ABSTRACT
So far in this discussion of the Middle East, its geographical boundaries have not been specified. This approach is intentional, for it is important to realize that the ‘Middle East’ is a subjective construction – not a geographic ‘fact’. The construction of the region, in the public and academic mind, is based on factors such as geographic characteristics, shared historical experiences, and religious and linguistic patterns. Moreover, the conception of the region is fluid and has changed over time.
