Census Rank the Middle-East

Now that I can actually see the damned poll I see it's missing the largest Middle Eastern country. Did the Bangles make that song for NOTHING?

 

Whilst part of the Arab world, you're referring to a part of Africa.

 

This has always been my understanding of the "Middle East." Of course, it's Eurocentric and largely geographically meaningless term. But still, I've never seen a definition where Egypt was not included.

 

yeah, peeps use different definitions in different contexts and disciplines. like every other geographical grouping, basically

i could see putting egypt in the middle east or just calling it part of the maghreb, depending on the context. for the purposes of discussions among dumb white people (ie the key demo of the JCC), i think its more than justifiable to include it as part of the middle east

 

Oh it is very Euro-centric - the term was part of a collection of terms the Brits came up with to describe the Ottoman Empire (near East), Arabia (Middle East), and Asia (Far East).

 

Yeah, I have to confess I am stumped by Ender's prescriptivism in this matter (as I am with his prescriptivism in so many matters). Obviously "Middle East" is not a strictly defined term and I've seen it included as part of the Middle East and I've seen "Middle East" become synonymous in some cases with MENA. At any rate, nothing about the words "Middle East" necessarily or definitionally excludes African countries.

 

What other prescriptiveness?!

 

Well, technically Sinai is in Asia, so Egypt is an Asian country like Turkey is European because of eastern Thrace*.

*Yes, I know Turkey's historical capital and largest city is in Europe. Still!

 

I've never personally felt comfortable calling Turkey "European".

 

For geographic or cultural reasons?

 

Agreed. In order to justify that, there'd have to be evidence that Europeans thought of it that way, like if they called the polity in that region the "sick man of Europe" or something.

Oh, wait.

Guess.

 

I should point out that I voted for Lebanon of the 60s and 70s. Hard-partying, casino-filled Lebanon. Baudy Lebanon.

 

Geographic. You can ignore Wocky; most of his contributions are usually delusional ramblings that add no value. Occasionally he has a moment of clarity but it's few and far between.

I think that if you're being honest you firstly have to conclude Turkey largely defines definition, and have themselves asked if they are truly European or not. Geographically, they are a 'gateway' and culturally, with their liberal institutions and secularism on the one hand but conservative Islamic traditions on the other, they're straddling three worlds. One set of neighbors is Eastern European; one set are Central Asian, and one set Middle Eastern.

So any classification is going to be problematic.

I don't think that their EU application is anything more than political and it would benefit Turkey immensely to be given full access. Though the EU itself... problems.

Anyway, VVM, ignoring Wocky's combination lunacy and butthurt because I called and continue to call Obama a spineless coward for backpedalling as he has on the Armenian genocide. >85% of Turks live in the province of Turkey that borders Asia, so geographically I think it's more central Asian than anything else.