Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia. It has a population of 33 million, making it the 42nd most populous country in the world. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east; Iran in the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the north; and China in the far northeast. Its territory covers 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi), making it the 41st largest country in the world. Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era, and the country's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia. Through the ages the land has been home to various peoples and witnessed numerous military campaigns, notably by Alexander the Great, Mauryas, Muslim Arabs, Mongols, British, Soviet, and in the modern era by Western powers. The land also served as the source from which the Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, Khiljis, Mughals, Hotaks, Durranis, and others have risen to form major empires. Afghanistan’s economic freedom is graded for the first time in the 2017 Index, reflecting the improved availability of key economic data. Over the past decade, the country has achieved rapid yet volatile economic growth. Construction and agriculture have been the key contributors to economic expansion. Afghanistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2016. Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic with Islam as an official state religion. It is a member of the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 77, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the Non-Aligned Movement. A big population of Afghanis is living in Iran for decades (approximately 3 million person) and they have common language and culture with Iranians. Especially they have common traditions with eastern states of Iran.

The Republic of Armenia, is a sovereign state in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located in West Asia on the Armenian Highlands, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Council of Europe and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Considerable diversification of Armenia’s economic base has increased economic dynamism, and a decade of strong economic growth has reduced poverty and unemployment rates. Broad simplification of business procedures has facilitated regulatory efficiency. After years of expansionary fiscal policies, efforts have been made to limit the cost of government through more prudent management of public finance. From about 500 years ago, Armenians are supported by Iran as the most important Christians nations in the Middle East. This caused the big population of Armenians in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan and they are nowadays the most important religious minority in ME. They have members of Parliament in Iran and Iraq and Syria.

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a country in the South Caucasus region, situated at the crossroads of Southwest Asia and Southeastern Europe. It is bound by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west and Iran to the south. Azerbaijan is a unitary semi-presidential republic. The country is a member state of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. It is one of six independent Turkic states, an active member of the Turkic Council and the TÜRKSOY community. It is one of the founding members of GUAM, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Azerbaijan is also a member state of the Non-Aligned Movement, holds observer status in World Trade Organization and is a correspondent at the International Telecommunication Union. It has a high rate of economic development and literacy, as well as a low rate of unemployment. According to the Davos World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan's economy has scored 37th place within 138 countries in 2016. Global Competitiveness Index 2015 indicates that Azerbaijan scores highest in its region. Openness to global trade and investment, supported by some improvements in regulatory efficiency, has aided Azerbaijan’s transition to a more market-based economic system. Continued transformation and restructuring are needed to capitalize on the well-educated labor force and broaden the production base. Economic growth has been driven mainly by development of the energy sector. Azerbaijan, has a long history with Turkey and Iran, they have a common language between biggest part of North-East of Iran, Azerbaijan and many parts of Anatolia. Approximately, population of Azerbaijanis of Iran covers 16% to 25% of Iran’s population. And about 248000 people of Iranian Azerbaijanis are living in Azerbaijan. Republic of Azerbaijan, with 85% Muslim-Shia population has very near relations with Iran, Turkey and Turkmenistan because of common language, culture and religion too.

Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and Palestine, north of Egypt, and southeast of Greece. the Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts: the area under the effective control of the Republic, located in the south and west, and comprising about 59% of the island's area; and the north, administered by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, covering about 36% of the island's area. Another nearly 4% of the island's area is covered by the UN buffer zone. Cyprus is a major tourist destination in the Mediterranean. With an advanced, high-income economy and a very high Human Development Index, the Republic of Cyprus has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1961 and was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement until it joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. On 1 January 2008, the Republic of Cyprus joined the euro zone.

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 square kilometers (26,911 sq mi), and its 2016 population is about 3.72 million. Georgia’s government has maintained strong momentum in liberalizing economic activity while taking steps to restore fiscal discipline. Public debt and budget deficits remain under control. Open-market policies, supported by competitively low tax rates and regulatory efficiency, have facilitated flows of trade and investment. Large-scale privatization has advanced, and anticorruption efforts have yielded some notable results. With monetary stability and the overall soundness of fiscal health relatively well maintained, Georgia has enjoyed macroeconomic resilience. Nonetheless, deeper and more rapid institutional reforms to enhance judicial independence and effectiveness remain critical to ensuring further dynamic and lasting economic development. Georgia is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. A considerable population of Georgian have been living in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Turkey. This long history formed a powerful cultural relation, and religious and cultural common points.

Iran, also known as Persia officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a sovereign state in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia, the de facto Republic of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, and the Azeri exclave of Nakhchivan; to the north by the Caspian Sea; to the northeast by Turkmenistan; to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan; to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman; and to the west by Turkey and Iraq. Comprising a land area of 1,648,195 km2 (636,372 sq mi), it is the second-largest country in the Middle East and the 18th-largest in the world. Officially with 79.93 million inhabitants (November 2016), Iran is the world's 18th-most-populous country. It is the only country with both a Caspian Sea and an Indian Ocean coastline. The country's central location in Eurasia and Western Asia, and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, make it of great geostrategic importance. Iran has diverse landscapes and geographical conditions. Tehran is the country's capital and largest city, as well as its leading economic and cultural center. Iran is a multicultural country comprising numerous ethnic and linguistic groups. Most inhabitants of Iran are Shia Muslims and Persian is the official language. The largest ethnic groups in Iran are the Persians, Azeris, Kurds and Lurs. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, NAM, OIC, and OPEC. Iran is a major regional and middle power, and its large reserves of fossil fuels ‿which include the largest natural gas supply in the world and the fourth-largest proven oil reserves ‿exert considerable influence in international energy security and the world economy. Iran's rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the third-largest number in Asia and 11th-largest in the world.

Iraq, officially known as the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia, bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west. The capital, and largest city, is Baghdad. The main ethnic groups are Arabs and Kurds; others include Assyrians, Turkmen, Shabakis, Yazidis, Armenians, Mandeans, Circassians, and Kawliya. Around 95% of the country's 36 million citizens are Muslims, with Christianity, Yarsan, Yezidism, and Mandeanism also present. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish. Iraq has a coastline measuring 58 km (36 miles) on the northern Persian Gulf and encompasses the Mesopotamian Alluvial Plain, the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert. Two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run south through Iraq and into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, historically known as Mesopotamia, is often referred to as the cradle of civilization. It was here that mankind first began to read, write, create laws, and live in cities under an organized government—notably Uruk, from which "Iraq" is derived. The collapse of oil prices significantly damaged Iraq’s long-term fiscal health, investment climate, and standard of living. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has enacted measures to reform state-owned enterprises, fight corruption, and reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, but overall progress has been uneven and marginal. Due to the absence of reliable data, Iraq is not ranked in the 2017 Index. Among other ongoing challenges, Iraq’s economy lacks effective monetary and fiscal policies. The weak state of the financial system, coupled with its limited role within the economy, also makes development of a much-needed dynamic private sector extremely difficult and fragile. The main challenges are improving security and restoring the rule of law.

The Republic of Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country in northern Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, and the ninth largest in the world, with an area of 2,724,900 square kilometers (1,052,100 sq mi). Kazakhstan is the dominant nation of Central Asia economically, generating 60% of the region's GDP, primarily through its oil/gas industry. It also has vast mineral resources. Kazakhstan shares borders with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and also adjoins a large part of the Caspian Sea. The terrain of Kazakhstan includes flatlands, steppe, taiga, rock canyons, hills, deltas, snow-capped mountains, and deserts. Kazakhstan has an estimated 18 million people as of 2014, given its large land area; its population density is among the lowest, at less than 6 people per square kilometer (15 people per sq. mi.). The capital is Astana, where it was moved in 1997 from Almaty, the country's largest city. Kazakhstan’s economy has benefited substantially from increased openness and flexibility over the past decade. Beneficial structural reforms have included bank privatization, implementation of competitive flat tax rates, and modernization of the trade regime. Deeper institutional reforms to reduce barriers to investment and increase the efficiency of the judiciary are critical to further success. Despite measures to expand the non-energy sector, the overall regulatory framework needs to be more streamlined to enhance competitiveness.

Kyrgyzstan is a country in Central Asia. Landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and southwest, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan's recorded history spans over 2,000 years, encompassing a variety of cultures and empires. Although geographically isolated by its highly mountainous terrain, which has helped preserve its ancient culture, Kyrgyzstan has been at the crossroads of several great civilizations as part of the Silk Road and other commercial and cultural routes. Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Turkic Council, the TÜRKSOY community and the United Nations. Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country's 5.7 million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians. Kyrgyz is closely related to other Turkic languages, although Russian remains widely spoken and is the official language. In addition to its Turkic origins, Kyrgyz culture bears major and considerable elements of Persian, Mongolian and Russian influence.

Syria, the oppressed country, officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest. Syria's capital and largest city is Damascus. A country of fertile plains, high mountains, and deserts, Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Syrian Arabs, Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Circassians, Mandeans and Turks. Religious groups include Alawites, Christians, Shiites, Sunnis, Druze, Mandeans, Salafis, Yazidis, and Jews. In English, the name "Syria" was formerly synonymous with the Levant (known in Arabic as al-Sham). The unfair Civil war has left Syria’s economy in ruins and precludes ranking it in the 2017 Index. The devastation and chaos have inflicted a horrific human cost and caused enormous damage to the economy. The rule of law is ravaged by extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, and torture. Inflation has grown as the Syrian pound has become an unreliable medium of exchange. Syria’s ongoing civil war deters international trade and investment. The average applied tariff rate is 14.2 percent. Political instability and repression have severely weakened the financial system, and foreign reserves have been almost exhausted. Despite the war, a number of foreign banks are in operation. In 2016, the Bahrain-based Islamic banking group Al Baraka became the largest privately owned bank in the country. Syria is a member of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Republic of Tajikistan is a mountainous, landlocked country in Central Asia with an estimated 8 million people in 2013, and an area of 143,100 km2. It is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east. Pakistan lies to the south, separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. Traditional homelands of Tajik people included present-day Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Tajikistan is a presidential republic consisting of four provinces. Most of Tajikistan's 8 million people belong to the Tajik ethnic group, who speak Tajik, a dialect of Persian. Many Tajiks also speak Russian as their second language. The Gorno-Badakhshan Oblast of Tajikistan despite its sparse population is home to incredible linguistic diversity where Rushani, Shughni, Ishkashimi, Wakhi and Tajik number among the languages spoken. Mountains cover more than 90% of the country. Tajikistan’s many ongoing challenges include rebuilding infrastructure, improving the entrepreneurial environment, and attracting dynamic investment. It has a transition economy that is highly dependent on remittances, aluminum and cotton production.

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country in Eurasia, mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, presidential republic with a diverse cultural heritage. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east; Iraq and Syria to the south. The country is encircled by seas on three sides: the Aegean Sea is to the west, the Black Sea to the north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles, which together form the Turkish Straits, divide Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia. Ankara is the capital while Istanbul is the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Turkey is a charter member of the UN, an early member of NATO, and a founding member of the OECD, OSCE, OIC and G-20. After becoming one of the first members of the Council of Europe in 1949, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC in 1963, joined the EU Customs Union in 1995 and started accession negotiations with the European Union in 2002. Turkey's growing economy and diplomatic initiatives have led to its recognition as a regional power while its location has given it geopolitical and strategic importance through out history.