The World Factbook

Middle East

Regional overview and country index.

The Middle East spans Western Asia and parts of North Africa, connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa through major land and maritime corridors. The region contains some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves and remains strategically significant in global energy markets.

It includes a mix of monarchies, republics, and hybrid systems, and plays a central role in global geopolitics, trade routes, and religious history.