**Geography and Geology of West Asia:**
– West Asia is the westernmost region of Asia, encompassing Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian highlands, the Levant, Cyprus, the Sinai Peninsula, and the southern Caucasus Region.
– The region is surrounded by eight major seas and is geographically connected to Europe, Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia.
– Three major tectonic plates converge in West Asia, making the region seismically active with significant aquifers providing water for irrigation.
– Natural features like deserts in Iran delineate parts of the region, and the geography includes diverse landscapes from deserts to fertile valleys.
– West Asia has mountainous terrains such as the Anatolian Plateau, Pontus Mountains, Taurus Mountains in Turkey, Zagros Mountains in Iran, and the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth.
**Climate and Topography of West Asia:**
– West Asia has arid and semi-arid climates with common droughts but also forests and fertile valleys.
– Major rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates support agriculture in the region.
– The topography includes mountainous terrain like Mount Ararat, the Zagros Mountains, and Iran’s Central Plateau.
– Climate classifications highlight the diverse landscapes in West Asia, including mountain ranges, plateaus, and valleys.
– The region’s topography ranges from high mountains to low-lying areas like the Dead Sea, showcasing a variety of elevations.
**Demographics and Ethnic Composition of West Asia:**
– West Asia’s population was estimated at 272 million in 2008, projected to reach 370 million by 2030, with Turkey and Iran being the most populous countries.
– Predominant ethnic groups in the region include Arab, Persian, and Turkish, with major languages spoken being Arabic, Persian, and Turkish.
– Significant native minorities in West Asia include Arameans, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and others.
– Distribution of Jews in Turkey, ethnic composition of Azerbaijan, Christians in Iran, and Christianity in Turkey are key aspects of the region’s demographics.
– Detailed information about Assyrians and other minorities is available in resources like the ‘Encyclopedia of the Worlds Minorities’.
**Religion and Economy in West Asia:**
– Islam is the largest religion in West Asia, followed by Christianity and Judaism, with significant representation of Eastern Christianity and other minority religions.
– The region’s economy is driven by countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, with petroleum being a major industry due to its vast oil reserves.
– Other key economies in West Asia include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, and Jordan.
– Political systems in the region range from presidential republics to constitutional monarchies, reflecting a diverse governance structure.
– The economic indicators of West Asia are available from sources like the International Monetary Fund, providing GDP figures and per capita data for comparison.
**History and Sports in West Asia:**
– West Asia has a rich historical context that includes ancient civilizations and empires, with the term gaining geopolitical and economic significance from the mid-1960s onwards.
– The region has been a hub for various sports activities, with organizations like the West Asian Tennis Federation, West Asian Billiards & Snooker Federation, and events like the West Asian Games and WAFF Championship.
– The region’s history was used in early 19th-century geography and archaeology, comparing early civilizations and empires.
– Sports events like the WABA Championship in basketball and the presence of various sports federations highlight the diverse cultural landscape of West Asia.
– The historical presence of Christianity in the Middle East and the growth of the Druze diaspora are significant aspects of the region’s history and demographics.
West Asia, also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian highlands, the Levant, the island of Cyprus, the Sinai Peninsula, and the southern part of the Caucasus Region (Transcaucasia). The region is separated from Africa by the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt, and separated from Europe by the waterways of the Turkish Straits and the watershed of the Greater Caucasus. Central Asia lies to its northeast, while South Asia lies to its east. Twelve seas surround the region (clockwise): the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, the Gulf of Suez, and the Mediterranean Sea. The area contains the vast majority of the similarly defined Middle East, but excluding most of Egypt and the northwestern part of Turkey, and including the southern part of the Caucasus.
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| Area | 5,994,935 km2 (2,314,657 sq mi)a |
|---|---|
| Population | 313,450,000 (2018) (9th) |
| Population density | 50.1/km2 (130/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | $9.063 trillion (2019) |
| GDP (nominal) | $3.383 trillion (2019) |
| GDP per capita | $10,793 (2019; nominal) $28,918 (2019; PPP) |
| HDI |  0.699 (medium) |
| Ethnic groups | Semitic, Turkic, Iranic, Armenian, North Caucasian, Georgians, Hellenic, Indo-Aryan, etc. |
| Religions | Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baháʼí, Druzism, Yarsanism, Yazidism, Zoroastrianism, Mandaeism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. |
| Demonym | West Asian Western Asian |
| Countries |
3 unrecognized |
| Dependencies |  Akrotiri and Dhekelia |
| Languages | Official languages Other languages |
| Time zones | 5 time zones |
| Internet TLD | .ae, .am, .az, .bh, .cy, .eg, .ge, .il, .iq, .ir, .jo, .kw, .lb, .om, .ps, .qa, .sa, .sy, .tr, .ye |
| Calling code | Zone 9 except Armenia, Cyprus (Zone 3) & Sinai (Zone 2) |
| Largest cities | |
| UN M49 code | 145 – West Asia142 – Asia001 – World |
a Area and population figures include the Sinai b Among the top 100 urban areas of the world by population | |
West Asia covers an area of 5,994,935 km2 (2,314,657 sq mi), with a population of about 313 million. Of the 20 UN member countries fully or partly within the region, 13 are part of the Arab world. The most populous countries in West Asia are Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
In the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD), West Asia excludes the Arabian Peninsula and includes Afghanistan. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) excludes Egypt and includes Afghanistan. The United Nations Environment Programme excludes Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, and Iran from West Asia.