DESCRIPTION
The Middle East is both a geographical region as well as a political term. The Middle East encompasses 15 countries and spreads from northeastern Africa to southwestern Asia. The term Middle East was made well known in the 19th century by the United Kingdom. There are no clear boundaries of the Middle East, but some of the countries which are considered to be located in it are: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Syrian, Lebanon, Jordon, and Israel. The Middle East is the birthplace and spiritual center of many religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Bahai. Every country in the Middle East has a Muslim majority with the exception of Israel, which is the homeland for Jews. Unfortunately over the past several decades, there has been much turmoil and violence throughout the Middle East. The majority of the Middle East experiences climate classified as arid and semi-arid and is subject to drought. Arguably, the most well known destination in the Middle East is the Wailing Western Wall (also known as Kotel), or al-Buraq Wall by Muslims, located in Jerusalem, Israel. The Western Wall is known by many, as the religious capital of the world to both the Jewish religion as well as the Islamic faith.