> Before 1935, the country of Iran was known by which name?And the answer: Persia. Photo credit: Shutterstock."Persia" was used for centuries, mainly by Westerngovernments, to describe parts of modern-day Iran. However, the people of thatregion have traditionally called their country Iran, and that name wasofficially adopted in 1935.The name "Persia" comes from the Persian Empire: a series of imperial dynastiesthat spanned from the 6th century BCE to the 20th century CE and encompassedmuch of the Middle East. In this sense, Persia used to refer to a much largerswath of land, undeterred by individual borders. However, Persia is now moreaccurately used to describe the ethnicity of many which call the region home. Up until the early-mid 20th century, Iran was greatly influenced and controlledby British and Russian forces. However, in 1935, political officials in thenation decided that it would be wise to signal the changes that had come underthe rule of Reza Shah – namely that Persia had freed itself from the grip ofEngland and Russia. As such, they requested from foreign governments that it beknown as Iran, a name which more accurately represented that which nativespeakers use to refer to their nation. In a broader sense, modern Iranian people make up many varied ethnolinguisticgroups. One of such groups are the Persians; yet many others include theBalochs, Gilaks, Kurds, and Lurs, to name a few. As a cognate of the word"Aryan," the name change to Iran was also a nod to the population’s Aryancommunity and a gesture to encompass all ethnicities in the country, not justPersians.Learn more about the name change and history of Persia below.