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The 'Near East' is a term commonly used by archaeologists, geographers and historians, less commonly by journalists and commentators, to refer to the region encompassing Anatolia (the Asian portion of modern Turkey), the Levant (modern Land of Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon), Georgia, Armenia, and Mesopotamia (Iraq and eastern Syria). The alternative term ''Middle East'' — preferred in some political and economic contexts — is not used by Near Eastern archaeologists and historians.

Contents

Background

Modern day

See also

References

Background

The term, ''Near East'', came into use in the 1890s, when European powers were faced with two critical situations in the "east".^[1] The Sino-Japanese War in 1894-1895 occurred in the Far East, while an Armenian Genocide and instability involving the Cretans and Macedonians were occurring in the Near East. British archaeologist D.G. Hogarth published ''The Nearer East'' in 1902, which helped to define the term and its extent, including Albania, Montenegro, southern Serbia and Bulgaria, Greece, Egypt, all the Ottoman lands, the entire Arabian peninsula, and western parts of Iran.

Modern day

See also

★ Ancient Near East

★ Middle East

★ Far East

★ Orient

References

1. Where is the Middle East?, Davidson, Roderic H., , , Foreign Affairs, 1960