Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Europe, the Middle East and Africa, usually shortened to EMEA, is a geographic designation used by institutions, governments, global marketing, media and business, especially in North American business circles. As the name says, it covers the countries of the continents of Africa and Europe together with the countries of the Middle East, and it is generally taken to run east as far as Iran, including a part of Russia. The acronym typically leaves out overseas territories of mainland countries in the region, such as French Guiana. The boundary is not fixed, because businesses and other bodies often adjust which countries they place under it. One reason for its popularity is practical: most of the region lies within four time zones, which eases communication and travel across it.