Persian-speakers of Iran
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Iran
|
49,312,834 (61–65% of the total population) |
| Languages | |
| Persian, and closely related languages. | |
| Religion | |
| Primarily Shia Islam, as well as Irreligion, Christianity, the Bahá'í faith, Sunni Islam, Sufism, Judaism, and Zorastrianism. | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Lurs, Mazanderanis | |
The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group that make up over half the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language, as well as closely related languages.
The ancient Persians were a nomadic branch of the ancient Iranian population that entered modern-day Iran by the early 10th century BC. Together with their compatriot allies, they established and ruled some of the world's most powerful empires, well-recognized for their massive cultural, political, and social influence covering much of the territory and population of the ancient world.
Throughout history, the Persians have contributed greatly to various forms of art, owning one of the world's most prominent literary traditions, and have made contributions in numerous other fields, including mathematics, theology, medicine, and various other sciences.
In contemporary terminology, people of Persian heritage native to present-day Afghanistan and Tajikistan are referred to as Tajiks. However, it is to be noted that the terms Tajik and Persian were historically synonyms that were used interchangeably, and many of the most influential Persian figures hailed from outside of Iran's present-day borders to the northeast in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
The English term Persian derives from Latin Persia, itself deriving from Greek Persís (), a Hellenized form of Old Persian Pārsa (). In the Bible, it is given as Parás (Hebrew: )—sometimes Paras uMadai (פרס ומדי; "Persia and Media")—within the books of Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemya.
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