See. Tour the Middle East.

Take a virtual tour of the middle east and northern Africa to familiarize yourself with the area. Let's start with the most familiar place in the Bible, Israel and the city of Jerusalem. The state of Israel is filled with history, volatility, and significance for Christians, Muslims and Jews. Israel sits on the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.

Jordan, like most middle eastern countries, has had its share of conquerors and influences, but modern Jordan, led by King Abdallah II is undertaking major economic reform and now participates in the World Trade Organization and the European Free Trade Association. Petra is the country's major tourist attraction. Arabic is the official language with English frequently spoken in Jordan. The country is 92% Sunni Muslim and 6% Christian.

Lebanon's rich history originally includes settlement by the Phoenicians,and inclusion in the Roman Empire. Many conquered Lebanon over the years including the Assyrians, Babylonians, Byzantines and many others but it was the influence of the French that made modern Lebanon as we know it. The official language is Arabic, while many speak French and/or English. The country is 60% Muslim (Sunni, Shia, Druze and Alawites).

Syria stands to the north of Lebanon and has been the object of desire for many empires including the Egyptian, Roman and Ottoman empires. The official language is Arabic and Kurdish, English and French make up the other languages spoken. The country is 74% Sunni Muslim, 16% other Muslim, 10% Christian and other.

Egypt is the final country that borders the nation of Israel with its rich history and familiar historical figures. This long-time influencer in the Middle East is actually located in northern Africa and connects to Israel through the Sinai Peninsula. The ancients left wonderful artifacts for archeologists and tourists to explore while the many conquerors including the Persians, Greeks, Roman, Arabs, Ottoman, French, and British all left their influence on this fabulous country. The country is 94% Muslim (mostly Sunni) and 6% Coptic Christian. The official language is Arabic with English and French spoken by the educated population.

 

Northern African Countries

Moving West from Egypt, the northern African countries influencing the Middle East are Libya (the highest standard of living in Africa), Tunisia (strongest women's rights in Arab nations), Algeria (has three sand seas and a beautiful coastline), Morocco (spans between the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea) and Western Sahara .

Middle Eastern Countries

The Middle Eastern countries are Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey(In both Europe and Asia), United Arab Emirates and Yemen.