Kurdistan 80777 226157166 2008-07-17T02:10:02Z Meowy 1265634 /* Conflict and controversy */ Fact tag added - Foreign travellers were allowed in this area from the early 1950s. {{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}} {{otheruses}} {| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 250px; font-size: 95%; float: right;" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" |+ <big>'''Kurdistan '''</big> |- | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[Image:Kurdish-inhabited area by CIA (1992).jpg|225px]]<br>Kurdish-inhabited areas. |- ! style="text-align: left;" | [[Language]] | [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] |- ! style="text-align: left;" | [[Location]] | [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Syria]] and [[Turkey]] <ref name="borders">{{citeweb|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Kurdistan|title=Kurdistan - Definitions from Dictionary.com|accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> |- ! style="text-align: left;" | [[Area]] ([[Estimation|Est.]]) |190,000 km²–390,000 km²<br>74,000 sq.mi–151,000 sq.mi |- ! style="text-align: left;" | [[Population]] | 25 to 30 Million ([[Estimation|Est.]])<ref name=FSU>{{cite web|accessdate=2007-03-17 |url=http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/kurdish/htdocs/announce/KSF.html |title=Kurdish Studies Program |publisher=Florida State University}}</ref> |} [[Image:Flag of Kurdistan.svg|thumb|200px|[[Kurdish flag|Flag of Iraqi Kurdistan]].]] '''Kurdistan''' ([[Kurdish language|Kurdish]]: '''Kurdistan'''/'''كوردستان''', literally meaning "the land of [[Kurdish people|Kurds]]",<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9046469 Kurdistan, Encyclopaedia Britannica]</ref> formerly ''Curdia''<ref>Sir Anthony Sherley and His Persian Adventure, Sir Anthony Sherley, [[Edward Denison Ross]], Published 2004 Routledge (first published 1933), 293 pages, ISBN 0415344867, page: 269</ref>, ''Curdistan''<ref>The Edinburgh encyclopaedia, conducted by D. Brewster—Page 511, Original from Oxford University—published 1830</ref><ref>An Account of the State of Roman-Catholick Religion, Sir Richard Steele, Published 1715</ref> ''Coordistan'') is an extensive plateau and mountainous area in the [[Middle East]], inhabited mainly by [[Kurdish people|Kurds]]. It covers large parts of eastern [[Turkish Kurdistan|Turkey]], northern [[Iraqi Kurdistan|Iraq]], northwestern [[Iranian Kurdistan|Iran]] and smaller parts of northern [[Syria]] and [[Armenia]].<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/ku/Kurds.html The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2005.]</ref> It roughly includes [[Zagros]] and eastern [[Taurus Mountains|Taurus]] mountain ranges.<ref>[http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9046469/Kurdistan Kurdistan], [[Britannica]] Concise.</ref> From a political standpoint, [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] is the only region which has gained official recognition internationally as an [[autonomous]] federal entity.<ref>Iraqi Constitution, Article 113.</ref> == History == {{main|History of the Kurdish people}} {{POV-section|date=June 2008}}: === Ancient period === The very first mention of the Kurds in history was about 3,000 BC, under the name Gutium, as they fought the [[Sumerians]] (Spieser). Later around 800 BC, the Indo-European Median tribes settled in the [[Zagros]] mountain region and coalesced with the Gutiums, and thus the modern Kurds speak an Aryan language (Morris). The Kurds are mentioned in the [[Anabasis (Xenophon)|Anabasis]] by [[Xenophon]], a Greek mercenary, as he retreated from Persia with ten thousand men in 401 BC, he says of the Kurds, "These people, lived in the mountains and were very war-like and not subject to the Persian king. Indeed once a royal army of 120,000 had once invaded their country, and not a man of them came back..