Middle East

===Other definitions of the Middle East===
{{Further|Greater Middle East|MENA|Near East}}
{{See also|Fertile Crescent|Levant}}

Various concepts are often being paralleled to the Middle East, most notably the Near East, [[Fertile Crescent]], and [[Levant]]. The Near East, Fertile Crescent, and Levant are geographical concepts, which refer to large sections of the modern-day Middle East, with the Near East being the closest to the Middle East in its geographical meaning. Due to it primarily being Arabic speaking, the [[Maghreb]] region of North Africa is sometimes included.

The countries of the [[South Caucasus]]{{snd}}[[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], and [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]{{snd}}are occasionally included in definitions of the Middle East.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gloria-center.org/meria/2000/12/novikova.pdf|title=Armenia and the Middle East|publisher=Middle East Review of International Affairs|date=December 2000|first=Gayane|last=Novikova|access-date=14 August 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821001515/http://www.gloria-center.org/meria/2000/12/novikova.pdf|archive-date=21 August 2014}}</ref>

"[[Greater Middle East]]" is a [[political geography|political]] term coined by the [[presidency of George W. Bush|second Bush administration]] in the first decade of the 21st century,<ref name=haeri>{{Cite news|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FC04Ak06.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040407112015/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FC04Ak06.html|url-status=dead |archive-date=7 April 2004|access-date=21 August 2008|title=Concocting a 'Greater Middle East' brew|work=[[Asia Times]]|date=3 March 2004|first=Safa|last=Haeri}}</ref> to denote various countries, pertaining to the [[Muslim world]], specifically [[Afghanistan]], [[Iran]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Turkey]].<ref>Ottaway, Marina & Carothers, Thomas (29 March 2004), [http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1480 The Greater Middle East Initiative: Off to a False Start] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312061428/http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1480 |date=12 March 2009 }}, Policy Brief, ''Carnegie Endowment for International Peace'', 29, pp. 1–7</ref> Various [[Central Asia]]n countries are sometimes also included.<ref>[http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm Middle East] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415014006/http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm |date=15 April 2016 }} What Is The Middle East And What Countries Are Part of It? worldatlas.com. Retrieved 16 April 2016.</ref>