"Kevin Gowen" <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote in message
news:2qesr8Ftp9kgU13@uni-berlin.de...
> necoandjeff wrote:
>
> > "Kevin Gowen" <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:2qemgeFtp9kgU6@uni-berlin.de...
> >
> >>necoandjeff wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>Geographically it used to refer to what we now call
> >>>the Middle East, plus Iran.
> >>
> >>When did Iran leave the Middle East?
> >
> >
> > For some reason I was thinking that, because it is Persian rather than
Arab,
> > it might technically be separate, but I guess not.
>
> I've always thought of "Middle East" as a geographic descriptor rather
> than a demographic one.

I suppose, but sometimes geographic regions attempt to follow demographic or
historical distinctions as well.