(Morris)." (Jensen 1996) [[Image:Alexander den stores rike, Nordisk familjebok.jpg|thumb|225px|Ancient Kurdistan as Kard-uchi, during [[Alexander the Great]]'s Empire, 4th century BC]] Kurds claim descent from various ancient groups; among them the [[Guti]], [[Mannai]] ([[Mannaeans]]), [[Hurrian]] and [[Medes]].<ref>http://kurdistanica.com/english/history/articles-his/his-articles-02.html</ref> The original Mannaean homeland was situated east and south of the [[Lake Urmia]], roughly centered around modern-day [[Mahabad]].<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9050086 Mahabad - Britannica Online Encyclopedia<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Medes came under [[Persian Empire|Persian]] rule during the reign of [[Cyrus the Great]] and Darius. Centuries later, Kurdish-inhabited areas in the Middle East witnessed the clash of the two competing super powers of those times, namely the [[Sassanid Empire]] and the [[Roman Empire]]. At their peak, the Romans ruled large Kurdish-inhabited areas, particularly the western and northern Kurdish areas in the Middle East. Kurdish Kingdoms like [[Corduene]] were vassal states of the Roman Empire. Much of Kurdistan corresponds roughly with the ancient Kingdom of [[Gutium]] (Qurti), which is mentioned in [[cuneiform]] records about 2400 BC, and had its capital at Arraphkha (modern [[Kirkuk]]).<ref>William Gordon East, Oskar Hermann Khristian Spate, The Changing Map of Asia: A Political Geography, 1961 (436 pages), p. 105.</ref> Kurds claim that [[Corduene‎]] an ancient kingdom located in the mountains south and south-east of [[Lake Van]] between Persia and Mesopotamia, was in the possession of [[Kurdish people|Kurds]] from before the time of [[Xenophon]]. 19th century historians identified this kingdom as being inhabited by Kurds due to the similarity of the name ''Carduchi'' to ''Kurd''. <ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16167/16167-h/raw7a.htm The Seven Great Monarchies, by George Rawlinson, The Seventh Monarchy, Part A<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Most modern historians dismiss this identification as false. <ref>T. A. Sinclair, "Eastern Turkey, an Architectural and Archaeological Survey", 1989, volume 3, page 360.</ref> [[Corduene]] which ruled northern Mesopotamia and southeastern [[Anatolia]] from 189 BC to AD 384, became a [[vassal]] state of the [[Roman Republic]] in 66 BC and remained allied with the Romans until AD 384. Corduene was situated to the east of [[Tigranocerta]], i.e., to the east and south of present-day [[Diyarbakır]] in south-eastern Turkey. [[Image:Kurdish Kingdoms of Corduene-Sophene.jpg|thumb|225px|19th-century map showing the location of the Kingdom of Corduene in 60 B.C]] Some of the ancient districts of Kurdistan and their corresponding modern names are listed below.<ref>J. Bell, ''A System of Geography. Popular and Scientific (A Physical, Political, and Statistical Account of the World and Its Various Divisions)'', pp.133–4, Vol. IV, Fullarton & Co., Glasgow, 1832.</ref> #[[Corduene]] or Gordyene ([[Siirt]], [[Bitlis]] and [[Şırnak]]) #[[Sophene]] ([[Diyarbakır]]) #Zabdicene or Bezabde (''Gozarto d'Qardu'' or ''Jazirat Ibn'' or [[Cizre]]) #Basenia ([[Bayazid]]) #Moxoene ([[Muş]]) #Nephercerta (''Miyafarkin'') #Artemita ([[Van Province|Van]]) One of the earliest records of the phrase ''land of the Kurds'' is found in a [[Syriac]] Christian document of [[late antiquity]] describing the stories of Christian saints of Middle East such as the holy [[Abdisho]]. When the [[Sassanid]] [[Marzban]] asked Mar Abdisho about his place of origin, he replied that according to his parents, they were originally from ''Hazza'', a village in [[Assyria]]. However they were later driven out of Hazza by [[pagans]], and settled in ''Tamanon'', which according to holy Abdisho was in the ''land of the Kurds''. This village lies just north of the modern [[Iraq]]i-[[Republic of Turkey|Turkey]] border. Also Hazza is located 12 km southwest of modern [[Irbil]]. In another passage in the same document, the region of [[Khabur]] is also identified as ''land of the Kurds''.<ref>J. T. Walker, ''The Legend of Mar Qardagh: Narrative and Christian Heroism in Late Antique Iraq'' (368 pages), University of California Press, ISBN 0520245784, 2006, pp. 26, 52.</ref> === Medieval period === [[Image:Kashgari map.jpg|thumb|225px|Map by Mahmud al-Kashgari (1074), showing ''Arz ul Akrad'' Arabic for ''land of Kurds'' located between ''Arz ush Sham'' (Syria), and ''Arz ul Iraqeyn'' (Iraq Arabi and Iraq Ajami).]] In the second half of the 10th century, Kurdistan was shared amongst five big Kurdish principalities. In the North the [[Shaddadid]] (951–1174) (in parts of [[Armenia]] and [[Arran (Azerbaijan)|Arran]]) and the [[Rawadid]] (955–1221) (in [[Tabriz]] and [[Maragheh]]), in the East the [[Hasanwayhid]] (959–1015) and the [[Annazid]] (990–1116) (in [[Hulwan]], [[Kermanshah]] and [[Khanaqin]]) and in the West the [[Marwanid]] (990–1096) of [[Diyarbakır]]. Kurdistan in the [[Middle Ages]] was referred to a collection of semi-independent or in some cases independent states called "[[emirate]]s". It was nominally under indirect political or religious influence of Khalifs or Shahs. A comprehensive history of these states and their relationship with their neighbors is given in the famous textbook of "Sharafnama" written by Prince [[Sharaf al-Din Bitlisi]] in 1597.<ref>[http://www.mazdapublishers.com/Sharafnama.htm Sharafnama: History of the Kurish Nation<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>For a list of these entities see [http://www.kurdistanica.com/english/geography/maps/map-03.html Kurdistan and its native Provincial subdivisions]</ref> The best-known Kurdish Emirates included [[Baban]], [[Soran]], [[Badinan Emirate|Badinan]] and [[Garmiyan]] in present-day [[Iraq]]; Bakran, Botan (or ''[[Bokhtan]]'') and [[Badlis]] in [[Turkey]], and Mukriyan and [[Ardalan]] in [[Iran]]. ===Modern period=== In the 16th century, the Kurdish-inhabited areas were split between [[Safavid Empire|Safavid Iran]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]] after prolonged wars. The first important division of Kurdistan occurred in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Chaldiran]] in 1514. This division was formalized in the [[Treaty of Zuhab]] in 1639.<ref>C. Dahlman, ''The Political Geography of Kurdistan'', Eurasian Geography and Economics, Vol.43, No.4, pp.271–299, 2002.</ref> Before [[World War I]], most Kurds lived within the boundaries of the [[Ottoman Empire]] in the [[Kurdistan Province, Ottoman Empire|province of Kurdistan]].{{Fact|date=June 2008}}. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the [[Allies#World War I|Allies]] agreed and planned to create several countries within its former boundaries. Originally Kurdistan, along with [[Armenia]], was to be one of them, according to the never-ratified [[Treaty of Sèvres]]. However, the reconquest of these areas by [[Kemal Atatürk]] and other pressing issues caused the Allies to accept the renegotiated [[Treaty of Lausanne]], accepting the border of the modern [[Republic of Turkey]] and leaving the Kurds without a self-ruled region. Other Kurdish areas were assigned to the new British and French [[League of Nations Mandate|mandated]] states of [[British Mandate of Iraq|Iraq]] and [[French Mandate of Syria|Syria]] under both treaties. The Kurdish delegation made a proposal at the [[San Francisco Peace Conference]] in 1945, showing the geographical extent of Kurdistan as claimed by the Kurds. This proposal encompasses an area extending from the [[Mediterranean]] shores near [[Adana]] to the shores of the [[Persian Gulf]] near [[Bushehr]], and it includes the [[Lur]] inhabited areas of southern [[Zagros]].<ref>C. Dahlman, ''The Political Geography of Kurdistan'', Eurasian Geography and Economics, Vol.43, No.4, p. 274.