Whatever Happened to the Near East?
17 hours ago
- #Eurocentrism
- #Terminology Evolution
- #Historical Geography
- The term 'Middle East' is Eurocentric, but the author used it due to lack of widely understood alternatives.
- Historically, the Near East referred to the Ottoman Empire and Balkans, while the Middle East was the area from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia.
- The distinction blurred after WWI, with the Ottoman Empire's collapse and British administration grouping former Ottoman territories under 'Middle East'.
- Factors like Indian independence, the Cold War, and the shift from sea to air travel further eroded the 'three Easts' concept.
- Today, 'Near East' is primarily used in historical contexts, such as 'Ancient Near East', despite academic awareness of its problematic nature.