Middle East

The Middle East is a region mainly in Western Asia, between the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. While the region is known for its arid climate, not all of the land consists of deserts, and contrary to common misconceptions, glaciers and deserts do indeed exist in close proximity in parts of the region.
Wikivoyage
Wikipedia
Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Iran and Israel.

Photo: Wikimedia, GFDL.
, formerly Persia, can be considered part of the Middle East or ; indeed the Persian Empire was the dominant Central Asian power for many centuries.

Photo: Bienchido, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a small yet diverse Middle Eastern country. The modern State of was established in 1948 as a homeland for the Jewish people, but the region contains thousands of years of history for many peoples and religions in addition to the Jews.

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.
is a republic in the Middle East. It has an extremely rich history and culture that is still visible today, although accessing it may pose some challenges to visitors.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Photo: Mardetanha, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is the quintessential Arab kingdom. Vast deserts, scorching heat, immense oil wealth, camel races, glitzy shopping malls, traditional souq markets – you can find every Arabian cliche you can think of and then some here.

Photo: Yvonnefm, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a country in the Middle East. Rich in history, the capital, , is the world's oldest continuously inhabited city, and the country has been the site of numerous empires.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, south of . It is one of the world’s oldest civilisations, with a history of over 11,000 years.

Photo: Simisa, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The or simply the Emirates is a country rich in history and culture at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Boasting attractions ranging from the glittering and cosmopolitan cities of and , to the vast and unforgiving desert landscapes of the , it makes an easy starting point for travels in the Middle East.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is a country in the Middle East, on the Mediterranean Sea. Rich in diversity and history, has hosted the Roman Empire, the Crusades, the Ottoman Empire, and was, for a period of time, controlled by .

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is an Arab kingdom in the Middle East, at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. It has been repeatedly called an "oasis of stability" in the Middle East.

Photo: KlausFoehl, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The Palestinian territories, also known as or the State of , consists of two physically separate entities, the and the , in the Middle East.

Photo: JamesA, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a country in the southern of the Middle East. Although it is rich in history and culture, being part of several civilizations, the country has been in a state of flux since the 1980s.

Photo: Alfred Weidinger, CC BY 2.0.
The Sultanate of is on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula. Under the radar of most visitors to the Gulf, is peaceful and prosperous, with amazing natural sights and hospitable people.

Photo: paultraf, CC BY 2.0.
is a rich Arab state occupying a small peninsula extending into the Persian Gulf to the north of . Many come to the Middle East seeking the mystic, traditional life of the Bedouins, wandering the desert with their life's belongings on a camel's back.

Photo: Peter, CC BY 2.0.
The Kingdom of is a Middle Eastern archipelago in the Persian Gulf, tucked into a pocket of the sea flanked by and . The kingdom combines modern Arab culture and the archaeological legacy of 5,000 years of civilisation.

Photo: jackversloot, CC BY 2.0.
is a monarchy situated at the Persian Gulf, nestled between and . Historically, was a strategic trade port between Mesopotamia, India, and Persia. Like many of its neighbours, is endowed with oil and gas wealth.

Photo: Aniacra, CC BY-SA 4.0.
is the largest city of Israel. Israel claims it as its capital and a few countries including the United States recognize that claim, but most other countries and the United Nations do not.

Middle East

  • Type: transcontinental region with 371,000,000 residents
  • Description: geopolitical region encompassing Egypt and most of Western Asia, including Iran
  • Also known as: “Blízký východ”, “Cercano Oriente”, “Meza Oriento”, “Mid East”, “Mideast”, “Midt-Østen”, “Nahost”, “Oriente Mezan”, “Oriente proximo”, “Proksima oriento”, “Proksimoriento”, “Proximo Oriente”, “Próximo Oriente”, “Timteng”, “Tuvie un Vidējie Austrumi”, “Vidējie Austrumi”, “Vorderer Orient”, “Ближний и Средний Восток”, “Близкоизточен регион”, “Жакынкы чыгыш”, “Шор Шундыӝужан”, “Яҡын Көнсығыш”, “العنصر المتوسطي الشرقي”, “رۆژهەڵاتی ناوەڕاست”, “رۆژھەڵاتی ناوین”, “ڕۆژهەڵاتی ناوەڕاست”, and “ᱛᱟᱞᱟ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱝ”
  • Neighbors: , , , , , and
  • Category: cultural region
  • Location:
  • View on Open­Street­Map
Latitude of center
28.5354° or 28° 32′ 7″ north
Longitude of center
48.4295° or 48° 25′ 46″ east
Population
371,000,000
Wiki­data ID
Q7204
This page is based on Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage.
We’d love your help improving our open data sources. Thank you for contributing.

