The Arabian Peninsula , in Arabic jazīrat al-ʿarab , "the island of the Arabs," Arabia to the ancients, is the land mass that projects southwards from the main body of the Middle East. This article covers the geography of the region and its history up until about 1800 C.E. For the modern period, see the bibliographic survey, country entries, or entries on specific topics. 1. Geographical extent and nature The Arabian Peninsula is surrounded on three sides by sea: the Red Sea on its western side, the Indian Ocean to