West Asian Countries: Full List, Capitals, and Map

West Asia is a geographic subregion of Asia situated between Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia, with a land connection to Africa at the Isthmus of Suez.

Unlike terms such as “Middle East” or “MENA,” West Asia is a formal geographic classification. This page follows the United Nations (UN) geoscheme, which defines West Asia as a distinct subregion of Asia.

United Nations geoscheme for Asia

Under the UN geoscheme, Asia is divided into several subregions, including:

• Western Asia
• Central Asia
• Southern Asia
• Eastern Asia
• South-Eastern Asia

West Asia is used as a neutral, location-based term, without cultural or political interpretation.

Countries in West Asia

According to the United Nations geoscheme, Western Asia consists of 18 sovereign countries:

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Cyprus
• Georgia
• Iraq
• Israel
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• State of Palestine*
• Syria
• Türkiye (Turkey)
• United Arab Emirates
• Yemen

*Palestine is a partially recognised state with observer status at the United Nations.

These countries are grouped together purely on geographic grounds, based on their location in the western portion of the Asian continent.

West Asian countries table

The table below lists West Asian countries along with their capitals, population estimates, and land area, based on international data sources.

For broader context, you can also explore how these nations compare in size and population across the continent.

West Asia vs the Middle East

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, West Asia and the Middle East are not the same.

• West Asia is a fixed geographic subregion used in UN classifications and global datasets.
• The Middle East is a widely used geopolitical term whose boundaries vary by context and dataset.

Most Middle Eastern countries are located in West Asia. However, the Middle East also includes Iran, which is classified as part of Southern Asia in UN geographic statistics, and Egypt, which is classified as Northern Africa.

Other countries, such as Turkey and Cyprus, may be included or excluded depending on political or analytical context.

Because of this, a country can be geographically West Asian, politically or culturally Middle Eastern, or both.

Why West Asia is used in international statistics

The term West Asia is widely used by:

• The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)
• International development agencies
• Demographic and economic datasets
• Environmental and climate research

Its advantage is consistency: every country belongs to one geographic subregion, avoiding overlaps that occur with political terms.

Geographic characteristics of West Asia

West Asia includes a wide range of landscapes and climates, such as:

• the Anatolian Plateau
• the Caucasus Mountains
• the Arabian Peninsula
• fertile river systems like the Tigris–Euphrates basin
• extensive desert regions and coastal zones

Its location at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia has historically shaped trade routes, migration, and regional interaction.