Middle East

Map of the Middle East between North Africa, Southern Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia Middle East map of Köppen climate classification

The Middle East is a geo-political region that is generally defined as encompassing all of Egypt and all of West Asia except for the Caucasus. It roughly corresponds with what was historically referred to in Western Europe as the Near East, which was juxtaposed with the Far East. Unlike West Asia's adherence to continental boundaries, the Middle East is demarcated by following political borders and consequently includes East Thrace in Southeast Europe because it is a part of Turkey. Since the early 20th century, the term "Middle East" has grown increasingly prominent in international discourse, although it is often prone to causing confusion or disagreement on account of vague and changing definitions of what countries and regions it spans. The related terms "Middle East and North Africa" and "Greater Middle East" denote other existing concepts of the region that involve extending the "Middle East" to incorporate most Muslim-majority countries.