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The Near East is a term commonly used by archaeologists, geographers and historians, less commonly by journalists and commentators, to refer to the region encompassing the Levant (modern Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon), Mesopotamia (Iraq and eastern Syria). The alternative term Middle East — preferred in political and economic contexts — is not used by Near Eastern archaeologists and historians. An alternative non-Eurocentric designation in recent years has been 'Southwest Asia', although this term has yet to achieve widespread use. Egypt, although part of the African continent, is generally considered to be part of the Near East region. Its inclusion is due to the substantial interactions it has had with other Near Eastern states throughout ancient, medieval and modern times. In Europe, "Near East" is the preferred term due to the evident geographical proximity.
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