The name is derived from the Spanish "levantar" and refers to the sunrise in the east. It means "morning land" (Latin levare = to lift up, to rise). It is a historical geographical term for the countries on the eastern Mediterranean east of Italy. In a broader sense, it refers to the Greek peninsula and the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, the coastal areas of Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine, historical Syria and Egypt. In a narrower sense, this is limited to the east coast of the Mediterranean and its hinterland, i.e. the present-day states of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan as well as the Palestinian autonomous territories and the Turkish province of Hatay. To the east of València lie the Balearic Islands with Mallorca. The port of València has been an important transhipment centre for wine since ancient times.
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