The Middle East is defined differently on different maps.

An extensive map from Rethinking Schools Online included areas in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

• FOR the purposes of the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework the Middle East is more narrowly and traditionally defined, limited to the nations listed below.

A useful classroom activity on the Middle East could revolve around the questions of defining geographic regions.

• Good questions to discuss could include:
• Who names regions? How are they determined?
• For example, why are the Asian nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan now being referred to more and more as "the Middle East"?
• If the Middle East is characterized by religion, then will Indonesia, a Muslim nation, soon be included in the region?
• If the Middle East is characterized by desert climates, then will China, with its Gobi Desert, soon be in "the Middle East"?

• This animated map depicts the imperial history of the Middle East from 3000 BC to 2006, with a note on when each present-day country gained independence.

• Link here for a variety of maps on the Middle East

Click here for a youtube video showing various empires, Israel, and the Age of Independence

Click here for a learning game to identify the nations of the Greater Middle East, from Rethinking Schools Online.

• Link here for a timeline of history in the Middle East from Think Quest
• Link here for timelines on the Middle East. Can be viewed by different sections of time, themes, and topics such as roles of women, roles of women, etc.

The countries of the Middle East and their Capital Cities (Western Asia)

Bahrain (Manama)
Iran (Tehran)
Iraq (Baghdad)
Israel (Jerusalem)
Jordan (Amman)
Kuwait (Kuwait City)
Lebanon (Beirut)
Oman (Muscat)
Qatar (Doha)
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
Syria (Damascus)
Turkey (Ankara)
United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)
Yemen (Sanaa)
Egypt (Cario)

Click here for an interactive map of the Middle East. Click on each country to learn more about it.

Click here for a map of The Eastern Mediterranean

How many Middle Eastern & North African countries can you identify on a map? Visit here to test yourself with an interactive map.


The Geography of the Middle East from the University of Chicago explores the diverse physical geography of the Middle East and its effects on ancient cultures and modern countries.

Egypt

Giza 3D provides a compelling interactive multimedia look at ancient Egyptian sites.

Visit the Pyramids of Gaza on Google Street View

Sources

Map: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/