Persia is a country in Southwest Asia which is known as Iran today. The name Persia was used in the West due to the ancient Greek name for Iran, Persis. The nation of Iran, its ancient empire and its people is described as Persia . Persian culture is one of the cultures that have a very long history.

Persia became the head of the Achaemenid dynasty during the 6th century B.C. Persia became the center of a powerful empire that consisted of all of West Asia, Egypt, and parts of East Europe; then this mighty empire was defied by the Greeks in the Persian Wars of the 5th century B.C, and was eventually overthrown by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C.

This country shares the same body of water known as Persian Gulf with countries like Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. There are a few islands within the Persian Gulf and they are believed to be the subject of many disputes between the states in this region.

The Persian Gulf is a waterway that has been popular through out the history. From its shore, the Persian Empire, the world’s first and greatest civilisation, rose to conquer the surrounding countries. Also the ships of the ancient world traded in this gulf.

The countries that have a coastline on the Persian Gulf are referred to as the Persian Gulf States apart from Iraq. The reasons for this is because Iran’s exit to the gulf is narrow than these other countries.

The length of the Gulf of Persia is approximately 988 kilometres. It separates Iran from Saudi Arabia. The waters in this gulf are shallow.

The Persian Gulf and around its coastal area are the largest sauces of crude oil and this is where Al-Safaniya, the world’s largest offshore oilfield, is located.

The Persian Gulf’s waters have been very popular to geologist, archaeologists and geographers.

In recent years, some people have attempted to change the name of the Gulf of Persia but luckily, there is a certain group of people who are determined to preserve the name and the history of this famous gulf which plays a vital role in preserving this heritage of Persia (Iran) in history books.