Middle East.

• Position: World Affairs Annual 2013

What is the Middle East?

The Middle East is a region, not a continent. It's mostly in Asia, but also includes a part of Africa (Egypt) and a corner of Europe (the small European section of Turkey). Egypt and Turkey are also included on the maps and tables for Africa and Europe, respectively.

Rich in oil and predominantly Muslim, the Middle East is both strategically important and an area of great tension. Since 1991, the United States has fought two wars in Iraq. Today, the United States and the United Nations are struggling with Iran over its suspected nuclear weapons program.

But to many people, the region is defined by the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Negotiations on a political settlement, including possible statehood for Palestine, remain stalled.

In 2011, uprisings known as the Arab Spring upended decades of authoritarian regimes across the Middle East, including Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. What will replace those governments in the long term remains unclear.

IRAN

Under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (above), Iran continues to defy the United Nations with its suspected nuclear weapons program. The U.S. and Europe have imposed tough economic sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to cooperate with weapons inspectors. Israel has threatened to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities if sanctions fail.

EGYPT

After the 2011 ouster of authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians elected Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood (above, center) in the country's first democratic presidential election. Morsi has said he will respect Egypt's Christian minority and uphold its peace treaty with Israel. But some worry that his government will embrace a more conservative brand of Islam.

ISRAEL

The decades-long Israeli-Palestinian peace process remains stalled despite encouragement from the United States. One of the most difficult issues in any future settlement is the status of Jerusalem (above). The ancient city is holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

SYRIA

Arab Spring protests have evolved into a civil war, with rebels fighting to overthrow the regime of President Bashar al-Assad (right). The U.S. fears the conflict could spill over into neighboring Lebanon and further destabilize the region.

Middle East COUNTRY AREA (SQ MI) URBAN POP. % POPULATION POP. RISE %/YEAR Bahrain 293 100 1,300,000 1.2 2,276 62 Cyprus (7) 1,200,000 0.6 386,874 43 Egypt (8) 82300.000 2.0 636,374 69 Iran 78,900,000 1.3 167,618 67 Iraq 33,700,000 2.9...