The term "Levant" often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions?
ARegion along the eastern Mediterranean shores
BRegion along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco
CRegion along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
DThe entire coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores
Answer: A. The LEVANT corresponds to the region along the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SHORES.
The Levant is a historical-geographic term covering the eastern Mediterranean littoral. It typically includes: SYRIA, LEBANON, ISRAEL, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, JORDAN and parts of TURKEY (the Hatay province). Sometimes Cyprus is included.
The word 'Levant' derives from the French 'levant' meaning 'rising' (of the sun in the east). It has been used since the 16th century to denote the lands of the eastern Mediterranean.
The Levant is frequently in news due to:
- ISIS or 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL)
- Israel-Palestine conflict
- Syrian civil war
- Lebanon's political and economic crises
Distractors fail:
(B) North African coast from Egypt to Morocco is called the MAGHREB (with Egypt sometimes excluded).
(C) Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa are separate distinct regions.
(D) Levant covers only the EASTERN Mediterranean, not the entire Mediterranean coast.
Source: NCERT Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography / standard regional geography texts.
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