Arabs are a culturally diverse group of people who primarily reside in the Arab world, a region comprising 22 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. United by a shared Arabic language and cultural heritage, Arabs represent a mosaic of ethnic backgrounds, religions, and traditions.
A map of the Arab world, formally the Arab homeland; also known as the Arab nation. The modern period in Arab history refers to the time period from the late 19th century to the present day.
An Arab is any member of the largest ethnic group of the Middle East and North Africa, defined primarily by the use of the Arabic language, or one descended from this population.
The term Arab (Arabic: عرب ʻarab) generally refers to those persons who speak Arabic as their native tongue. There are estimated to be over 300 million people living in the Arab world. There are 22 nations holding membership in the Arab League, though not all are independent.
Many Americans have a hard time distinguishing between the terms Arab, Middle Eastern, and Muslim. Here we break down the various terms to help you distinguish between these three categories.
Who is an Arab? "Arab" is a cultural and linguistic term. It refers to those who speak Arabic as their first language. Arabs are united by culture and by history. Arabs are not a race. Some have blue eyes and red hair; others are dark skinned; many are somewhere in between.
Modern Arab intellectuals are well aware of the difficulty in defining an Arab. As long ago as December, 1938, a conference of Arab students in Europe, held in Brussels, declared that "all who are Arab in their language, culture and loyalty (or "national feeling") are Arabs."