[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Thanks, you are probably* correct, but that's not what I meant to convey. I was distinguishing what are known as exonyms and endonyms. An exonym is what outsiders call a country, an endonym is what inhabitants call it. Like Deutschland v. Germany.

*Not doubting you, but sidestepping endorsing what is outside my lane.

[Cronos]

Well, the explanation is both.

Persia is both an exonym and a division of Iran.
Like Holland vis a vis the Netherlands.

I find the sheer number of countries with English exonyms completely unlike their endonyms fascinating. Not the Polska-Poland but the really way out ones like:
Deutschland Germany
Sakartvelo Georgia
Hayastan Armenia
Shqiperia Albania
Suomi Finland
Sverige Sweden
Schweiz Switzerland
Zhongguo PRChina