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Kurdistan

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For other uses, see Kurdistan (disambiguation).
Kurdistan

Kurdish-inhabited area
Location Parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria
Estimated Area ca. 10,000 sq mi (31,660 km²)-42,000 km²

[9]

Estimated Population About 5-7 Million

Kurdistan (literally meaning "the land of Kurds"[1]; old: Koordistan, Curdistan, Kurdia, also in Kurdish: Kurdewarî) is the name of a geographic and cultural region in the Middle East, inhabited predominantly by the Kurds.

As a traditional ethnographic region, Kurdistan is generally held to include the contiguous regions in northern and northeastern Mesopotamia with large Kurdish populations. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, Kurdistan is a mountainous region politically divided among several nations: Iran, Iraq, and Syria. It is inhabited predominantly by Kurds numbering an estimated 27-28 million people in a 190,000 km² (74,000 sq. miles) area, while the Encyclopaedia of Islam, suggests that Kurdistan may be as large as a 390,000 km². Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds may live in Kurdistan, which would cover an area as big as France using the second estimate of physical size.

Larger parts of Kurdistan became a province of the Ottoman Empire. Following World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Kurds were promised an independent nation-state in the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres. Turkish nationalists, however, rejected the terms of the treaty, and following the defeat of the Greek forces in the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922), the Treaty of Lausanne was signed in 1923 in Turkey's favor. British Empire (except for Iranian Kurdistan, which at that time was part of Persia). Since that time Kurdish nationalists have continued to seek independence in an area including the region identified at Sèvres. However, the idea of an independent nation-state came to a halt when the surrounding countries joined to reject the independence of Kurdistan.

The Iraqi Kurdistan region and Kurdistan Province in Iran are officially acknowledged parts of Kurdistan. However, the Syrian governments do not recognize their controlled parts of Kurdistan as a demographic or geographic region.

Etymology

The region was known by various cognates of the word Kurd (meaning land of Kurds) during the ancient history of the Mesopotamia. The ancient Sumerians referred to it as Kur-a, Gutium, or Land of Karda, the Elamites as Kurdasu, the Akkadians as Kurtei, the Assyrians as Kurti, the Babylonians as Qardu, the Greeks and the Romans as Corduene. One of the first records of using the term 'Kurdistan' is by Sultan Sanjar the Seljuk King in the 12th century. He formed a province named Kurdistan centered at Bahar situated to the northeast of Hamadan. This province was located between Azerbaijan and Luristan. It included the regions of Hamadan, Dinawar, Kermanshah and Senna, to the east of the Zagros and to the west of Sharazur (Kirkuk) and Khuftiyan, on the river Zab.[2]

People

In addition to Kurds who comprise the majority of the population of the region there are also communities of Assyrian, Armenian, Ossetian, Jewish, Arab, and Azeri people traditionally scattered throughout the region alongside Kurds. Most of its inhabitants being Muslim there are also significant numbers of various other religious sects such as Yazidi, Yarsan, Alevi, Christian, Judaism, Sarayi, Bajwan and Haqqa etc.

Geography

The Zagros Mountains from space, September 1992

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Kurdistan covers about 74,000 sq mi (191,660 km²), Karkuk (Kirkuk) in Iraq, and Kermanshah in Iran.[3] According to Encyclopaedia of Islam, Kurdistan covers around 190,000 km² in Iran, 65,000 km² in Iraq, and 12,000 km² in Syria and the total area of Kurdistan is estimated at approximately 392,000 km².[4] Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in Kurdistan, which covers an area as big as France. The Kurdistan Province in Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan are both included in the usual definition of Kurdistan.

Northern parts of Zagros are referred to with the geographic term of 'Kurdistan' mountains

Iranian Kurdistan encompasses Kurdistan Province and greater parts of West Azarbaijan, Kermanshah, Ilam Province. Iraqi Kurdistan is divided into 6 governorates which until this time three of them plus parts of other ones are under the control of Kurdistan Regional Government. Syrian Kurdistan is mostly located in present-day northeastern Syria. This region covers greater part of the province of Al Hasakah. The main cities in this region are Al-Qamishli (or "Qamişlû" in Kurdish) and Al Hasakah (or "Hesaka" in Kurdish). Another region with significant Kurdish population is in the northern part of Syria. The Kurdish-inhabited northern and northeastern parts of Syria in Kurdish is called "Kurdistana Binxetê". [5]. (see Demographics of Syria and [6]).

