Iran = Persia = Elam

It is well accepted within secular circles that the ancient Persians are today’s Iranians. Though less known, it is also understood that the Elamites were what they were known as even before they became Persia.

Ancient Elam was situated in the area from SW Iran (just east of the Persian Gulf) up to western Iran. As they grew and spread out, they moved eastward, even as far as India (see the Parsee of India, a derivation of the word Persia).