===
{{Further|Greater Middle East|MENA|Near East}}
{{See also|West Asia|Fertile Crescent|Levant|Syria (region)}}

Various concepts are often paralleled to the Middle East, most notably the [[Near East]], [[Fertile Crescent]], and [[Levant]]. These are geographical concepts, which refer to large sections of the modern-day Middle East, with the Near East being the closest to the Middle East in its geographical meaning. Due to it primarily being Arabic speaking, the [[Maghreb]] region of North Africa is sometimes included.

"[[Greater Middle East]]" is a [[political geography|political]] term coined by the [[presidency of George W. Bush|second Bush administration]] in the first decade of the 21st century<ref name=haeri>{{Cite news|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FC04Ak06.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040407112015/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FC04Ak06.html|url-status=dead |archive-date=7 April 2004|access-date=21 August 2008|title=Concocting a 'Greater Middle East' brew|work=[[Asia Times]]|date=3 March 2004|first=Safa|last=Haeri}}</ref> to denote various countries, pertaining to the [[Muslim world]], specifically [[Afghanistan]], [[Iran]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Turkey]].<ref>Ottaway, Marina & Carothers, Thomas (29 March 2004), [https://web.archive.org/web/20040915010150/http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1480 The Greater Middle East Initiative: Off to a False Start], Policy Brief, ''Carnegie Endowment for International Peace'', 29, pp. 1–7</ref> Various [[Central Asia]]n countries are sometimes also included.<ref>[http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm Middle East] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415014006/http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm |date=15 April 2016 }} What Is The Middle East And What Countries Are Part of It? worldatlas.com. Retrieved 16 April 2016.</ref>