Q 01/05

Which country is the largest in the Middle East by area?

A) Saudi Arabia

B) Egypt (Misr)

C) Iran (Persia)

D) Turkey (Türkiye)

Answer · why

A) Saudi Arabia

It was founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz, who united the Hejaz, Najd and parts of eastern and southern Arabia.

Q 02/05

Which three countries are the most populous in the Middle East?

A) Egypt, Iraq and Yemen

B) Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia

C) Turkey, Israel and Jordan

D) Egypt, Iran and Turkey

Answer · why

D) Egypt, Iran and Turkey

Egypt alone has more than 107 million people, the most of any Arab country.

Q 03/05

Which American naval strategist popularised the term 'Middle East' in 1902?

A) Theodore Roosevelt

B) George Kennan

C) Halford Mackinder

D) Alfred Thayer Mahan

Answer · why

D) Alfred Thayer Mahan

He used it to designate the area between Arabia and India; the British had used 'Near East' for the Ottoman lands.

Q 04/05

How many of the 18 countries usually counted as the Middle East are part of the Arab world?

A) 4

B) 13

C) 9

D) 6

Answer · why

B) 13

The exceptions are Turkey, Iran, Israel and Cyprus, plus one more depending on the list used.

Q 05/05

Which three religions all originated in the Middle East and have their holiest sites there?

A) Christianity, Islam and Baha'i

B) Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Sikhism

C) Judaism, Christianity and Islam

D) Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam

Answer · why

C) Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Jerusalem is sacred to all three, and its Old City has been a World Heritage Site since 1981.