Located at the junction of three continents — Europe, Asia, and Africa. Made up of several countries located on or near the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Although definitions vary, it is generally understood to encompass Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank (Palestine), Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula, which comprises Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Often also included are Turkey, Afghanistan, Libya, and Sudan. Cyprus, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco are sometimes considered part of the region, too.