Outremer

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Illustration from the Old French translation of Guillaume de Tyr's Histoire d'Outremer
Illustration from the Old French translation of Guillaume de Tyr's Histoire d'Outremer

Outremer, French (outre-mer) for "overseas", was the general name given to the Crusader states established after the First Crusade: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli and especially the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The name was often used as an equivalent to Levant, Syria or Palestine, and incorporated areas that are today part of Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

The term could also be used for any other land "overseas"; Louis IV of France was called "Louis d'Outremer" as he was raised in England.

The modern term outre-mer means overseas, and is notably used for the French Overseas Departments and Territories (départements d'outre-mer et territoires d'outre-mer).

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The author Chaz Brenchley set his series The Books of Outremer in an alternate universe version of this region.

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