The Middle East is a rich, spicy, cultural stew of peoples of all different kinds of backgrounds. Let us take a closer look at this region of the world. The Middle East consists of the modern countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey but other countries, including some from North Africa and the Gulf States are often included as well. Some sources list at the very least twenty countries as part of the Middle East, including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.