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Middle East Countries

There are 17 Middle East Countries.

The Middle East is a cultural and geopolitical region rather than a formal continent, so its exact membership varies between sources. The list below uses the most widely accepted definition: the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and the eastern Mediterranean, plus Iran, Turkey and Cyprus. It spans two continents, with most of Turkey and all of Cyprus lying in the transcontinental zone between Europe and Asia.

17 countriesA geopolitical region, not a continent. This list uses the common definition covering the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Iran, Turkey and Cyprus.

No.CountryCapitalCurrencyPopulation
018Flag of BahrainBahrainManamaBHD .د.ب1,600,366
058Flag of CyprusCyprusNicosiaEUR €1,370,754
066Flag of EgyptEgyptCairoEGP £118,365,995
105Flag of IranIranTehranIRR ﷼92,417,681
106Flag of IraqIraqBaghdadIQD ع.د47,020,774
109Flag of IsraelIsraelJerusalemILS ₪10,122,800
115Flag of JordanJordanAmmanJOD د.ا11,520,684
120Flag of KuwaitKuwaitKuwait CityKWD د.ك4,865,298
124Flag of LebanonLebanonBeirutLBP ل.ل5,849,421
168Flag of OmanOmanMuscatOMR ر.ع.5,494,691
171Flag of PalestinePalestineRamallahEGP E£5,413,596
181Flag of QatarQatarDohaQAR ر.ق2,972,215
196Flag of Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaRiyadhSAR ر.س36,973,555
218Flag of SyriaSyriaDamascusSYP £25,620,427
229Flag of TürkiyeTürkiyeAnkaraTRY ₺85,878,556
235Flag of United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesAbu DhabiAED د.إ11,513,149
248Flag of YemenYemenSana'aYER ﷼41,773,878

How this list is defined

A geopolitical region, not a continent. This list uses the common definition covering the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Iran, Turkey and Cyprus.

Membership of a cultural or political grouping is not always settled, and different sources draw the line in different places. Stating the rule up front is the point: it lets you judge whether this list answers your question, instead of wondering why a country you expected is missing. Every figure in the table comes from the dataset described on the data page.

Frequently asked questions

How many countries are in the Middle East?
Most definitions count 17 countries in the Middle East, though the exact list varies because it is a cultural region rather than a continent.
Is Turkey in the Middle East?
Turkey straddles Europe and Asia. It is usually included in the Middle East because of its history, geography and close ties to the region, though it is also considered part of Europe.
How many middle east countries are there?
There are 17 middle east countries on this list. A geopolitical region, not a continent. This list uses the common definition covering the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Iran, Turkey and Cyprus.
Which of the middle east countries is the largest?
Saudi Arabia, at 2,149,690 km², followed by Iran at 1,648,195 km². The smallest is Bahrain.
Which of the middle east countries has the largest population?
Egypt, with about 118,365,995 people, ahead of Iran at about 92,417,681.

Related lists

Asian CountriesAfrican CountriesEuropean CountriesSouth American CountriesCountries in North AmericaCountries in Oceania

Populations from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL); other fields from open datasets. Membership of cultural regions can vary between sources; this list uses the definition stated above. Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.