GEOGRAPHY Afghanistan is a landlocked country with Iran to the west, Pakistan to the east and the Hindu Kush mountain range running through its center. It shares a northern border with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan with one small border touching China. At 652,000 sq km (251,738.6 sq miles), it is the forty-first largest country in the world. Afghanistan's climate is mostly arid or semi-arid and the terrain [...]

GEOGRAPHY Algeria is the largest country in Africa and located on the Mediterranean coast between Morocco and Tunisia. At 2.38 million square kilometers (919,595.3 sq. miles), it is the tenth largest country in the world. Most of the cities in Algeria are near the coast. Algiers, located in northern Algeria, is the most populated city [...]

GEOGRAPHY The Kingdom of Bahrain is a cluster of 33 small islands (an archipelago) in the Gulf of Bahrain. Saudi Arabia is located to the west of Bahrain, and Qatar is just to the east, with a stretch of water separating the countries. The Gulf of Bahrain is connected to the larger Persian Gulf. Since [...]

GEOGRAPHY Egypt is located in northeast Africa, with the Mediterranean coast on its northern border; the Red Sea, Gaza Strip, and Israel on its eastern border; Libya on its western border; and Sudan on the southern border. Egypt controls the Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and Asia. Summers are usually hot, with [...]

GEOGRAPHY Iran (pronunciation: ih-rahn) is dominated by rugged mountains, high basins (visit this link to learn about the difference between a valley and a basin), and desert, offering a unique and diverse geography ranging from snowy mountainous regions and hot and dry plains to subtropical lowlands. It borders seven countries and two large coastlines. In [...]

GEOGRAPHY Iraq is one of the easternmost countries in the Arab world. The country shares a border with Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Syria and Jordan to the west, and Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the south. Iraq has a short but important coastline of 58 km (or 36 miles) on the [...]

GEOGRAPHY Israel is a small country located along the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and the West Bank. It has an area of 20,770 sq km. This equates to an area roughly the size of New Jersey. Israel has a relatively temperate climate, but temperatures become increasingly hot and dry as you move [...]

GEOGRAPHY The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Arabic pronunciation: Al-Mamlaka Al-Urdun Al-Hashimiya) is a mostly landlocked country sharing borders with Israel & Palestine to the west, Saudi Arabia to the south, Iraq to the east and Syria to the north. The kingdom has an area of 89,342 square kilometers, including the Dead Sea, which is an area just [...]

GEOGRAPHY Kuwait (Arabic pronunciation) is a small country situated between Iraq to the north, Saudi Arabia to the south and west, and the Persian Gulf on the east. It has an area of 17,818 square kilometers (11,072 square miles), roughly the size of the state of New Jersey. Kuwait’s climate is mostly dry with very [...]

Lebanon, like the other Levantine (Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Syria) states, is located in the heart of what is commonly referred to as the cradle of civilization. This is the area where the first non-nomadic communities emerged. Throughout history, Lebanon has been home to several significant cultures and has served as an important hub connecting the […]

GEOGRAPHY Libya is located in North Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Tunisia. The country has an area of approximately 1,759,540 sq km (679,362 sq miles), which equates to an area slightly larger than the state of Alaska. Libya has a mild Mediterranean climate along the coast, with occasional storms and rain from October [...]

GEOGRAPHY Morocco (Arabic: pronunciation: al-magrib, literal transation: 'place the sun sets; the west'?) is a country located in northwestern Africa. Morocco is situated on the Atlantic Ocean on its west coast and the Mediterranean Sea on its northern coast, along the southern edge of the Strait of Gibraltar. Morocco shares its eastern border with Algeria; closed since 1994, [...]

GEOGRAPHY Oman is located in the Middle East on the Arabian Peninsula and has an area of 309,500 square kilometers (or 120,000 square miles). It borders the Arabian Sea, Oman Sea, the Persian Gulf and shares a border with the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Yemen, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has [...]

GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENT Palestine is located at the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, to the south of Lebanon and to the west of Jordan. Palestine, also referred to as the Occupied Territories, consists of the West Bank and the non-contiguous Gaza Strip. The separated Gaza Strip lies along the Mediterranean coast just to the [...]

GEOGRAPHY Qatar is a small country located between Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. It has an area of 11,437 square kilometers, which is roughly the size of the state of Connecticut. Qatar is a relatively flat country with its highest point reaching just over 300 feet. The majority of the land is barren desert. [...]

Oil in the Middle EastThe topic of oil in the Middle East can be (pardon the pun) sticky. Many discuss Middle Eastern oil as if it is an inherently corrupt and destructive force that gives autocrats a money-fueled mandate to oppress their people, but this is not a fair assessment. It is important to be aware of [...]

GEOGRAPHY Saudi Arabia is a large country located between the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Because of its large size, Saudi Arabia borders a number of other countries in the Middle East: Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman, and Bahrain (accessible by bridge). It has an area of approximately 1,960,582 [...]

GEOGRAPHY The Republic of Sudan is a large country in northeastern Africa. Sudan shares borders with Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. The climate in Sudan is arid with a number of deserts, including the Nubian desert in the north and the Libyan desert in the West. Access to [...]

GEOGRAPHY Syria (Official name: Syrian Arab Republic; Arabic pronunciation: Suriya) lies between Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea on the west, Jordan on the south, Turkey on the north, and Iraq on the east. It has an area of approximately 185,180 sq km, or 71,498 sq miles which equates to an area slightly larger than the American [...]

GEOGRAPHY Tunisia (Official name: The Republic of Tunisia; Arabic pronunciation: TU-nis) is located on the northernmost tip of Africa.  It borders the Mediterranean Sea and is flanked by Algeria and Libya. It has a total area of 163,610 sq km or 63,170 sq miles, which equates to an area slightly larger than the state of [...]

GEOGRAPHY Turkey bridges Europe and Asia, spreading across the Anatolian peninsula. It shares borders with eight countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is also flanked by three large seas, the Mediterranean to the south, the Black Sea to the north, and the Aegean Sea to the west, and is divided [...]

GEOGRAPHY Click to enlarge The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a small country that is actually a confederation of seven contiguous emirates: Abu Dhabi (the capital), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. The UAE has extensive oil and gas reserves. It borders Saudi Arabia and Oman. It has a strategic location on the Arabian Peninsula, overlooking [...]

GEOGRAPHY Yemen (Official title: Republic of Yemen, Arabic pronunciation: al-Jumhuriyah al-Yamaniyah) borders the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It has a total area of 527,970 sq km or 203,850 sq miles and a desert climate. The climate is hot and humid along the coast, temperate in the [...]