Satellite Map

Discover Middle East from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
© Stadia Maps, Airbus DS, CNES, PlanetObserver, and Copernicus

In Other Languages

From Afrikaans to Zhuang—“Middle East” goes by many names.
  • Afrikaans: “Midde-Ooste”
  • Albanian: “Lindja e Mesme”
  • Albanian: “Lindje e Mesme”
  • Amharic: “መካከለኛው ምሥራቅ”
  • Angika: “मध्य पूर्व”
  • Arabic: “الشرق الأوسط”
  • Aragonese: “Orient Meyo”
  • Armenian: “Միջին Արևելք”
  • Arpitan: “Moyen-Oriant”
  • Assamese: “মধ্যপ্ৰাচ্য”
  • Asturian: “Oriente Mediu”
  • Azerbaijani: “Orta Şərq”
  • Banjar: “Timur Tangah”
  • Bashkir: “Урта Көнсығыш”
  • Basque: “Ekialde Ertain”
  • Basque: “Ekialde Ertaina”
  • Batak Mandailing: “Timur tonga”
  • Belarusian: “Сярэдні Усход”
  • Belarusian: “Сярэдні Ўсход”
  • Bengali: “মধ্যপ্রাচ্য”
  • Bhojpuri: “मध्य पूरुब”
  • Bosnian: “Bliski Istok”
  • Bosnian: “Srednji istok”
  • Breton: “Reter-Kreiz”
  • Bulgarian: “Близък изток”
  • Burmese: “အရှေ့အလယ်ပိုင်းဒေသ”
  • Catalan: “Orient Mitjà”
  • Central Bikol: “Tahaw na Sirangan”
  • Central Kanuri: “Middle East”
  • Central Kurdish: “ڕۆژھەڵاتی ناوەڕاست”
  • Chechen: “Йуккъера Малхбале”
  • Chinese: “中东”
  • Chinese: “中東”
  • Chuvash: “Малти Хĕвелтухăç”
  • Cornish: “Est Kres”
  • Corsican: “Mediu Oriente”
  • Corsican: “Mediu Urienti”
  • Croatian: “Bliski istok”
  • Croatian: “Srednji istok”
  • Czech: “Střední východ”
  • Danish: “Mellemøsten”
  • Dimli (individual language): “Rocakewtena Miyani”
  • Dotyali: “मध्य पूर्व”
  • Dutch: “Midden-Oosten”
  • Egyptian Arabic: “الشرق الاوسط”
  • Egyptian Arabic: “الشرق الوسطانى”
  • Esperanto: “Mezoriento”
  • Estonian: “Lähis-Ida”
  • Extremaduran: “Orienti Meiu”
  • Faroese: “Miðeystur”
  • Fiji Hindi: “Middle East”
  • Finnish: “Lähi-itä”
  • French: “Moyen-Orient”
  • Friulian: “Medi orient”
  • Gagauz: “Ortadoğu”
  • Galician: “Oriente Medio”
  • Gan Chinese: “中東”
  • Georgian: “შუა აღმოსავლეთი”
  • German: “Middle East”
  • German: “Naher Osten”
  • Gothic: “𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌰𐌿𐍃𐍄𐍂”
  • Gothic: “𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌹𐍃 𐌰𐌿𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰”
  • Greek: “Μέση Ανατολή”
  • Guarani: “Kuarahyresẽ Mbytegua”
  • Guianese Creole French: “Mwayen-Oryan”
  • Hausa: “Gabas ta tsakiya”
  • Hausa: “Gabas ta Tsakiya”
  • Hebrew: “המזרח התיכון”
  • Hindi: “मध्य पूर्व”
  • Hungarian: “Közel-Kelet”
  • Iban: “Timur Tengah”
  • Icelandic: “Mið-Austurlönd”
  • Ido: “Mez-Oriento”
  • Iloko: “Tengnga a Daya”
  • Inari Sami: “Aldanuorttâ”
  • Indonesian: “Timur Tengah”
