These countries are on the West side of Asia. Then why the word 'East'? Also can not makeout they are 'Middle' of what region? Can anybody explain?
2006-10-02 23:33:15 · 9 answers · asked by anand j 1 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
Excellent question
Far East, Near East and Middle East
Far East: Indonesia
Near East: Pakistan
Middle East: Saudi Arabia
2006-10-02 23:35:59 · answer #1 · answered by pathowiz 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Middle East, term traditionally applied by western Europeans to the countries of SW Asia and NE Africa lying W of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Thus defined it includes Cyprus, the Asian part of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, the countries of the Arabian peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait), and Egypt and Libya. The area was viewed as midway between Europe and East Asia (traditionally called the Far East). The term is sometimes used in a cultural sense to mean the group of lands in that part of the world predominantly Islamic in culture, thus including the remaining states of N Africa as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the 20th cent. the Middle East has been the scene of political turmoil and major warfare, including World War I, World War II, the Arab-Israeli Wars, the Iran-Iraq War and the Persian Gulf Wars.
2006-10-02 23:52:45 · answer #2 · answered by Akshat 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Divided by the Prime Meridian, Asia is in the East. Middle East countries are the midpoint countires (in between the end of Asia and the Prime Meridian). It includes countries such as Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and the like.
2006-10-02 23:38:55 · answer #3 · answered by humble_samurai 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually I think it comes from the fact that to North America it is the East. The far East would be places like China and Japan and the middle East is what you are referring to.
2006-10-02 23:36:50 · answer #4 · answered by Sexy_Bunny 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
China is the far east. Palestine and its surroundings are the middle east. Though the Northern African countries are on the continent of Africa, I believe they are considered middle eastern. It may be more to describe culture than geography...... similar to geographical south and cultural south in the USA... but that's another can of worms.
2006-10-02 23:37:27 · answer #5 · answered by farahwonderland2005 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Asia is considered the 'Far East'.
2006-10-02 23:35:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is just relative to the 'far' East, meaning China etc. East refers to East of the meridien line which runs north/south through Britain. Therefore China is about as far east as you can go and the arab states are kind of half way there!
2006-10-02 23:37:21 · answer #7 · answered by Fluffy 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
"middle east" has 2 canotation middle means its loc is on the middle of the world and the region of EJAS IS ALMOST ON THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD socially world has been divided into 2 divisions west contitutes of white skin peaple n east constitutes of black skin peaple
2006-10-02 23:38:53 · answer #8 · answered by shoeb k 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You seriously need a geography lesson don't you?
2006-10-02 23:36:09 · answer #9 · answered by looking for the left eye 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