Middle East Capitals Quiz

The Middle East is a geopolitical region centered on Western Asia, encompassing countries from Egypt and Turkey in the west to Iran and the Arabian Peninsula in the east. The region is the birthplace of three of the world's major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - And has been home to some of humanity's earliest civilizations, including Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), ancient Egypt, and the Phoenician civilization (modern Lebanon). Today, the Middle East is strategically important due to its vast petroleum reserves, its role in global geopolitics, and its position at the crossroads of three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Middle Eastern Countries and Capitals

The Middle East includes these countries and their capitals: Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), Iran (Tehran), Iraq (Baghdad), Turkey (Ankara), Egypt (Cairo), United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi), Jordan (Amman), Israel (Jerusalem, though disputed), Palestine/Palestinian Authority (Ramallah for the PA; East Jerusalem is claimed as the capital), Syria (Damascus), Lebanon (Beirut), Yemen (Sana'a - Though Aden is where the recognized government operates), Oman (Muscat), Kuwait (Kuwait City), Bahrain (Manama), Qatar (Doha), Israel, and Cyprus (Nicosia). Many of these capitals are among the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities - Damascus (Syria) and Jericho (Palestine) are considered among the oldest cities in the world.

The Middle East's capitals have experienced dramatic political changes in the past century - The collapse of the Ottoman Empire after WWI, the creation of Israel in 1948, the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the Gulf Wars, and the Arab Spring uprisings of 2010 - 2012 have all reshaped the region's political geography. Dubai (UAE), while not a capital city (Abu Dhabi is the UAE's capital), has become one of the world's most glamorous and economically significant cities. Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi have all invested enormously in infrastructure and global visibility. Test your Middle Eastern capitals knowledge here - Also try our world geography quiz and our Africa quiz.