It appears that Elam (the present day Khuzistan province of Iran) refers to the southeastern half of the highlands bordering on Mesopotamia near the Zagros Mountains. Subar (Subartu) is considered the area that generally covered the northeastern highlands to the north of Elam. At the time, these were not political entities, but general geographical terms. Elamites were heavily influenced by Sumer, yet they had a distinct language and were not politically part of Mesopotamia.
