West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the
westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and
other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian
Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian highlands, the Levant,
the Sinai Peninsulaand the South Caucasus.[4][5] The region is separated
from Africa by the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt, and separated from Europe by
the waterways of the Turkish Straits and the watershed of the Greater
Caucasus. Central Asialies to its northeast, while South Asia lies to its east.
Twelve seas surround the region (clockwise): the Aegean Sea, the Sea of
Marmara, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of
Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba,
the Gulf of Suez, and the Mediterranean Sea. Although many use the terms
synonymously, West Asia and the Middle East are not the same.
The Middle East is a political term invented by Western geographers that
has historically included various Asian territories depending on political and
historical context, while West Asia is a geographical term with more
accuracy and consistency. It excludes most of Egypt and the northwestern
part of Turkey (which is included in the Middle East), and includes
the southern part of the Caucasus.
West Asia covers an area of 5,994,935 km2 (2,314,657 sq mi), with a
population of about 313 million.[1][2] Of the 20 UN member countries fully or
partly within the region, 13 are part of the Arab world. The most populous
countries in West Asia are Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia.
In the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant
Distributions(WGSRPD), West Asia excludes the Arabian Peninsula and
includes Afghanistan.[5] The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
excludes Egypt and includes Afghanistan.[6] The United Nations
Environment Programmeexcludes Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, and Iran[7] from
West Asia.[8]
Definition
The term West Asia is used pragmatically and has no "correct" or generally
accepted definition. Its typical definitions overlap substantially, but not
entirely, with definitions of the terms Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean,
and Near East (which is historically familiar but widely deprecated today).
[9]
The National Geographic Style Manual as well as Maddison's The World
Economy: Historical Statistics (2003) by the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD) include only Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Palestine (called West Bank and
Gaza in the latter), Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, UAE, and Yemen as West
Asian countries.[10][11] By contrast, the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO) in its 2015 yearbook includes Armenia
and Azerbaijan, and excludes Israel (as Other) and Turkey (as Europe).[12]
Unlike the UNIDO, the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) excludes
Iran from West Asia (included as South Asia) and includes Turkey,
Georgia, and Cyprus in the region.[13] In the United Nations
geopolitical Eastern European Group, Armenia and Georgia are included in
Eastern Europe, whereas Cyprus and East Thracian Turkey are in
Southern Europe. These three nations are listed in the European category
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO).
National members of West Asian sports governing bodies are limited to
Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Oman, Palestine,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.[14][15]
[16]
The Olympic Council of Asia's multi-sport event West Asian Games are
contested by athletes representing these 13 countries. Among the region's
sports organisations are the West Asia Basketball Association, West Asian
Billiards and Snooker Federation, West Asian Football Federation, and
the West Asian Tennis Federation.