  • Ingush: “Юкъера Малхбоале”
  • Interlingua: “Oriente Medie”
  • Irish: “an Meánoirthear”
  • Irish: “An Meánoirthear”
  • Italian: “Medio Oriente”
  • Jamaican Creole English: “Migl Iis”
  • Japanese: “中東”
  • Javanese: “Wétan Tengah”
  • Jèrriais: “Êst du Mitan”
  • Kabiyè: “Moyen-Orient tɛtʋ wandamm”
  • Kabyle: “Agmuḍ alemmas”
  • Kabyle: “Asamar alemmas”
  • Kadazan Dusun: “Kosilahon Tanga’”
  • Kadazan Dusun: “Timur Tatanga”
  • Kannada: “ಮಧ್ಯ ಪ್ರಾಚ್ಯ”
  • Karachay-Balkar: “Орта Кюнчыгъыш”
  • Kashmiri: “مٔنٛزیُٛم مَشرِق”
  • Kazakh: “Таяу Шығыс”
  • Khmer: “មជ្ឈិមបូព៌ា”
  • Kirghiz: “Жакынкы Чыгыш”
  • Kölsch: “Nahe Oste”
  • Komi-Permyak: “Шӧрӧт Асыввыв”
  • Korean: “중동”
  • Kurdish: “Rojhilata Navîn”
  • Ladino: “Medio Oryente”
  • Lao: “ຕາເວັນອອກກາງ”
  • Latin: “Asia occidentalis”
  • Latin: “Oriens Medius”
  • Latvian: “Tuvie Austrumi”
  • Limburgan: “Midde-Ooste”
  • Literary Chinese: “中東”
  • Lithuanian: “Viduriniai Rytai”
  • Lithuanian: “Vidurinieji Rytai”
  • Lombard: “Orient Median”
  • Low German: “Midden-Oosten”
  • Low German: “Nahoost”
  • Low German: “Nege Oosten”
  • Lule Sami: “Gasskalulle”
  • Luxembourgish: “Noen Osten”
  • Macedonian: “Близок Исток”
  • Macedonian: “Среден Исток”
  • Madurese: “Tèmor Tengnga”
  • Magahi: “मध्यपूर्व”
  • Malagasy: “Atsinanana Afovoany”
  • Malagasy: “Azia Andrefana”
  • Malay: “Timur Tengah”
  • Malay: “تيمور تڠه”
  • Malayalam: “മദ്ധ്യപൂർവേഷ്യ”
  • Malayalam: “മധ്യപൂർവദേശം”
  • Maori: “Waenganui Rawhiti”
  • Maori: “Waenganui Rāwhiti”
  • Marathi: “मध्यपूर्व”
  • Mazanderani: “خاورمیونه”
  • Min Dong Chinese: “Dṳ̆ng-dĕ̤ng”
  • Min Nan Chinese: “Tiong-tang”
  • Minangkabau: “Timur Tangah”
  • Mirandese: “Medio Ouriente”
  • Mirandese: “Médio Ouriente”
  • Mongolian: “Ойрх Дорнод”
  • Mongolian: “Ойрхи Дорнод”
  • Moroccan Arabic: “الشرق لأوسط”
  • N'Ko: “ߊߙߊߓߎ߫ ߕߌ߲ߡߎߣߎ߲”
  • Neapolitan: “Medie Oriende”
  • Nepali: “मध्य पूर्व”
  • Newari: “मध्य पूर्व”
  • Nias: “Timur Tengah”
  • Northern Frisian: “Madel Uast”
  • Northern Sami: “Gaska-nuorti”
  • Northern Sami: “Gaska-Nuorti”
  • Norwegian Bokmål: “Midtøsten”
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: “Midtausten”
  • Norwegian: “Midtøsten”
  • Obolo: “Etete Mbum-ura”
  • Occitan (post 1500): “Orient Mejan”
  • Official Aramaic (700-300 BCE): “ܡܕܢܚܐ ܡܨܥܝܬܐ”
  • Oriya: “ମଧ୍ୟ ପୂର୍ବ”
  • Ossetian: “Астæуккаг Хурыскæсæн”
  • Pampanga: “Kalibudtang Aslagan”
  • Panjabi: “ਮੱਧ ਪੂਰਬ”
  • Panjabi: “ਮੱਧ-ਪੂਰਵ”
  • Papiamento: “Medio Oriente”
  • Persian: “خاورمیانه”
  • Piemontese: “Vzin Orient”
  • Pitcairn-Norfolk: “West Asya”
  • Polish: “Azja Przednia”
