Middle East

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Physical features of Arabia

Israel. Political map: boundaries, cities. Includes locator.

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Middle East bee locator map

Are the Middle East and the Near East the Same Thing?

An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.

11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

Olduvai Gorge or Olduwai Gorge, Tanzania, Africa (eastern Serengeti Plain) Where fossil remains of more than 60 hominins provides the most continuous known record of human evolution. Mary Leakey and Louis Leakey made discoveries here. Archaeology

7 Amazing Historical Sites in Africa

Great Pyramid of Cheops (Great Pyramid of Khufu) at Giza, Egypt. (Gizah)

9 Historic Places Worth Exploring in Egypt

Discover

Parsons Weems' Fable, oil on canvas by Grant Wood, 1939; in the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Catalog entry: The historian Mason Locke Weems, commonly known by his clerical title, Parson Weems, pulls back a curtain to point at 6-year-old George Washington. Bearing an adult head and holding an axe, George gazes blankly up at his father, Augustine, who questions his son while holding a partially cut cherry tree. All of this takes place in front of a 20th-century brick building, which Wood modeled after his own home in Iowa. The scene illustrates the fable of Washington and the cherry tree, which Weems invented in 1806 for the first president's biography. Wood playfully suggests the artifice of the tale here, presenting the story in the manner of a costumed stage play rather than a real event. Amid the action, two Black figures pick cherries in the background, a reference to Washington' slaveholding past and a reminder of of what often gets left out in historical mythmaking.

Did George Washington Really Say, “I Can’t Tell a Lie”?

winter ice melting salt on the ground, pattern as background

Why Does Salt Melt Ice?

In this aerial photo, structures are damaged and destroyed October 15, 2005 in Balakot, Pakistan. It is estimated that 90% of the city of Balakot was leveled by the earthquake. The death toll in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 is believed to be 38,000 with at least 1,300 more dead in Indian Kashmir. SEE CONTENT NOTES.

6 of the World’s Deadliest Natural Disasters

Binary Computer Code, Binary Code, Internet, Technology, Password, Data

How Does Wi-Fi Work?

January 21, 2019: Superbowl LIII will be played at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, February 3, 2019 against the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams.

What Was the Super Bowl’s First Blockbuster Commercial?

earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.

The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950

Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

Middle East: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Middle East latest: Netanyahu says body Hamas released was a woman from Gaza, not a hostage • Feb. 21, 2025, 10:28 AM ET (AP)

Middle East latest: Israel says child hostages identified but other released body not their mother • Feb. 20, 2025, 11:49 PM ET (AP)

The Latest: Justice Department official urges quick dismissal of criminal case against NYC mayor • Feb. 19, 2025, 7:05 PM ET (AP)

Middle East latest: Netanyahu appoints an adviser with Trump ties to lead ceasefire talks • Feb. 19, 2025, 3:22 PM ET (AP)

Middle East latest: Hamas will free 6 Israeli hostages and the bodies of 4 others • Feb. 18, 2025, 6:55 PM ET (AP)

Did You Know?

In the Middle East originated the two largest religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, in additiong to smaller religions, such as Judaism Baha'ism.
The name Muhammad, which originated in the Middle East, is the most common name (although spelling may vary) in the world, with 150 million men and boys sharing this name.
The Middle East currently has one of the youngest populations in its history, with nearly 30% of its population between the ages of 15 and 29.
More women attend a university than men in two thirds of Middle Eastern countries.
The Middle East has the greatest amount of religious conflict out of any region. In 2014, its level of strife due to religious motives became quadruple the median for the world.

Photos

Physical features of Arabia

Israel. Political map: boundaries, cities. Includes locator.

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Tomb of Mohammed Bin Ali, Salalah, Oman.

A View of the Middle East

The President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano at the Quirinale Palace (cropped out), shakes hands with the President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, Rome, Oct. 17, 2009. egypt protests 2011, protests in egypt 2011

Before They Were World Leaders: Middle East Edition

Relief sculpture of Assyrian (Assyrer) people in the British Museum, London, England.

Geography of the Middle East Quiz

7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia

World Tour

Demystified

Middle East bee locator map

Are the Middle East and the Near East the Same Thing?