Countries

Any judgments in the brief descriptive paragraphs in this section of the site are intended as a starting point for research, not definitive statements. The Middle East Institute takes no institutional positions on public policy issues.

The Middle East Institute defines the Middle East as a region encompassing southwestern Asia and northeastern Africa, spanning from Morocco to Pakistan, including the Caucasus. This is a region that is home to the beginning of civilization and of all three monotheistic religions. The region’s history has been influenced by Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires, Crusaders, the Mongols, Mamluks, Ottomans, Europeans, and many others. The majority of the countries that comprise the region have only gained independence in the last century or so. Since that time, the Middle East has been forever changed by the discovery of oil, the creation of the state of Israel, Islamic revival and the Iranian Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Persian Gulf War, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The future of the Middle East still remains uncertain, as it struggles to balance the importance of religion, development, and stability in an ever-democratizing global world.

Regional Issues