</ref><ref>[http://www.akakurdistan.com/kurds/map/map.html The map presented by the Kurdish League Delegation, March 1945]</ref> Since [[World War I]], Kurdistan has been divided between several states, in each of which Kurds are minorities. At the end of the [[First Gulf War]], the Allies established a safe haven in northern Iraq. Amid the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from three northern provinces, Iraqi Kurdistan emerged as an autonomous entity inside Iraq, with its own local government and parliament in 1992. ==People== Culturally and historically Kurdistan has been part of what is known as [[Greater Iran]]{{Fact|date=May 2008}} (or historic Persia){{Fact|date=May 2008}}. In addition to Kurds who comprise the majority of the population of the region there are also communities of [[Arab]], [[Armenians|Armenian]], [[Assyrians|Assyrian]], [[Azeri]], [[Jews|Jewish]], [[Ossetian]], [[Persian people|Persian]], and [[Turkic people]] traditionally scattered throughout the region. Most of its inhabitants are Muslim, but there are also significant numbers of other religious sects such as [[Yazidi]], [[Yarsan]], [[Alevi]], [[Christian]], [[Jewish]], [[Shabak people|Shabak]]. ==Geography== [[Image:Zagros 1992.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Zagros Mountains]] from space, September 1992.]] According to ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', Kurdistan covers about 190,000 km², and its chief towns are [[Diyarbakır]] (Amed), [[Bitlis]] (Bedlîs) and [[Van, Turkey|Van]] (Wan) in Turkey, [[Mosul]] (Mûsil), [[Arbil]] (Hewlêr) and [[Kirkuk]] (Kerkûk) in Iraq, and [[Kermanshah]] (Kirmanşan), [[Sanandaj]] (Sine) and [[Mahabad]] (Mehabad) in [[Iran]].<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9369506 Kurdistan], ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''</ref> According to the [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], Kurdistan covers around 190,000 km² in Turkey, 125,000 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.<ref name="EncIslam">[http://www.encislam.brill.nl/data/EncIslam/C4/COM-0544.html Kurdistan], ''[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]''—''currently offline''</ref> Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in Kurdistan, which covers an area as big as [[France]]. The [[Kurdistan Province (Iran)|Kurdistan Province]] in Iran and [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] are both included in the usual definition of Kurdistan. [[Image:Ancient Kurdistan.gif|thumb|right|225px|Historic map from 1721, showing borders of Curdistan provinces.]] [[Iranian Kurdistan]] encompasses [[Kurdistan Province (Iran)|Kurdistan Province]] and greater parts of [[West Azarbaijan Province|West Azarbaijan]], [[Kermanshah Province|Kermanshah]], [[Īlām Province|Īlām]] provinces. [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] is divided into six [[governorate]]s, three of which—and parts of others—are under the control of [[Kurdistan Regional Government]]. [[Kurds in Syria|Syrian Kurdistan]] is mostly located in present-day northeastern [[Syria]]. This region covers the greater part of the province of [[Al Hasakah Governorate|Al Hasakah]]. The main cities in this region are [[Qamishli|Al-Qamishli]] ({{lang-ku|Qamişlû}}) and [[Al Hasakah]] ({{lang-ku|Hesaka}}). Another region with a 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''.<ref>[http://modersmal.skolutveckling.se/nordkurdiska/kurdmap/pages/Geographic%20Distribution%20of%20Kurdish%20and%20other%20Iranic%20Languages_jpg_gif.htm Geographic Distribution of Kurdish and other Iranic Languages]</ref> (See [[Demographics of Syria]] and [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sy.html Syria in the CIA World Factbook]). A large area of south eastern [[Turkey]] is also home to estimated 15 to 20 million [[Kurds]]<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7062971.stm BBC NEWS | Middle East | Kurds show coded support for PKK<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ===Forests=== [[Image:KurdistanForest.jpg|thumb|left|Typical forest in Kurdistan.]] Kurdistan is a mountainous region with a cold climate and it receives enough annual [[precipitation]] to sustain temperate forests and [[shrubs]]. 