Jazira

Jazira, from the Arabic al-Jazira meaning "the island," is a historic and geographic region in Upper Mesopotamia located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The name reflects the riverine and floodplain landscape rather than any political boundary.

In modern usage, Jazira spans parts of northern Iraq, northern Syria, and southeastern Turkey, roughly the area between the two great rivers. It is a culturally diverse zone that overlaps several contemporary provinces and features extensive irrigation, agriculture, and river terraces.

Historically, the Jazira has deep roots in Mesopotamian civilizations and has been part of various empires, including Assyria and later Islamic caliphates. During the medieval and early modern periods it often functioned as a border zone between rival powers, and in the 20th century its lands were divided among modern states by international borders drawn after World War I.

It is home to Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians and Turkmen, among others. Economies in the region rely on agriculture, cross-border trade and resource extraction in some areas, and the area has experienced conflict and displacement in recent decades. The term Jazira is distinct from the modern news network Al Jazeera, though transliteration variations can blur sources.