  • Polish: “Bliski Wschód”
  • Polish: “Środkowy Wschód”
  • Portuguese: “Médio Oriente”
  • Portuguese: “Oriente Médio”
  • Pushto: “منځنی ختيځ”
  • Romanian: “Orientul Mijlociu”
  • Russia Buriat: “Дунда Дурна”
  • Russian: “Ближний Восток”
  • Russian: “Средний Восток”
  • Rusyn: “Середнїй Выход”
  • Samogitian: “Vėdorėnė̄jė Rītā”
  • Santali: “ᱛᱟᱞᱢᱟ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱝ”
  • Sardinian: “Oriente Mèdiu”
  • Saterfriesisch: “Nai Aaste”
  • Scots: “Middle East”
  • Scottish Gaelic: “An Ear Mheadhanach”
  • Serbian: “Блиски исток”
  • Serbian: “Средњи исток”
  • Serbo-Croatian: “Srednji istok”
  • Serbo-Croatian: “Srednji Istok”
  • Shan: “ပွတ်းၵၢင်တၢင်းဢွၵ်ႇ”
  • Shona: “Middle East”
  • Sicilian: “Mediu Urienti”
  • Sindhi: “وچ اوڀر”
  • Sinhala: “මැද පෙරදිග”
  • Skolt Sami: “Âʹldd-Nuõrti”
  • Slovak: “Stredný východ”
  • Slovenian: “Srednji vzhod”
  • Somali: “Bariga Dhexe”
  • South Azerbaijani: “اورتاشرق”
  • Southern Sotho: “Botjhabela Bohare”
  • Spanish: “Medio Oriente”
  • Spanish: “Oriente Medio”
  • Standard Moroccan Tamazight: “ⴰⴳⵎⵓⴹ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵎⴰⵙ”
  • Sundanese: “Wétan Tengah”
  • Swahili: “Mashariki ya Kati”
  • Swedish: “Mellanöstern”
  • Swiss German: “Naher Osten”
  • Swiss German: “Nooche Oste”
  • Tachelhit: “Agmuḍ anammas”
  • Tagalog: “Gitnang Silangan”
  • Tamil: “மத்திய கிழக்கு நாடுகள்”
  • Tamil: “மத்திய கிழக்கு”
  • Tatar: “Урта Көнчыгыш”
  • Telugu: “మధ్య ప్రాచ్యం”
  • Telugu: “మధ్యప్రాచ్యం”
  • Thai: “ตะวันออกกลาง”
  • Tsonga: “Vuxa-dyambu bya le xikarhi”
  • Turkish: “Orta Doğu”
  • Turkmen: “Orta Gündogar”
  • Udmurt: “Матысь Шунды ӝужан пал”
  • Uighur: “ئوتتۇرا شەرق”
  • Ukrainian: “Близький Схід”
  • Ukrainian: “Середній Схід”
  • Urdu: “مشرق وسطی”
  • Urdu: “مشرق وسطیٰ”
  • Uzbek: “Oʻrta Sharq”
  • Venetian: “Mèdio Oriente”
  • Vietnamese: “Trung Đông”
  • Vlaams: “Middn-Ôostn”
  • Võro: “Lähkü-Hummogumaa”
  • Walloon: “Mîtrin Levant”
  • Walloon: “Moyén Levant”
  • Waray (Philippines): “Butnga Sinirangan”
  • Welsh: “Y Dwyrain Canol”
  • Western Armenian: “Միջին Արեւելք”
  • Western Frisian: “Midden-Easten”
  • Western Panjabi: “مشرق وسطا”
  • Western Panjabi: “مشرق وسطی”
  • Wolof: “Penku gu Diggu”
  • Wu Chinese: “中东”
  • Wu Chinese: “中東”
  • Yakut: “Ближнэй Восток”
  • Yiddish: “מיטל מזרח”
  • Yue Chinese: “中東”
  • Zeeuws: “Midden-Oôsten”
  • Zhuang: “Cunghdungh (Dieg)”
  • Zhuang: “Cunghdungh”
  • “ma Sakasa”
  • “मध्य पूरुब”

Asia: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia.

Explore These Curated Destinations

Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.