<P> Perhaps because of the influence of the Western press, the Arabic equivalent of Middle East (Arabic: الشرق الأوسط ash - Sharq al - Awsaṭ), has become standard usage in the mainstream Arabic press, comprehending the same meaning as the term "Middle East" in North American and Western European usage . The designation, Mashriq, also from the Arabic root for East, also denotes a variously defined region around the Levant, the eastern part of the Arabic - speaking world (as opposed to the Maghreb, the western part). Even though the term originated in the West, apart from Arabic, other languages of countries of the Middle East also use a translation of it . The Persian equivalent for Middle East is خاورمیانه (Khāvar - e miyāneh), the Hebrew is המזרח התיכון (hamizrach hatikhon) and the Turkish is Orta Doğu . </P> <P> Traditionally included within the Middle East are Iran (Persia), Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt . In modern - day - country terms they are these: </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Country, with flag </Th> <Th> Area (km2) </Th> <Th> Population (2012) </Th> <Th> Density (per km2) </Th> <Th> Capital </Th> <Th> Nominal GDP, bn (2012) </Th> <Th> Per capita (2012) </Th> <Th> Currency </Th> <Th> Government </Th> <Th> Official languages </Th> <Th> Coat of arms </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bahrain </Td> <Td> 665 </Td> <Td> 1,234,596 </Td> <Td> 1,646.1 </Td> <Td> Manama </Td> <Td> $30.355 </Td> <Td> $26,368 </Td> <Td> Bahraini dinar </Td> <Td> Absolute monarchy </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cyprus </Td> <Td> 9,250 </Td> <Td> 1,088,503 </Td> <Td> 117 </Td> <Td> Nicosia </Td> <Td> $22.995 </Td> <Td> $26,377 </Td> <Td> Euro </Td> <Td> Presidential republic </Td> <Td> Greek, Turkish </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Egypt </Td> <Td> 1,010,407 </Td> <Td> 72,798,000 </Td> <Td> 90 </Td> <Td> Cairo </Td> <Td> $262.26 </Td> <Td> $3,179 </Td> <Td> Egyptian pound </Td> <Td> Presidential republic </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Iran </Td> <Td> 1,648,195 </Td> <Td> 78,868,711 </Td> <Td> 45 </Td> <Td> Tehran </Td> <Td> $548.59 </Td> <Td> $7,207 </Td> <Td> Iranian rial </Td> <Td> Islamic republic </Td> <Td> Persian </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Iraq </Td> <Td> 438,317 </Td> <Td> 33,635,000 </Td> <Td> 73.5 </Td> <Td> Baghdad </Td> <Td> $216.04 </Td> <Td> $6,410 </Td> <Td> Iraqi dinar </Td> <Td> Parliamentary republic </Td> <Td> Arabic, Kurdish </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Israel </Td> <Td> 20,770 </Td> <Td> 7,653,600 </Td> <Td> 365.3 </Td> <Td> Jerusalem </Td> <Td> $257.62 </Td> <Td> $33,451 </Td> <Td> Israeli shekel </Td> <Td> Parliamentary republic </Td> <Td> Hebrew, Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Jordan </Td> <Td> 92,300 </Td> <Td> 6,318,677 </Td> <Td> 68.4 </Td> <Td> Amman </Td> <Td> $30.98 </Td> <Td> $4,843 </Td> <Td> Jordanian dinar </Td> <Td> Constitutional monarchy </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kuwait </Td> <Td> 17,820 </Td> <Td> 3,566,437 </Td> <Td> 167.5 </Td> <Td> Kuwait City </Td> <Td> $184.54 </Td> <Td> $48,761 </Td> <Td> Kuwaiti dinar </Td> <Td> Constitutional monarchy </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lebanon </Td> <Td> 10,452 </Td> <Td> 4,228,000 </Td> <Td> 404 </Td> <Td> Beirut </Td> <Td> $42.519 </Td> <Td> $10,425 </Td> <Td> Lebanese pound </Td> <Td> Parliamentary republic </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Oman </Td> <Td> 212,460 </Td> <Td> 2,694,094 </Td> <Td> 9.2 </Td> <Td> Muscat </Td> <Td> $78.290 </Td> <Td> $25,356 </Td> <Td> Omani rial </Td> <Td> Absolute monarchy </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Palestine </Td> <Td> 6,220 </Td> <Td> 4,260,636 </Td> <Td> 667 </Td> <Td> Ramallah </Td> <Td> $6.6 </Td> <Td> $1,600 </Td> <Td> Israeli shekel, Jordanian dinar </Td> <Td> Semi-presidential republic </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Qatar </Td> <Td> 11,437 </Td> <Td> 1,696,563 </Td> <Td> 123.2 </Td> <Td> Doha </Td> <Td> $192.40 </Td> <Td> $104,756 </Td> <Td> Qatari riyal </Td> <Td> Absolute monarchy </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Saudi Arabia </Td> <Td> 2,149,690 </Td> <Td> 27,136,977 </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> Riyadh </Td> <Td> $733.95 </Td> <Td> $25,139 </Td> <Td> Saudi riyal </Td> <Td> Absolute monarchy </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Syria </Td> <Td> 185,180 </Td> <Td> 23,695,000 </Td> <Td> 118.3 </Td> <Td> Damascus </Td> <Td> n / a </Td> <Td> n / a </Td> <Td> Syrian pound </Td> <Td> Presidential republic </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Turkey </Td> <Td> 783,562 </Td> <Td> 73,722,988 </Td> <Td> 94.1 </Td> <Td> Ankara </Td> <Td> $788.04 </Td> <Td> $10,523 </Td> <Td> Turkish lira </Td> <Td> Parliamentary republic </Td> <Td> Turkish </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> United Arab Emirates </Td> <Td> 82,880 </Td> <Td> 8,264,070 </Td> <Td> 97 </Td> <Td> Abu Dhabi </Td> <Td> $383.79 </Td> <Td> $43,774 </Td> <Td> UAE dirham </Td> <Td> Federal Absolute monarchy </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Yemen </Td> <Td> 527,970 </Td> <Td> 23,580,000 </Td> <Td> 44.7 </Td> <Td> Sana'a Aden (provisional) </Td> <Td> $35.05 </Td> <Td> $1,354 </Td> <Td> Yemeni rial </Td> <Td> Provisional presidential republic </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Country, with flag </Th> <Th> Area (km2) </Th> <Th> Population (2012) </Th> <Th> Density (per km2) </Th> <Th> Capital </Th> <Th> Nominal GDP, bn (2012) </Th> <Th> Per capita (2012) </Th> <Th> Currency </Th> <Th> Government </Th> <Th> Official languages </Th> <Th> Coat of arms </Th> </Tr>

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