Middle East (English: Middle East, Arabic: الشرق الأوسط In Hebrew: המזרח התיכון In Persian: خاورمیانه）， Refers to parts of the region from the southern eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf coast, including most of West Asia except Afghanistan, Egypt in Africa, and the Transcaucasus region located on the border with Russia. About 23 countries and regions, covering over 15 million square kilometers, with a population of 490 million. The climate types are mainly tropical desert climate (including subtropical desert climate), Mediterranean climate, and temperate continental climate, with tropical desert climate being the most widely distributed. The terrain is mainly composed of plateaus and plains. The main rivers are only the Euphrates River, Nile River, etc. Geographically speaking, the Middle East connects Asia, Europe, and Africa. Communicating the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, it has been a transportation hub between the East and the West since ancient times, serving as a hub for "two oceans, three continents, and five seas". The five seas include the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea. The main oil producing countries in the Middle East are Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Iran, and others. Due to religious and cultural differences, the situation remained unstable throughout the year after World War II.