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Asia and those located in western Asia. The British started these two simple geographic labels—countries are either “Near” or “Far.” Today, the Near East may refer to many countries that also comprise the Middle East, and the Middle East is often used to refer to most of the area that is the Near East. (Although Turkey is sometimes considered Near Eastern as well, it’s at a crossroads between the East and West, so some view the nation as part of Europe or Eurasia. This series includes Turkey as part of Eurasia.)

Visitors in the Arab market of the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel, the most visited city in the country, with 3.5 million tourists annually.

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S OCIAL P ROGRESS IN THE N EAR E AST