The Parthians came from the region between the Tigris River and India.
The Medes, now known as Kurds, were from Media, located east of Mesopotamia and north of the Persian Gulf.
The Elamites were from Elam. This area is now in Iran, north of the Persian Gulf and just east of the Tigris River.
Mesopotamia was between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Judea was well known as the Jewish homeland.
Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia were Roman provinces in Asia Minor, now part of Turkey (see 1 Peter 1:1). The apostle Paul later taught and preached in some of these areas (see Acts 16:6; 19:10, 26).
Phrygia and Pamphylia were districts in Asia Minor that Paul later visited (13:13; 18:23).
Egypt had a large Jewish population, especially in Alexandria (see 18:24).
North Africa included Libya and Cyrene.
Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire and home to thousands of Jews.
The Cretans were from the island of Crete, located south-southeast of Greece.
The Arabs were from the area south and east of Jerusalem.
Including all of these nations demonstrates how God intended the gospel to reach the ends of the earth (1:8).