Lebanon, in West Asia, is bordered by Syria and Israel, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient times, the area was home to the Phoenicians. The Ottoman Empire ruled the region from 1516 to 1918. Then, after World War I, Lebanon was governed under the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon and gained its independence from France during World War II. Lebanon currently has forty-one nationally accredited universities including the American University of Beirut and the Université Saint-Joseph. Noted artists include poet Khalil Gibran, painter Moustafa Farroukh, and musician Lydia Canaan.