Should it be called West Asia or Middle East?

Adil Rasheed replies: Indian academicians prefer to use the term West Asia and not the Middle East. In fact, the term Middle East outside its vague colonial context does not specify the geographical region it refers to. The term Middle East originated with the British Foreign Office in the 19th century.

What is the politically correct term for Middle East?

Recently, the name MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) has become more commonplace along with various sub-region acronyms/names. Generally, the area between Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, and Asia is what the general public considers the Middle East.

Is Asia and the Middle East the same?

The Middle East is a transcontinental region centered on Western Asia, Turkey (both Asian and European), and Egypt (which is mostly in North Africa). Saudi Arabia is geographically the largest Middle Eastern nation while Bahrain is the smallest.

Why do we still use the term Middle East when West Asia is more relevant to Arab nations?

At its most obtuse, Middle East connotes everything from Morocco to Afghanistan, spanning a melange of sub-regions stretching from North Africa to Central Asia. It makes far more sense to refer to West Asia and Southwest Asia to capture Turkey, Iran, the Gulf states, and the nations lying between them.

Why the Middle East is called the Middle East?

The term “Middle East” originated from the same European perspective that described Eastern Asia as “the Far East.” The Middle East denotes the transcontinental area between Western Asia and Egypt.

What do middle eastern people call the Middle East?

Inhabitants refer to the area included in the Greater Middle East by other names: the Maghreb, which includes the North African nations along the Mediterranean Sea (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya), Bilad al-Sham (the Levant), and the Mashriq (eastern Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, and the nations of the Arabian peninsula).

Is it wrong to say Middle East?

The term Middle East is imprecise, culturally and geographically biased, susceptible to misunderstanding, and therefore useless in terms of accuracy. Though the term has been called Eurocentric, it is more precisely Anglo-centric, originating at the height of the British imperial century (1815-1914).

Why is Middle East called that?

The term “Middle East” originated from the same European perspective that described Eastern Asia as “the Far East.” The Middle East denotes the transcontinental area between Western Asia and Egypt. It is comprised of 17 nations and an estimated population of 371 million.

What do you call someone from the Middle East?

Arab. noun. someone from the Middle East or North Africa who speaks Arabic.