West Asia
West Asia — also called Southwest Asia or, in most everyday usage, the Middle East — runs from Turkey and the Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula. Its 18 countries, or 19 with Iran, cover about 6.5 million km² and are home to roughly 400 million people.
About West Asia
West Asia is where Asia meets Europe and Africa. It is bounded by the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian seas to the north-west and north, the Red Sea and the Isthmus of Suez to the south-west, and the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf (also called the Arabian Gulf) to the south and east. Geographers divide it into several sub-regions: Anatolia (Asian Turkey); the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia); the Levant along the eastern Mediterranean (Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Jordan, with Cyprus offshore); Mesopotamia (Iraq and parts of Syria and Turkey); the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait); and, if Iran is included, the Iranian Plateau.
The region has some of the oldest evidence of farming, cities and writing in the world. Wheat and barley were first domesticated in the "Fertile Crescent" arching from the Levant through south-eastern Turkey to Mesopotamia, and the Sumerians developed cuneiform writing in southern Iraq by about 3200 BCE. Later came the Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites and the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all began here: Jerusalem is holy to all three, and Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia are the holiest cities in Islam. Armenia and Georgia were among the first states to adopt Christianity as an official religion, in the early 4th century.
Most of the region was part of the Ottoman Empire for several centuries, and many of today's borders were drawn after its collapse at the end of the First World War. Arabic, a Semitic language, is the majority language in 12 of the 18 countries; the others speak mainly Turkish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian, Hebrew and Greek, while Persian (Farsi) is the main language of Iran and Kurdish is spoken across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran. See languages of Asia and religions of Asia.
Countries in West Asia
Quick facts: West Asia has 18 countries under the UN geoscheme used in our country data, or 19 if Iran is counted in West Asia, as it very often is (Iran is usually considered part of the Middle East). The list below includes Iran, giving 19; the UN places Iran in Southern Asia, so it also appears on our South Asia map.
West Asian countries and capitals
| Country | Capital | Area (km²) | Population (2025 est.) | Time zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iran* | Tehran | 1,648,195 | 92.4 million | UTC+3:30 |
| Turkey | Ankara | 783,562 | 87.7 million | UTC+3 |
| Iraq | Baghdad | 438,317 | 47.0 million | UTC+3 |
| Yemen | Sana'a† | 527,968 | 41.8 million | UTC+3 |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | 2,149,690 | 34.6 million | UTC+3 |
| Syria | Damascus | 185,180 | 25.6 million | UTC+3 |
| Jordan | Amman | 89,342 | 11.5 million | UTC+3 |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | 83,600 | 11.3 million | UTC+4 |
| Azerbaijan | Baku | 86,600 | 10.4 million | UTC+4 |
| Israel | Jerusalem† | 22,072 | 9.5 million | UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer) |
| Lebanon | Beirut | 10,452 | 5.8 million | UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer) |
| Palestine | Ramallah (administrative)† | 6,220 | 5.6 million | UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer) |
| Oman | Muscat | 309,500 | 5.5 million | UTC+4 |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City | 17,818 | 5.0 million | UTC+3 |
| Georgia | Tbilisi | 69,700 | 3.8 million | UTC+4 |
| Qatar | Doha | 11,586 | 3.1 million | UTC+3 |
| Armenia | Yerevan | 29,743 | 3.0 million | UTC+4 |
| Bahrain | Manama | 765 | 1.6 million | UTC+3 |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | 9,251 | 1.4 million | UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer) |
*Iran is in Southern Asia under the UN geoscheme; it is included here because it is usually counted as part of the Middle East. Without Iran, the 18 countries cover about 4.83 million km² and hold about 314 million people; with Iran, about 6.48 million km² and 407 million. Population figures are UN World Population Prospects estimates for 2025. †Capitals with special status: Israel designates Jerusalem as its capital, but most countries keep their embassies in Tel Aviv because the city's status is disputed; the State of Palestine designates East Jerusalem as its capital, and its government works from Ramallah; Sana'a is Yemen's constitutional capital, but the internationally recognised government has been based in Aden since the Houthi movement took control of Sana'a in 2014–15. Population and area for Cyprus cover the whole island. See the capitals of Asia page for every capital on the continent.
West Asia, Southwest Asia or the Middle East?
The three names overlap but are not identical:
- West Asia (Western Asia) is the UN geoscheme term and the one AsiaMap.net uses. It contains the 18 countries above, including the South Caucasus and Cyprus, but not Iran, which the UN places in Southern Asia.
- Southwest Asia is a common term in geography teaching and usually means the same countries plus Iran, and sometimes Afghanistan.
- The Middle East is a political and cultural term rather than a geographical one. It normally includes Iran and Egypt (which is in Africa, apart from the Sinai Peninsula), and usually leaves out Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and often Cyprus.
