Near East

The modern archaeological and historical context of the Near East and Iran Wider West Asia (the Middle East and Transcaucasia ) The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for archeologists and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other. The term originally applied to the Balkan states in Eastern Europe , but now generally describes the countries of Western Asia between the Mediterranean Sea and Iran , especially in historical contexts. The term, as used by Western archaeologists , geographers , and historians , refers to the region encompassing Anatolia (the Asian portion of modern Turkey ), the Levant ( Syria , Lebanon , Jordan , Cyprus , Israel and the Palestinian territories ), Mesopotamia ( Iraq ) and, occasionally, Transcaucasia ( Georgia , Armenia and Azerbaijan ). In modern political and journalistic contexts, this region is usually subsumed into the wider Middle East , while the terms Near East or West Asia are preferred in archaeological, geographic and historical contexts. The term has been referred to as eurocentric .

The modern archaeological and historical context of the Near East Near East Near East ( ) is a geographical term that roughly encompasses Western Asia . Despite having varying definitions within different academic circles, the term was originally applied to the maximum extent of the Ottoman Empire . The term has fallen into disuse in English, and has been replaced by the term Middle East . The Encyclopædia Britannica defines the Near East as including Bahrain , Cyprus , Egypt , the Gaza Strip , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Jordan , Kuwait , Lebanon , Libya , Oman , Palestine , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Sudan , Syria , Turkey , the United Arab Emirates , the West Bank , and Yemen . The United Nations FAO defines the region similarly, but also includes Afghanistan while excluding the countries of North Africa and the Palestinian territories . According to National Geographic , the terms Near East and Middle East denote the same territories and are 'generally accepted as comprising the countries of the Arabian Peninsula , Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq with its Kurdistan region , Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Syria, and Turkey'.

Geographical term that roughly encompasses Western Asia This article is about the geographical term. Near East topographic map The Near East is a Eurocentric geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region comprising Western Asia , Turkey (both Anatolia and East Thrace ), and Egypt (which is mostly located in North Africa ). Despite having varying definitions within different academic circles, the term was originally applied to the maximum extent of the Ottoman Empire . The term has fallen into disuse in American English and has been replaced by the terms Middle East , which includes Egypt, and Western Asia, which includes Transcaucasia . According to the National Geographic Society , the terms Near East and Middle East denote the same territories and are "generally accepted as comprising the countries of the Arabian Peninsula , Cyprus , Egypt , Iraq , Iran , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Palestinian territories , Syria , and Turkey". As of 1997, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defined the region similarly, but also included Afghanistan . Tribes and State Formation in the Middle East . Food and Agriculture Organization .

Geographical term that roughly encompasses West Asia This article is about the geographical term. Topographic map of parts of the Near East The Near East is a transcontinental region around the East Mediterranean encompassing West Asia , The Balkans and North Africa , including the historical Fertile Crescent , the Levant , Anatolia , East Thrace and Egypt . The term was originally applied to the Ottoman Empire , but today has varying definitions within different academic circles. According to National Geographic , the terms Near East and Middle East denote the same territories and are "generally accepted as comprising the countries of the Arabian Peninsula , Cyprus , Egypt , Iraq , Iran , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Palestinian territories , Syria , and Turkey ". In 1997, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defined the region similarly, but also included Afghanistan . The region (with the exception of Egypt) is "now commonly referred to as West Asia ." There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). Food and Agriculture Organization .

Geographical term that roughly encompasses West Asia This article is about the geographical term. Topographic map of parts of the Near East The Near East ( Arabic : الشرق الأدنى ) is a transcontinental region around the Eastern Mediterranean encompassing the historical Fertile Crescent , the Levant , Anatolia , Egypt , Mesopotamia , and coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula . The term was invented in the 20th century by modern Western geographers and was originally applied to the Ottoman Empire , but today has varying definitions within different academic circles. The term Near East was used in conjunction with the Middle East and the Far East (China and beyond), together known as the "three Easts"; it was a separate term from the Middle East during earlier times and official British usage. As of 2024, both terms are used interchangeably by politicians and news reporters to refer to the same region. Near East and Middle East are both Eurocentric terms. According to the National Geographic Society , the terms Near East and Middle East denote the same territories and are "generally accepted as comprising the countries of the Arabian Peninsula , Cyprus , Egypt , Iraq , Iran , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Palestinian territories , Syria , and Turkey ". Also, Afghanistan is often included. In 1997, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defined the region similarly, but also included Afghanistan . The part of the region that is in Asia (so, not including Egypt , the Balkans and Thrace ) is "now commonly referred to as West Asia ." Later on in 2012, the FAO defined the Near East as a subregion of the Middle East. The Near East included Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, and Turkey while the Middle East included the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, and Iran. Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . The New York Times . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations .