The external iliac artery is a large artery in the pelvic region that carries blood to the lower limb. The external iliac artery is a paired artery, meaning there is one on each side of the body: a right external iliac artery and left external iliac artery. The external iliac artery is accompanied by the external iliac vein, which is located posterior to the artery. [WP,unvetted]. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_iliac_artery ]