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. [[Fir]]s, other [[conifers]], and [[oak]]s can be found in those forests. Deciduous ''[[Platanus]]'', [[willow]], and [[poplar]] trees are found near waters and river banks.<ref name="EncIslam"/> The cutting of trees for fuel has reduced the size of forests over time. ===Mountains=== 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".<ref>John Bulloch and Harvey Morris, ''No Friends but the Mountains: The Tragic History of the Kurds'', ISBN 0-195-08075-0</ref> The [[Mount Judi]] is the most important mountain in Kurdish folklore and along with [[Mount Ararat]], as one of them 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=== <!--[[Image:Tigr-euph.png|thumb|Map of [[Tigris]]–[[Euphrates]] watershed.]]--> [[Image:Zebar valley.jpg|thumb|[[Zab]](Zê) river in Zebari region, Iraqi Kurdistan.]] 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, Ceyhan, [[Araxes]], Kura, Sefidrud, Karkha, and Hezil, the major tributaries of which 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 (in Turkey); 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. With their water, the Tigris and the Euphrates give life not only to the [[Mesopotamia]]n plain and the 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. The most important ones are a series of dams that were built by Turkey as part of the GAP project (Southeast Anatolia Project). The [[Southeastern Anatolia Project|GAP]] project is still not complete, but it already supplies a significant proportion of Turkey's electrical-energy needs. Due to the extraordinary archæological richness of the land, almost any dam built in Kurdistan drowns a portion of Kurdish history.<ref name="Kurdistanica">[http://www.kurdistanica.com/english/economy/water/the_water.html Economy: Water], ''The Encyclopædia of Kurdistan''</ref> ===Lakes=== Kurdistan extends to [[Lake Urmia]] in Iran on the east and to semi-contiguous Kurdish-inhabited regions to the west on the [[Mediterranean sea|Mediterranean]] shore. The region includes [[Lake Van]], the largest body of water in [[Turkey]]; in the entire [[Middle East]], the only larger lake is Lake Urmia—but Lake Urmia is not nearly as deep, so Lake Van contains a much larger volume of water. The [[Zarivar Lake]] west of [[Marivan]], as well as [[Lake Dukan]] near the city of [[Sulaymaniyah]], are significant tourist sites.<ref name="Kurdistanica"/> ===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 sixth largest in the world, mostly recently discovered. Extraction of these reserves is said to begin within the first three months of 2007. These are excluding those of Kirkuk and Mosul, cities claimed by the KRG to be included in its territory, though in these two cities oil was extracted predominantly by Iraq's former Baath regime. As of July 2007, the Kurdish government is inviting foreign companies to invest in 40 new oil sites, with the hope of increasing regional oil production over the next half decade by a factor of five, to about {{convert|1|Moilbbl/d|m3/d}}.<ref>[http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/19228 Iraqi Kurds open 40 new oil sites to foreign investors | Iraq Updates<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Gas and associated gas reserves are in excess of 100 [[Cubic foot#Standard cubic foot|TCF]]. Other underground resources that exist in significant quantities in the region include [[copper]], [[iron]], [[zinc]] and [[limestone]] which is used to produce [[cement]]. The world's largest deposit of rock sulphur is located just southwest of [[Erbil]] (Hewlêr). Other important underground resources include [[coal]], [[gold]], and [[marble]].<ref>[http://www.kurdistancorporation.com/Oil_and_gas.htm Official statements on the oil and gas sector in the Kurdistan region], [[Kurdistan Development Corporation]].