Shi'ite Crescent

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The "Shia Crescent"; numbers show percentage of Shia population. Note that most Shias in Iraq actually live in the South, not the North of the country.
The "Shia Crescent"; numbers show percentage of Shia population. Note that most Shias in Iraq actually live in the South, not the North of the country.

The Shi'ite or Shi'a Crescent is a recent geo-political term used to describe a region of the Middle East where the majority population is Shi'a, or where there is a strong Shi'a minority in the population. It has been used to describe the potential for cooperation among these areas in Middle Eastern politics. The corresponding term is especially common in German, where it is known as Schiitischer Halbmond ("shia halfmoon"). This term was used by Abdullah II, king of Jordan, after which it became popular in political debates.

The nations where Shi'a Muslims form a dominant majority are Azerbaijan, Iran, Bahrain, Yemen and Iraq, a plurality in Lebanon and large minorities in Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait,Saudi Arabia,India,UAE and Syria. The shape of these countries put together does in fact resemble a crescent moon or a half moon (see map).

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