CHAPTER II.


_Situation and Size of Persia. General Character of the Country and
Climate. Chief Products. Characteristics of the Persian People, physical
and moral. Differences observable in the Race at different periods._


Persia Proper was a tract of country lying on the Gulf to which it has
given name, and extending about 450 miles from north-west to south-east,
with an average breadth of about 250 miles. Its entire area may be
estimated at about a hundred thousand square miles. It was thus larger
than Great Britain, about the size of Italy, and rather less than half
the size of France. The boundaries were, on the west, Elymais or Susiana
(which, however, was sometimes reckoned a part of Persia); on the north,
Media; on the east, Carmania; and on the south, the sea. It is nearly
represented in modern times by the two Persian provinces of Farsistan
and Laristan, the former of which retains, but slightly changed, the
ancient appellation. The Hindyan or Tab (ancient Oroatis) seems towards
its mouth to have formed the western limit. Eastward, Persia extended
to about the site of the modern Bunder Kongo. Inland, the northern
boundary ran probably a little south of the thirty-second parallel, from
long. 50° to 55°. The line dividing Persia Proper from Carmania (now
Kerman) was somewhat uncertain.

The character of the tract is extremely diversified. Ancient writers
divided the country into three strongly contrasted regions. The first,