Several countries are transcontinental. Turkey has about 3% of its land in Europe (East Thrace, including the western half of Istanbul), and depending on where the Europe–Asia boundary is drawn through the Caucasus, parts of Georgia and Azerbaijan may also count as European. Cyprus is geographically in Asia but has been a member of the European Union since 2004; the island has been divided since 1974, and the administration in the north is recognised only by Turkey. For more, see is Turkey in Asia or Europe?
Physical geography
- The Arabian Peninsula, at about 3.2 million km² the largest peninsula in the world, is mostly desert plateau tilting from the Hejaz and Asir mountains along the Red Sea down to the Persian Gulf. Its south holds the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter), the largest continuous sand desert on Earth. See deserts of Asia.
- Mountains and plateaus in the north: the Pontic and Taurus mountains frame the Anatolian Plateau of Turkey; Mount Ararat (5,137 m) is Turkey's highest peak; the Greater Caucasus runs along Georgia's and Azerbaijan's northern borders; and the Zagros and Alborz ranges border the Iranian Plateau, where Mount Damavand (5,610 m) is the highest volcano in Asia. More on the mountain ranges of Asia page.
- The Tigris and Euphrates rise in eastern Turkey and flow through Syria and Iraq, joining to form the Shatt al-Arab before reaching the Persian Gulf. Dams upstream in Turkey, Syria and Iran make water-sharing a long-running regional issue. See rivers of Asia.
- The Jordan Rift Valley, part of the system that continues south through the Red Sea into East Africa, holds the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, whose shore, at about 430 m below sea level, is the lowest point on land. Its level has been dropping by about a metre a year.
- Strategic waterways: the Bosphorus and Dardanelles link the Black Sea to the Mediterranean; the Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, carries about a fifth of the world's oil consumption; and the Bab-el-Mandeb, between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and, through the Suez Canal, to Europe.
Climate
Most of West Asia is hot desert or semi-desert. The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and southern Iran have some of the highest summer temperatures on Earth: a reading of 53.9 °C at Mitribah, Kuwait, in July 2016 is the highest temperature recognised by the World Meteorological Organization for Asia. The Gulf coast combines that heat with high humidity. Rain is scarce across the interior and the Arabian Peninsula, and several Gulf states depend on desalination for most of their drinking water.
The edges are greener. The Levant coast and western and southern Turkey have a Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers, and the mountains of Lebanon and the Anatolian Plateau get winter snow. The Black Sea coast of Turkey and Georgia is humid and wet all year, while the highlands of Yemen and the Dhofar region of southern Oman catch summer monsoon rains from the Indian Ocean. Water scarcity, drought and rising temperatures are among the region's biggest long-term challenges.
Population and economy
Turkey and Iran each have close to 90 million people, followed by Iraq, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is the largest country by area and Bahrain the smallest. Populations are young and growing in Iraq, Yemen and Palestine, and the Gulf states have unusually large migrant workforces: foreign nationals make up the large majority of residents in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Wars and crises in Syria, Yemen, Gaza and Lebanon have displaced millions of people in recent years.
The region holds close to half of the world's proven oil reserves and around two-fifths of its natural gas, concentrated around the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia has the second-largest proven oil reserves after Venezuela, and Iran and Qatar have the second- and third-largest gas reserves after Russia. Six Gulf monarchies — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — formed the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981, and all are investing in tourism, logistics, finance and technology to reduce their dependence on hydrocarbons. Outside the Gulf, Turkey has the region's largest economy, with a broad industrial base; Israel has a large technology sector; and Saudi Arabia and Turkey are both members of the G20. Yemen is the poorest country in the region. Dubai, Doha and Istanbul are among the world's busiest air hubs; see Dubai to Istanbul, Dubai to Riyadh or Delhi to Dubai.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries are in West Asia?
The UN geoscheme lists 18: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Counting Iran, as most people do, makes 19.
Is West Asia the same as the Middle East?
Mostly. The Middle East usually includes Iran and Egypt but excludes the South Caucasus countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, whereas the UN's West Asia includes the Caucasus and Cyprus but not Iran or Egypt.
Which is the largest country in West Asia?
Saudi Arabia, with about 2.15 million km², covering most of the Arabian Peninsula. Iran, at about 1.65 million km², is second if it is included. By population, Iran (about 92 million) and Turkey (about 88 million) are the largest.
Which is the smallest country in West Asia?
Bahrain, an island country in the Persian Gulf with about 765 km² of land.
Is Cyprus in Asia or Europe?
Geographically, Cyprus is in Asia: it lies in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria. Politically and culturally it is closely tied to Europe and has been a member of the European Union since 2004.