Media was the name for northwest Iran, southwest of the Caspian Sea and north of the Zagros Mountains, covering the modern province of Azerbaijan and part of Persian Kurdistan. The inhabitants were called Medes or Medians and were Japhethites (Genesis 10:2).
Assyrian kings sought to keep the eastern passes of Media open to the traders. Tiglath-pileser III (743 B.C.) and Sargon II (716 B.C.) claim to have conquered the land of the Medes. Sargon II transported Israelites to Media (2 Kings 17:6; 18:11). [Tyndale House, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary , Vol. 2, p. 970]
2 Nephi 23:17 Medes ([Illustration]): Media [Tyndale House, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary , Vol. 2, p. 970]