Persia = "pure" or "splendid"

 1) the empire Persia; encompassed the territory from India on the east
    to Egypt and Thrace on the west, and included, besides portions of
    Europe and Africa, the whole of western Asia between the Black Sea,
    the Caucasus, the Caspian and the Jaxartes on the north, the Arabian
    desert, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the south
    1a) Persia proper was bounded on the west by Susiana or Elam, on the
        north by Media, on the south by the Persian Gulf and on the east
        by Carmania

 Persian = see Persia "pure" or "splendid"

 2) the people of the Persian empire