"Middle East" is a modern term, and there is some disagreement about the exact region it describes. Generally, however, it refers to the area of southwest Asia and North Africa that is home to the most ancient of human civilizations. Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans all left their mark on region.
The geographic home base for Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, the Middle East has been the fighting ground for major religious battles for centuries, especially since the Ottoman Empire was dismantled after World War I.
