NGS Style Manual - M -

No standard definition precisely outlines the Middle East; it is generally accepted as comprising the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Syria, and Turkey. At its maximum it would extend from Morocco to Bangladesh.

West Asia is growing in popularity as a neutral, non-Eurocentric synonym for the Middle East. It generally includes the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Syria, and Turkey, though it may be stretched to include Afghanistan and Pakistan, and even Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Cyprus.

Near East is a dated term that may be used in historical references.

See also Central Asia and South Asia.