Map of the Middle
East.
Located at the junction of three continents--Europe, Asia, and Africa--the Middle East has historically been a crossroads for conquerors, peoples, trade, and ideas as well as a transition zone for political and cultural interaction. Today the Middle East's strategic tricontinental hub location, its vast petroleum reserves, its importance to Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike, and its many political disputes give it a global significance out of proportion to its size.