kingdom in the area of present-day Iran; Persia attacked Greece in 490–480 B.C. and was vanquished at the battles of Marathon and Salamis; it was later conquered by Alexander the Great

Empire which ruled most of the eastern Mediterranean from the middle of the sixth century B.C.E. until the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Country currently known as Iran; in southwest Asia bordered by the Caspian Sea to the North and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to the South.

Former name (until 1935) of Iran. The unstable Persian kingdom, subject to strong Anglo-Russian commercial rivalry before 1914, remained neutral during the First World War but was the site of a number of skirmishes between the Allies and the Central Powers. It was occupied by both British and Russian forces towards the end of the war - they eventually withdrew in, respectively, 1921 and 1925.

an empire in southern Asia created by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC and destroyed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC

a theocratic islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oil; involved in state-sponsored terrorism