The people of this country in southwestern Asia always called their homeland Iran, or "Land of the Aryans." But Westerners started calling it Persia in the sixth century B.C. -- taking the name from Persis, or Parsa (modern Fárs), a region of southern Iran. In 1935, the country's government officially requested that the nation be referred to as Iran. (The Book of Answers, by Barbara Berliner)Mar 4, 2013
Why is Persia now called Iran?
The people of this country in southwestern Asia always called their homeland Iran, or "Land of the Aryans." But Westerners started calling it Persia in the sixth century B.C. -- taking the name from Persis, or Parsa (modern Fárs), a region of southern Iran. In 1935, the country's government officially requested that the nation be referred to as Iran. (The Book of Answers, by Barbara Berliner)