Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Countries: Full List, Capitals, and Map

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a commonly used political, economic, and analytical grouping that combines countries of the Middle East with those of North Africa.

Unlike regions such as Northern Europe or Western Asia, MENA is not a formal geographic subregion under the United Nations geoscheme. Instead, it is a practical grouping widely used in international development, economics, diplomacy, academia, and media.

The term is also sometimes referred to as West Asia and North Africa (WANA) or Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA), particularly in academic or geographic contexts.

What the term MENA refers to

MENA brings together countries that share overlapping historical, cultural, economic, and environmental characteristics, including:

• long-standing trade and migration routes
• shared historical empires and political ties
• linguistic and religious connections
• similar development and climate challenges

Because of this, the grouping is commonly used by organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, UN agencies, NGOs, and research institutions, despite the absence of a single universal definition.

Countries commonly included in MENA

While definitions vary slightly by organization, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) defines its MENA coverage as 19 countries:

Middle East

• Bahrain
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Syria
• United Arab Emirates
• Yemen
• Palestine*

North Africa

• Algeria
• Egypt
• Libya
• Morocco
• Tunisia

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

Together, these countries form the core MENA region used in most policy, economic, and development contexts.

Middle East and North Africa countries table

The table below lists the MENA countries commonly included in international policy, economic, and development reporting, along with their capitals, population estimates, and land area.

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

Why definitions vary

There is no single official boundary for the MENA region, and different organizations adjust the grouping for specific analytical purposes.

Some definitions expand MENA to include countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, or Malta, while others vary in whether Israel or Iran are included. A few extended groupings also add Afghanistan or Pakistan.

These variations reflect the fact that MENA is a functional and institutional grouping rather than a fixed geographic region.

MENA and formal geographic classifications

For statistical purposes, the United Nations assigns countries to defined geographic regions:

• Most MENA countries are classified as Western Asia
• North African MENA countries are classified as Northern Africa

Geographic terms such as Western Asia or Southwest Asia describe physical location, whereas “Middle East” and “MENA” reflect historical, cultural, political, and analytical usage.

Why the term MENA is still widely used

Despite its flexible boundaries, MENA remains widely used because it describes a real regional framework that does not fit neatly into continental divisions.

It is especially common in:

• economic and development reporting
• climate and water-scarcity research
• conflict and security analysis
• regional policy and planning

For these reasons, MENA continues to be used alongside formal geographic classifications rather than replacing them.