</ref> ==Subdivisions (Upper and Lower Kurdistan)== In ''A Dictionary of Scripture Geography'' (published 1846), John Miles describes Upper and Lower Kurdistan as following: :''Modern Curdistan is of much greater extent than the ancient Assyria, and is composed of two parts the Upper and Lower. In the former is the province of Ardelan, the ancient Arropachatis, now nominally a part of Irak Ajami, and belonging to the north west division called Al Jobal. It contains five others namely, Betlis, the ancient Carduchia, lying to the south and south west of the lake Van. East and south east of Betlis is the principality of Julamerick, south west of it is the principality of Amadia. the fourth is Jeezera ul Omar, a city on an island in the Tigris, and corresponding to the ancient Bezabde. the fifth and largest is Kara Djiolan, with a capital of the same name. The pashalics of Kirkook and Solimania also comprise part of Upper Curdistan. Lower Curdistan comprises all the level tract to the east of the Tigris, and the minor ranges immediately bounding the plains and reaching thence to the foot of the great range, which may justly be denominated the Alps of western Asia.'' <ref>A Dictionary of Scripture Geography, p 57, by John Miles, 486 pages, Published 1846, Original from Harvard University</ref> The northern, northwestern and northeastern parts of Kurdistan are called upper Kurdistan. It includes the areas from west of Amed to lake Urmia. The lowlands of southern Kurdistan are called lower Kurdistan. the main cities in this area are Kirkuk, Arbil and Khanaqin. The city of Kirkuk was often called the capital or the largest city of lower Kurdistan. ==Conflict and controversy== {{main|Kurds in Turkey}} The incorporation into Turkey of the Kurdish-inhabited regions of eastern [[Anatolia]] was opposed by many Kurds, and has resulted in a long-running separatist conflict in which thousands of lives have been lost. The region saw several major Kurdish rebellions including; the [[Koçkiri Rebellion]] of 1920, the [[Sheikh Said Rebellion]] in 1924, the [[Republic of Ararat]] in 1927, and the [[Dersim Rebellion]] in 1937. These were forcefully put down by the Turkish authorities and the region was declared a closed military area from which foreigners were banned between 1925 and 1965.{{fact}} [[Image:Batman(city).jpg|thumb|The [[Batman, Turkey|city of Batman]], eastern Turkey]] In 1983, the Kurdish provinces were placed under [[martial law]] in response to the activities of the militant separarist [[Kurdistan Workers Party]] (PKK).<ref name="hue">Kurd, ''The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas'', [[2005]]</ref> An extremely violent [[guerrilla war]] took place through the rest of the 1980s and into the 1990s, in which much of the countryside was evacuated, thousands of Kurdish-populated villages were destroyed and numerous extrajudicial summary executions were carried out by both sides.<ref name="ocpw" /> More than 37,000 people were killed in the violence and hundreds of thousands more were forced to leave their homes.<ref name="bbc">"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6537751.stm Kurdish rebels kill Turkey troops]", BBC News, 8 May 2007</ref> The situation in the region has since eased following the capture of the PKK leader [[Abdullah Öcalan]] in 1999 and the introduction of a greater degree of official tolerance for Kurdish cultural activities, encouraged by the [[European Union]]. However, some political violence is still ongoing and the Turkish-Iraqi border region remains tense.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6687631.stm Turkish soldiers killed in blast]", BBC News, [[24 May]] [[2007]]</ref> ==Climate== The region has an extreme [[continental climate]]—hot in the summer, bitterly cold in the winter. Despite this, much of the region is fertile and has traditionally exported grain and livestock to the cities in the plains. The local economy is dominated by [[animal husbandry]] and small-scale [[agriculture]], with cross-border trading (especially of [[petroleum]]) providing a major source of income in the border areas. Larger-scale agriculture and industrial activities dominate the economic life of the lower-lying region around [[Diyarbakır]], the largest Kurdish-populated city in the region. Elsewhere, however, decades of conflict and high unemployment has led to extensive migration from the region to other parts of Turkey and abroad.