A geographical region in Asia without clear borders, with its center in the eastern Mediterranean basin. The Middle East includes countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt.
The Middle East has in periods housed some of the most advanced cultures of its time, like the ancient Egyptian culture, the Muslim Caliphate, and the early stages of the Ottoman empire.

Also the best place to check out music in Boston. They have Middle East food and two stage areas. Recently they eliminated any all ages shows to go to a 18+ format. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the best local bands come around fairly often.

For those of us originating in the west coast of the United States, the "Middle East" is a relatively large, very flat, fertile region full of corn and Lutherans. This geographical region in the center of North America has no clear borders, but pretty much always includes Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, usually Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Illinois, and Missouri, and sometimes eastern Montana, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, or Texas.

The great land area of the Middle East was settled by Americans following the Louisiana Purchase. Much of the land was formerly prairie, and it has been mostly converted to intense farming. The region is subject to tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. Extremes of climate are typical, with cold, harsh winters, and hot, humid summers.

Important cities in the Middle East include Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, St. Louis, Des Moines, Kansas City, and Topeka. Tourist attractions in the Middle East include the Mall of America, the Mayo Clinic, the Sears Tower, the Corn Palace, the Rust Belt, Wall Drug, and lots and lots of corn.

Some people from the eastern US like to call the Middle East the "Midwest", in accordance with their relative location. Such variations in terminology demonstrate the fallacy and ethnocentricity inherent in the naming of regions by relative location.

The Middle East is a region of the world which has been a flashpoint for conflict throughout the 20th century. Oil, light sweet crude (specifically), religion, despots, Cold War intrigues and the Suez Canal have caused people to bleed and die in the sands for a long long time. But the Middle East is also the cradle of civilization. Technically, the Middle East is in Asia, mostly.

Obviously, /msgs of omissions and corrections are great!

Nations/autonomous regions:

Israel, Palestine and their conflicts:

The Persian Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War II

See also War on Iraq 2003, War on Iraq 2002.

Arabs, culture, and stories:

See also Middle Eastern poetry.

Middle Eastern religion:

  • Lots of people like to refer to the Bible, Talmud, Torah and Koran/Qu'ran now and then. All of these holy books were put together mostly in the Middle East.
    Under construction


Key holy sites of the three major monotheistic religions lie within a very small area of a Middle East City known as Old Jerusalem. The Second Coming Of Christ, the The Ascent of Mohammed to Heaven, The Western Wall, it's all going on right here. All kinds of stuff debatably happened here back in the day, depending on who you ask. A question for another node.

Bodies of water:

Water is a hidden crucial factor in middle eastern politics (Suez?). There are only a few water sources but a lot of people. Thus, conflict. Most of these are nodeshells. Noders?

Stuff from Antiquity:

See also the Dictionary of Biblical people and the fertile crescent nodes, very good both.
Ancient Palestine: Assyria: Mesopotamia: Babylon: Languages: Ethnic groups and places: Persia (Iran): Abyssinia: Antiquated Miscellany: Modern Miscellany: Mega Thanx0r to akf2000, DejaMorgana, dg, Footprints, lemur, toalight and anyone else w good bits.
Of course, any devoted Risk player knows that the Middle East is the trickiest region to hold on to, because without it you can't get the Asia bonus, but it's surrounded by the enemy's other continents!
status quo
