<P> There are terms similar to Near East and Middle East in other European languages, but since it is a relative description, the meanings depend on the country and are different from the English terms generally . In German the term Naher Osten (Near East) is still in common use (nowadays the term Mittlerer Osten is more and more common in press texts translated from English sources, albeit having a distinct meaning) and in Russian Ближний Восток or Blizhniy Vostok, Bulgarian Близкия Изток, Polish Bliski Wschód or Croatian Bliski istok (meaning Near East in all the four Slavic languages) remains as the only appropriate term for the region . However, some languages do have "Middle East" equivalents, such as the French Moyen - Orient, Swedish Mellanöstern, Spanish Oriente Medio or Medio Oriente, and the Italian Medio Oriente . </P> <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> Presidential 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>

Is iran part of middle east or asia