<ref name="ocpw">Martin van Bruinessen, "Kurdistan." ''The Oxford Companion to the Politics of the World'', 2nd edition. Joel Krieger, ed. Oxford University Press, 2001.</ref> There are many rivers flowing and running through mountains of Kurdistan making it distinguished by its fertile lands, plentiful water, and 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. Because of its high altitude, the climate of Kurdistan is harsh. There is a lot of snowfall in the high mountains. Precipitation varies between 200 and 400 mm a year in the plains, and between 700 and 3,000 mm a year on the high plateaux between mountain chains.<ref name="EncIslam"/> ==Education== Education in Kurdistan has a long history from Tekiye to Universities throuhout the region. [[Kurdish literature]] is a proof of Kurd's description of love in words. See also: [[List of univeristies in Kurdistan]] ==See also== {{commons}} *[[Kurdistan Okrug]] ==Notes and references== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.krg.org/ Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)] News, progress reports and reference material about Kurds, KRG and Kurdistan Region. *[http://www.institutkurde.org/en/ The Kurdish Institute of Paris] Provides news, bulletins, articles and conference information on the situation in Kurdistan. *[http://www.kurdap.com The Kurdistan Associated Press is a joint collaboration project dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free Kurdish and Kurdistan related content, and to providing the full content of this project to the public free of charge.] *[http://www.theotheriraq.com Official Investment Website of Kurdistan] *[http://www.mazdapublishers.com/Essays-Origins.htm Essays on the Origins of Kurdish Nationalism, edited by Abbas Vali] *[http://www.kurdistanica.com/ The Encyclopedia of Kurdistan] *[http://www.encislam.brill.nl/data/EncIslam/C4/COM-0544.html Kurds, Kurdistan], The Encyclopaedia of Islam. *[http://www.polosbastards.com/artman/publish/article_32.shtml Troubled Times—A Brief History Of Kurdistan] *[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/kurdistan-maps.htm A dozen maps of Kurdistan] by [http://www.GlobalSecurity.org/ GlobalSecurity.org] *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4328285.stm "Turkey renames 'divisive' animals"] [http://news.bbc.co.uk BBC News] [[8 March]][[2005]] *[http://www.saradistribution.com/galeri.htm A number of pictures from historical attractions in Kurdistan] *[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2207534,00.html Calls for freedom make the jigsaw of Europe more complicated than ever (Kurdistan in 2010s)] [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2207383,00.html][http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2207484,00.html] *[http://www.vivakurdistan.com VivaKurdistan - The World´s biggest Kurdish community!] *[http://www.ksc-kcf.com/ Kurdistan Save the Children] {{coord|37|00|N|43|00|E|display=title|type:country_source:dewiki}} [[Category:Iranian Plateau]] [[Category:Kurdistan| ]] [[Category:Proposed countries]] [[Category:Middle East]] [[Category:Divided regions]] [[ar:كردستان]] [[br:Kurdistan]] [[bg:Кюрдистан]] [[ca:Kurdistan]] [[cs:Kurdistán]] [[cy:Cyrdistan]] [[da:Kurdistan]] [[de:Kurdistan]] [[el:Κουρδιστάν]] [[es:Kurdistán]] [[eo:Kurdio]] [[eu:Kurdistan]] [[fa:سرزمین کردستان]] [[fr:Kurdistan]] [[gl:Curdistán]] [[ko:쿠르디스탄]] [[hi:क़ुर्दिस्तान]] [[hr:Kurdistan]] [[it:Kurdistan]] [[he:כורדיסטן]] [[ka:ქურთისტანი]] [[ku:Kurdistan]] [[lv:Kurdistāna]] [[lt:Kurdistanas]] [[mk:Курдистан]] [[ms:Kurdistan]] [[nl:Koerdistan]] [[ja:クルディスタン]] [[no:Kurdistan]] [[nn:Kurdistan]] [[pl:Kurdystan]] [[pt:Curdistão]] [[ro:Kurdistan]] [[ru:Курдистан]] [[simple:Kurdistan]] [[sk:Kurdistan]] [[sr:Курдистан]] [[fi:Kurdistan]] [[sv:Kurdistan]] [[vi:Kurdistan]] [[tg:Курдистон]] [[tr:Kürdistan]] [[uk:Курдистан]] [[ur:کردستان]] [[zh-yue:庫爾德斯坦]] [[zh:庫爾德斯坦]]