World Conflicts: Asia and the Middle East examines crisis areas in the nations of the Middle East and South, Southeast, and East Asia. This set applies a broad definition to "Middle East" to encompass the predominantly Muslim nations of both the eastern Mediterranean region and North Africa. Two articles cover the broad regions of the Middle East and Asia; the rest cover individual nations. The essays on Asia and the Middle East explore regional patterns, analysing why some countries within the regions have been more prone to conflict than have others. The nations covered in individual essays have been selected because of the intensity of their recent and current conflicts. This 2-volume reference set identifies, in 34 articles, the "hot spots" in Asia and the Middle East and offers in-depth analyses and historic background of the countries facing the most difficult and dangerous problems. Each essay opens with a statement summarising the most pressing problems of the country, or group of countries, followed by an analysis of the origins, nature, and history of these problems.