Palestine, which is made up of the Gaza Strip and West Bank regions in and around Israel, declared its independence in 1988 and is currently recognized as independent by 134 countries, though it is not an official member of the United Nations and is not considered to be its own countries by every G-8 nation except Russia. There are also several unrecognized or partially recognized states within the Middle East. Some of the countries bordering Iran and Afghanistan’s north, such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, are sometimes included within the northern borders of the Middle East, but are other times seen as their own Central Asian region alongside Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan border Iran to the east, but Pakistan’s shared history with India causes it to sometimes be seen as part of South Asia instead of the Middle East. The eastern and northern borders of the Middle East are somewhat difficult to define. Countries along the Persian Gulf include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iran. At the center of the Middle East rests the Persian Gulf, cutting into the region and giving it its hook-like shape.

Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman border these waters, with Iraq and Jordan connecting them to the western part of the region. South of the Mediterranean Sea, the Red and Arabian Seas surround the southern part of the Middle East. Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, all located just northeast of Turkey, are at times associated with the Middle East, Europe, Asia, or as their own separate region.

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