ABSTRACT
Today, the Arabic-speaking world stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf, and from the plains of Syria to the base of the Arabian Peninsula. Although it is possible to define everyone living in this vast area as Arab, the Arab League—a voluntary association of independent countries whose peoples are mainly Arabic-speaking—includes countries outside of this area—Somalia, Djibouti, the Comoro Islands, and Mauritania as well. There are also now many Arab immigrants in Europe and North America, and even in South America and sub-Saharan Africa.
