`  :::I have lived in America my entire life and the middle-east has never included these nations when used properly; it defines the regions of Persia south of the black sea and unconquered by romans or the byzantines and has always had refered to Iran, pakistan, and afghanistan, occasionally including iraq and saudi arabia and syria etc although these are properly defined as the near-east.  the middle east is surrounded by the near east, anatolia, the black sea states, the southern steppes, and the far east (india).  The definition listed here is more what we americans refer to as ``the arab states`` which stretch from morocco to pakistan. I have heard uninformed people using the term ``middle east`` to refer to ``the arab states`` in general, but why should idiots pick the definition?  It's not as though they make up the majority anyhow.`