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 large parts of
Israel,
Jordan,
Syria, and
Lebanon and a small part of
Turkey.
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).
Cultural impact
The author
Chaz Brenchley set his series
The Books of Outremer in an
alternate universe version of this region.
See also
