Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Surprise meSurprise meSubscribe
Encyclopedia

Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Geographical region for global institutional and marketing planning

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
4 min read
Source updated August 22, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) is a geographic designation used by institutions, governments, global marketing, media, and business sectors, especially in North American business circles, when referring to this region.

As the name suggests, the region includes all of the countries found on the continents of Africa and Europe, as well as the countries that make up the Middle East. The region is generally accepted to include all European nations and all African nations, and extends east to Iran, including a part of Russia. Typically, the acronym does not include overseas territories of mainland countries in the region, such as French Guiana. However, the term is not completely clear, and while it usually refers to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, it is not uncommon for businesses and other institutions to slightly tweak the countries they include under this umbrella term.

One of the reasons why the term is commonly used is because it is useful for business purposes, as most of the region falls within four time zones, which facilitates communication and travel.

01Historical influence

The historical influence and interdependence of Europe on the Middle East and Africa in relation to trade routes contributed to the development of the term EMEA. The establishment of the Suez Canal in 1869 impacted international commerce. It directly linked Europe to the Indian Ocean and East Asian trade routes. The direct channel between Britain and India enabled Britain to gradually gain authority over Egypt, and rule Egypt until 1956, when the last British forces withdrew following the Anglo-Egyptian evacuation agreement. Britain's rule there, until 1956, was reinforced via the development and maintenance of the Pax Britannica which gave Britain naval power and control over the world's maritime trade routes during the late nineteenth century period of peace.

03Component areas

The EMEA region generally includes:

Europe

Central and Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia

Northern Europe

Southern Europe

Western Europe

Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Eastern Africa

Central Africa

Southern Africa

Western Africa

04Economic overview

The World Bank's April 2024 update indicates that the growth rate for the Europe, Middle-East and African region, is expected to slightly increase to 4.6% in 2024, up from 4.4% in 2023. This underscores a diverse economic resilience against global pressures. Meanwhile, global trade growth, which was minimal at 0.2% in 2023, is projected to improve to 2.3% in 2024, crucial for the region's export-oriented economies. However, private investment remains below pre-pandemic levels due to higher debt levels and rising interest rates, signaling a cautious investment climate. The region faces significant challenges from both external factors, such as high core inflation and modest global trade recovery, and domestic issues like increased debt and political uncertainties, potentially hindering economic growth. Additionally, a hypothetical 1% decline in GDP growth in the US or China could reduce GDP growth in other developing Europe, Middle-East and African economies by approximately 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively. The increase in trade-distorting measures, which have tripled since 2019 among G-20 countries, reflects a trend towards protective industrial policies, although other European, Middle-Eastern, and African countries, except for the Big Four, South Africa, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, have been less involved in these measures.

By 2026, the EMEA region has intensified its focus on "near-shoring" to enhance supply chain resilience against geopolitical volatility. Major European manufacturers have increasingly shifted production to hubs in Central and Eastern Europe as well as North Africa to shorten lead times and mitigate transport costs. In the technology sector, IT spending across EMEA is projected to grow by 7% in 2026, driven by a shift from AI experimentation to operational deployment at scale, particularly in industrial and enterprise applications. This trend is further supported by the expansion of regional logistics trackers that monitor the impact of policy shifts on international business investment.

Watch videos about Europe, the Middle East and AfricaExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Europe, the Middle East and Africa”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.

Continue exploring

Related topics

Americas

The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America. When viewed as a single continent, the Americas are the second largest continent by area after Asia and the third largest continent by population.

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific is a major geopolitical and economic region of the world adjoining the western Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and comprising the part of the Old World located outside the EMEA region. The region's precise boundaries vary depending on context, but countries and territories in the Far East (East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania) are also sometimes included.

Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa, also referred to as West Asia and North Africa (WANA) or South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), is a geographic region which comprises the Middle East (also called West Asia) and North Africa together. It exists as an alternative to the concept of the Greater Middle East, which comprises the bulk of the Muslim world.