Is Egypt considered part of the Middle East?

Answer 1

It depends on who you ask, but Egypt is generally accepted as a part of the Middle East because of cultural ties and historical interactions. Those that do not argue that the Middle East is a region of Asia and less than 6% of the Egyptian landmass is in Asia (and an even smaller percentage of population).

Answer 2

Geographically speaking, most of Egypt is in Africa, but part of it extends into Asia. Egypt has territory on both sides of the Suez Canal, and the greater portion of the Sinai peninsula belongs to Egypt, with the northern portion being part of Israel. Culturally speaking, Egypt is part of the Arab world and has close ties to the Arabian peninsula; many of its citizens make their pilgrimages there, as pious Muslims. Egypt has fought a number of wars against Israel, and it borders on the Gaza Strip, so it is deeply and unavoidably involved in Middle Eastern politics. That's why it is considered part of the Middle East.

It is worth noting that the Middle East is not entirely included in Asia, so there is no Middle-East/Africa dichotomy. Egypt is the only primarily African country in the Middle East.

Answer 3

Egypt is considered part of the Middle East because of the majority Arab-portion of its population, its cultural and historical relationships with the Middle East, and the regional dynamic.