Asia and the Middle East examines crisis areas in the nations of the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, 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. This definition corresponds closely with the U.S. State Department's definition of "Near East." The thirty-four articles in World Conflicts: Asia and the Middle East are updated versions of articles that appeared in Salem Press's World Conflicts and Confrontations. Two of the articles cover broad regions (Middle East and Asia); the rest cover individual nations. Designed to meet the needs of students, faculty, and others seeking clear explanations of and background to what has been going on in the region's many troubled countries, the set identifies the "hot spots" and offers in-depth analyses of the countries facing difficult and dangerous problems that are of vital concern to the entire world. The nations covered in individual essays have been selected because of the intensity of their recent and current conflicts, as well as the roles they play in the world as a whole. The essays on Asia and the Middle East explore regional patterns, analyzing why some countries within the regions have been more prone to conflict than have others, and pointing up trends that may have implications for the future. Each essay opens with a statement summarizing the most pressing problems of the country, followed by an analysis of the origins, nature, and history of these problems. Basic facts and statistics pertaining to each country are summarized in boxed profiles. Moreover, every essay contains at least one map, a detailed time line of modern events, and a discussion of sources of further information, with special attention to the growing availability of the valuable online resources of the World Wide Web. Appendices include an article on U.N. Peacekeeping Operations; a glossary; a list of print and broadcast news sources that provide up-to-the-minute news on Asian and Middle Eastern affairs; and a list of nations arranged by conflict types.