How many countries are there in the Middle East?
As a hotspot of global geopolitics, the Middle East has always been the focus of international attention because of its number of countries and boundary demarcation. This article will combine hot topics and hot content in the past 10 days to provide you with a detailed analysis of the country composition of the Middle East and display relevant information through structured data.
1. Number of Countries in the Middle East

The Middle East generally includes parts of Western Asia and North Africa, although the specific scope varies depending on the definition. According to the broadest definition, the Middle East consists of the following countries:
| country name | capital | Population (10,000) | Area (10,000 square kilometers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| saudi arabia | Riyadh | 3481 | 215 |
| iran | Tehran | 8399 | 164.8 |
| Türkiye | Ankara | 8434 | 78.36 |
| Israel | Jerusalem | 932 | 2.2 |
| egypt | cairo | 10233 | 100.1 |
| iraq | baghdad | 4022 | 43.8 |
| syria | damascus | 1707 | 18.5 |
| Jordan | amman | 1097 | 8.9 |
| lebanon | beirut | 682 | 1.0 |
| Yemen | sana | 2983 | 52.8 |
| Oman | Muscat | 510 | 30.9 |
| United Arab Emirates | abu dhabi | 989 | 8.4 |
| Qatar | Doha | 293 | 1.1 |
| Kuwait | kuwait city | 427 | 1.8 |
| bahrain | Manama | 170 | 0.078 |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | 120 | 0.9 |
| palestine | Ramallah | 498 | 0.6 |
2. Recent hot topics in the Middle East
1.Israel-Hamas conflict: The recent armed conflicts in the Gaza Strip have continued to escalate, arousing widespread concern from the international community. The United Nations Security Council held multiple emergency meetings to discuss ceasefire plans.
2.Negotiations on the Iranian Nuclear Issue: New progress has been made in the nuclear agreement negotiations between Iran and Western countries, but key differences have not been resolved and the regional situation remains tense.
3.Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation: Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" plan continues to advance, and investment in new energy and technology industries has become a recent hot topic.
4.Turkish presidential election: Erdogan was successfully re-elected, but his economic policies face severe challenges, and the lira’s continued depreciation has caused concerns.
5.Syrian refugee issue: As the Syrian civil war enters its 12th year, the number of refugees received by neighboring countries continues to increase, and the humanitarian crisis has intensified.
3. Characteristics of the Middle East
1.geostrategic importance: The Middle East is located at the junction of the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, and controls important global shipping lanes and energy resources.
2.religious diversity: Islam is the main religion, but there are also many religious beliefs such as Christianity and Judaism.
3.Unbalanced economic development: Gulf countries are highly developed relying on oil wealth, while countries such as Yemen and Syria face severe poverty.
4.Diverse political systems: There are significant differences in political systems from monarchy to republic.
5.water shortage: The Middle East is one of the most water-scarce regions in the world, and water disputes have become a potential source of conflict.
4. Classification of Middle Eastern Countries
| Classification criteria | Country list |
|---|---|
| gulf countries | Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain |
| mashrik country | Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine |
| north african country | Egypt, Libya |
| non-arab countries | Iran, Türkiye, Israel, Cyprus |
5. International organizations in the Middle East
Major international organizations that Middle Eastern countries participate in include: League of Arab States, Gulf Cooperation Council, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, etc. These organizations play an important role in coordinating regional affairs and resolving disputes.
To sum up, there are 17 countries in the Middle East, each with its own unique history, culture and development trajectory. Recent hot events in the region have continued to attract global attention, and their geopolitical importance cannot be ignored. Understanding the composition and characteristics of the Middle East countries will help us better understand the development and changes of the current international situation.
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