Southwest Asia
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Southwest Asia (PDF)
Southwest Asia (often confused with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. The term Western Asia is commonly used in writings about the archaeology and late prehistory of the region. Unlike the Middle East, which is a vaguely-defined region generally meant to include the African state of Egypt, Western Asia is a purely geographical term that includes the southwestern extreme of Asia.
South-western Asia is partly coterminous with the traditional European name "the Middle East". The term "West Asia" has become the preferred term of use for the Middle East by international organizations (most notably the United Nations) and also in African and Asian countries, such as India, because of the perceived Eurocentrism of the historical term "Middle East". In therms of cultural and political geography, the Middle East sometimes includes North African countries, particularly Egypt. For similar reasons, Afghanistan, Central Asia and/or Pakistan are variously affiliated with the region, as well. The United Nations, however, assigns Iran and Afghanistan to South Asia and includes Azerbaijan and Georgia in Southwest Asia, even though the latter are partly located in Europe and have political, historical and cultural ties to Europe.
See Continent and Transcontinental country for further definitions
Southwest Asia is in most contexts meant to encompass:
- Armenia
- Bahrain
- Cyprus
- Egypt (Sinai)
- Gaza Strip
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- Turkey (Anatolia)
- United Arab Emirates
- West Bank
- Yemen
In addition, its limits is sometimes widened to include:
- Afghanistan
- Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- all of Egypt
- adjacent parts of Central and South Asia
See also population and area figures for countries of Asia for more information.
Anatolia, Arabia, Levant, and Mesopotamia are subregions of Southwest Asia.
Other subregions of Asia
- East Asia
- Southeast Asia
- South Asia (Indian Subcontinent)
- Central Asia
- North Asia (Siberia)
- Northern Eurasia (Extends into Europe)
- Central Eurasia (Extends into Europe)
See also
| Regions of the World | |
| Africa: | Central Africa | East Africa | Great Lakes | Guinea | Horn of Africa | North Africa | Maghreb | Northwest Africa | Sahel | Southern Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | Sudan | West Africa |
| Americas: | Andean states | Caribbean | Central America | Great Lakes | Great Plains | Guianas | Latin America | North America | Northern America | Patagonia | South America | Southern Cone |
| Eurasia: | Anatolia | Arabia | Asia | Balkans | Baltic region | Benelux | British Isles | Caucasus | Central Asia | Central Europe | East Asia | Eastern Europe | East Indies | Europe | Far East | Indian subcontinent | Levant | Mediterranean | Middle East | Near East | North Asia | Northern Europe | Post-Soviet states | Scandinavia | Southeast Asia | Southern Europe | Southwest Asia | Western Europe |
| Oceania: | Australasia | Melanesia | Micronesia | Polynesia | Pacific Rim |
| Polar: | Arctic | Antarctic |
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