PERSIA, an ancient and extensive empire in Asia, lies be tween the 26th and 40th degrees of north latitude, and the 45th and 61st degrees of east longitude.
Its name spread from one of its provinces, Pars or Fars, which at one time comprehended the dominions of the kings of Persia ; but it is known to the natives and learned Mahomedans under the appellation of Iran ; and we learn from Sir William Jones, that this term embraced within its limits the whole of Lower Asia, and thus formed one of the noblest peninsulas in the world.
The modern boundaries of Persia have not been dis tinctly marked. In general terms, it may be said to be confined on the west by the waters of the Tigris and Eu phrates; by those of the Gihon and Indus on the east ; by the river Kur and the Caspian Sea on the north ; and by the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the south.
This country is highly elevated. and has with great pro priety been denominated a land of mountains. It joins the high lands of Armenia and Asia Minor on the west, and those of Central Asia on the east, having its declivities towards the Euphrates and Persian Gulf on the one side, and towards the Caspian on the other. This chain was known to the ancients under the general name of Taurus, and is interrupted by many extensive valleys and elevated plains. Extending without order in all directions, many of the mountains, after rising abruptly, gradually become flat at the summit, and present the appearance of an abso lute plateau.
Persia is at present divided into two independent monar chies ; Western Persia, under the dominion of the king of Persia ; and Eastern Persia, or Afghanistan, ruled by the chief of the Affghan tribes. Their particular boundaries, however, are somewhat uncertain ; and they differ greatly in their physical, civil, and political character. The pre sent article will therefore be confined to an account of Western Persia.
The distinctive characters of this kingdom are its nu merous mountains, and great extent of deserts, interspers ed with beautiful valleys and luxuriant meadows. On the north are the Mount of Ararat, and a chain of very cold mountains which embrace the province of .Aderbijan. From these a belt of high limestone mountains, called the Alpons, runs parallel to the southern shore of the Caspian. These are the Hyrcanian mountains of the ancients, and are described by St•abo as not only steep towards the north, hut projecting " in such a manner that the rivers throw themselves into the sea, forming a liquid arch, un der which men could pass on dry ground. Near the
mountain of Demawend, from the top of•which the eye embraces a prospect of two hundred miles, and about forty miles from the city of Teheran, is an artificial passage, called by the ancients the " Caspian Gates." It is de scribed as a narrow road, twenty-eight Roman miles in length, and capable of admitting only a single chariot to pass. From the high black rocks on each side salt water continually trickled down ; and it was rendered impassable during summer by being infested by numerous serpents. The Kurdistan range enters Persia to the south of the lake Oormia ; and from thence to Ispahan the country consists entirely of mountains. Among the most re markable is Besittoon, celebrated for its singular sculp tures, which are still in existence. The Bactyar moun tains separate from the Kurdistan range, and stretch towards Shiraz. The Hetzerdera, or "thousand moun tains," embrace, on the north and west, the plain, in which are situated the ruins of Persepolis and the city of Shiraz. A defile in this chain, through which Alexander the Great led his army, is called the " Persian Straits." On the south, a chain of mountains, commencing near the Persian Gulf, passes across Kerman, and, joining the range which separates Seistan from Mekran, forms, with the mountains of Sooliman and those of \Vulli, a long plateau separating Persia from India. This plateau possesses great elevation even in its valleys, and joins the central plateau of Asia. The Persian mountains, when taken separately, appear of moderate height ; but, from the continual snow upon their summits, they must be concluded to rest upon a very ele, vated base. No traveller has examined them sufficiently, so as to ascertain exactly the nature of their formation. They are supposed, however, to consist chiefly of lime stone ; and many of them are the most sterile and wild in the world, being merely dry rocks without wood or any herbaceous plants. Ararat and the neighbouring moun tains contain a large quantity of slate ; and the Alpons ap pear to consist of limestone, marble, and alabaster, with numerous blocks of granite. The western range is formed of sandstone, limestone, and granite, succeeding one ano ther as in European mountains. The reefs on the coast of Mazenderan are granite.