Forests

Although Kurdistan has a harsh and cold climate, it is not a desert. Mountain chains are covered with pasture, and its valleys with forests. There are around 16 million hectares (160,000 km²) of forests in all parts of Kurdistan. Oaks, firs and other conifers can be found in those forests. The platanus, willow and poplar, are found near waters and rivers [7].

Mountains

Kurdish girl in front of Mount Ararat

Mountains, even to this day, have been important geographical and symbolic figures in Kurdish life, so that there is a saying that Kurds have no friends but the mountains [8]. The Mount Judi is the most important mountain in Kurdish folklore and along with Mount Ararat is one of the mountains that is thought to be the final resting place of Noah's Ark. Other important mountains of Kurdistan are Zagros Shingar, Qendil, Shaho, Gabar, etc.

Rivers

Map of Tigris-Euphrates watershed

There are many rivers in Kurdistan that are at least as important, if not more important, than oil. The plateaus and mountains of Kurdistan, which are characterized by heavy rainfall and in winter a heavy coat of snow, are a water reservoir for the Near and Middle East. This is the source of the famous Tigris and Euphrates Rivers as well as numerous other smaller rivers like the Khabur, Tharthar, Araxes, Kura, Sefidrud, Karkha, Hezil, which their major tributaries spring from the mountains of Kurdistan. Those rivers that are entirely or nearly entirely in Kurdistan are usually of historical importance to the Kurds. Among these are the Murat (Arasān) and Buhtān rivers in northern and western Kurdistan; the Peshkhābur, the Lesser and the Greater Zab, and the Sirwan/Diyala in central Kurdistan (in Iraq); and the Jaghatu (Zarrinarud), the Tātā'u (Siminarud), the Zohāb (Zahāb), and the Gāmāsiyāb in southern Kurdistan etc. With their water, the Tigris and the Euphrates give life not only to the Mesopotamian plain and whole of Kurdistan but also to Iraq and Syria. These rivers, which flow down from heights of three to four thousand meters above sea level, are also very significant for the production of energy. Iraq and Syria have built numerous dams across these rivers and their tributaries. But the most important ones are a series of dams that were built by Turkey as part of the GAP project (Southeast Anatolia Project). Due to the extraordinary archaeological richness of the land, almost any dam built in Kurdistan drowns a portion of Kurdish history [9].

Lakes

There are a number of lakes in Kurdistan. The eastern borders of Kurdistan ends with the Lake Urmia and the western borders with semi-contiguous Kurdish-inhabited regions to the Mediterranean sea. Lake Van is the world's fourth largest non-saline body of water by volume. The Zarivar Lake around Mariwan as well as Lake Dukan around the city of Sulaymaniyah are considerable touristic sites [10].

Underground resources

There are many oil and mineral resources in Kurdistan. KRG-controlled parts of Iraqi Kurdistan only by itself is estimated to have around 45bn barrels of oil reserves making it 6th largest in the world, mostly recently discovered and its extraction is said to begin within the first three months of the next near (2007?). These are excluding those of Kirkuk and Mosul, cities claimed by the KRG to be included in its territory. Albeit for a long time oil was extracted mainly in these two cities through Iraq by former Baath regime. Gas and associated gas reserves are in excess of 100 TCF. Other underground resources that exist in significant quantities in the region include copper, iron, zinc and cement. The world´s largest deposit of rock sulphur is located just southwest of Erbil (Hewlêr). Other important underground resources include coal, gold, marble, etc.[11].

Climate

There are many rivers flowing and running through mountains of Kurdistan making it distinguished by its fertile lands, plentiful water, picturesque nature. The mountainous nature of Kurdistan, the difference of temperatures in its various parts, and its wealth of waters, make Kurdistan a land of agriculture and tourism. The climate of Kurdistan is harsh, because of its high altitude. There is a lot of snowfall in the high mountains. Percipitation varies between 200 to 400 mm a year in the plains, and between 700 to 3,000 mm a year on the high plateaux between mountain chains.[12]

Historical attractions

Being homeland for various ancient nations for millennia, there are a large number of historical sites and attractions in Kurdistan.

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ Kurdistan, Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. ^ http://www.encislam.brill.nl/data/EncIslam/C4/COM-0544.html
  3. ^ http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9369506
  4. ^ http://www.encislam.brill.nl/data/EncIslam/C4/COM-0544.html
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ [2]
  7. ^ [3]
  8. ^ [4]
  9. ^ [5]
  10. ^ [6]
  11. ^ [7]
  12. ^ [8]

Fisk, Robert, The Great War for Civilisation.

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