Levant

The Levant (from Latin levare "to raise", referring to the direction of sunrise) is a term used to refer to maritime commerce in the Eastern Mediterranean, later restricted to certain Muslim regions.

The name Levant States was used to refer to the French League of Nations mandate (1921-1946) over Syria and Lebanon after World War I. The term Levant is today often used to refer broadly to modern Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus.