Middle East At a Glance: Countries (original) (raw)
| Country | Basic Data | Religions & ethnic groups | Flag | Links | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria Map of Algeria | Capital | Algiers | Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%;Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1% |  |
Foreign Affairs Finances Energy Industry Statistics Bank |
| Currency | Algerian Dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 2,380,000 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic, French, Berber | ||||
| Bahrain Map of Bahrain | Capital | Manama | Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8% |  |
Foreign Affairs Finance Commerce Information Research |
| Currency | Bahraini dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 620 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic | ||||
| Egypt Map of Egypt History of Egypt | Capital | Cairo | Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90-94%, Coptic Christian and other 6-10%.Eastern Hamitic (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1% |  |
Foreign Affairs Economy Statistics Energy Planning Central Bank Government Site |
| Currency | Egyptian pound | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 1,001,450 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes | ||||
| Iraq Map of Iraq History of Iraq | Capital | Baghdad | Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%.Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5% |  |
Foreign Affairs Information |
| Currency | Iraqi Dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 437,072 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian, Armenian | ||||
| Iran Map of Iran History ofIran | Capital | Teheran | Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%.Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%. |  |
Foreign Affairs Agriculture Energy Mines and Metals Statistics |
| Currency | Iranian Rial | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 1,648,000 | ||||
| Languages | Persian & dialects 58%, Turkic & dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% | ||||
| Israel Map of Israel History of Israel and Palestine | Capital | Jerusalem2 | Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.)Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language |  |
Foreign Affairs Prime Minister Bank Education |
| Currency | New Israeli Shekel | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 20,770 | ||||
| Languages | Official: Hebrew, English, Arabic; Russian, French | ||||
| Jordan Map of Jordan | Capital | Amman | Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6%, other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2000 est.) Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% |  |
Finance Planning Industry and Trade Energy Tourism Statistics Bank of Jordan |
| Currency | Jordanian Dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 92,300 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), English | ||||
| Kuwait Map of Kuwait | Capital | Kuwait | Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%.Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% |  |
Foreign Affairs Finance Planning Information Bank of Kuwait |
| Currency | Kuwaiti Dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 17,820 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), English | ||||
| Lebanon Map of Lebanon | Capital | Beirut | Muslim 70% (including Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30% Jewish <1%.Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% |  |
Finance Economy Agriculture Tourism Président Statistics Banque du Liban |
| Currency | Lebanese Pound | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 10,400 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian | ||||
| Libya Map of Libya | Capital | Tripoli | Sunni Muslim 97%.Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians. |  |
|
| Currency | Libyan dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 1,759,540 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic, Italian, English | ||||
| Morocco Map of Morocco | Capital | Rabat | Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2% |  |
Foreign Affairs Planning Industry Economy Investments Statistics |
| Currency | Moroccan Dirham | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 446,550 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French | ||||
| Oman Map of Oman | Capital | Muscat | Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African. |  |
Economy Commerce Information Bank of Oman |
| Currency | Omani Rial | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 212,460 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects | ||||
| Palestine1 Map of PalestineHistory of Israel & Palestine | Capital | NA | Muslim 87% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 7% (settlers), Christian and other 6%.Palestinian Arab and other 93%, Jewish 7% |  |
Planning Industry Information Labor Tourism Statistics (PCBS) |
| Currency | New Israeli Shekel; Jordanian Dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 5,898 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic, English | ||||
| Qatar Map of Qatar | Capital | Doha | Muslim 95% Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14% |  |
Foreign Affairs Municipal Affairs and Agriculture Planning Council Qatar Central Bank |
| Currency | Qatari Rial | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 11,437 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), English | ||||
| Saudi Arabia Map of Saudi Arabia History of Arabia | Capital | Riyadh | Muslim 100%.Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% |  |
Foreign Affairs Agriculture and Water Information Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency |
| Currency | Saudi Riyal | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 1,960,582 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), English | ||||
| Sudan Map of Sudan | Capital | Khartoum | Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), animist 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum).African 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1% |  |
Foreign Affairs |
| Currency | Sudanese Dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 2,505,810 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English | ||||
| Syria Map of Syria | Capital | Damascus | Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, & other Muslim 16%, Christian 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo). Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7% |  |
Economy Industry Information Tourism |
| Currency | Syrian Pound | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 185,180 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English | ||||
| Tunisia Map of Tunisia | Capital | Tunis | Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1% |  |
Government Statistics Bank Tourism |
| Currency | Tunisian dinar | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 163,610 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) | ||||
| Turkey Map of Turkey | Capital | Ankara | Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews).Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% |  |
Foreign Affairs Finance Industry and Trade Planning Statistics Mineral Research |
| Currency | Turkish Lira | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 769,630 | ||||
| Languages | Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek | ||||
| UAE Map of UAE | Capital | Abu Dhabi | Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%;Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, others 8% (1982). less than 20% are citizens. |  |
Commerce Finance Planning Statistics Government Bank |
| Currency | Emirati dirham | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 78,000 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu | ||||
| Yemen Map of Yemen | Capital | Sana | Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu;Predominantly Arab. also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans |  |
Resources Supply and Trade Information Central Bank of Yemen |
| Currency | Yemeni Riyal | ||||
| Area (km2**)** | 527,970 | ||||
| Languages | Arabic |
Sources: CIA World Book of Facts (2000 estimates) SESRTCIC, Updated November 2001.
*Includes Middle Eastern countries and Arab countries of North Africa.
1. "Palestine" consists of the areas and persons under the control of the Palestinian authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The area given is the entire area of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestine is not a state and does not have a recognized capital. Administrative centers are in Gaza and Ramallah. The Palestine National Authority claims East Jerusalem as its capital.
2. Jerusalem is claimed as capital by the Israeli government and is the administrative center of Israel. The United States and many other countries do not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and have embassies in Tel Aviv.
Data are believed to be reliable but are not guaranteed to be authoritative. Please tell us about any errors.
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