World Conflicts: Asia and the Middle East examines crisis areas in the nations of the Middle East, Southeast, and East Asia. It offers in-depth analyses of the countries facing the most difficult and dangerous problems. 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. Each essay opens with a statement summarizing the most pressing problems of the country—or group of countries—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.