Kurdistan Region

Kurdish autonomous Region in northern Iraq

The Kurdistan Region (ھەرێمی کوردستان) is an autonomous republic in Iraq.[12]

Kurdistan Region
  • Herêma Kurdistanê
  • ھەرێمی کوردستان
Anthem: ئەی ڕەقیب, Ey Reqîb (Kurdish)
(English: "O Enemy")
  • Kurdistan Region in dark red
  • Disputed territories controlled by the Iraqi federal government in light red
Sovereign stateIraq
Autonomy founded19 May 1992[1]
Autonomy recognized15 October 2005[2]
CapitalErbil (de facto)
Kirkuk[1] (de jure)
36°04′59″N 44°37′47″E / 36.08306°N 44.62972°E / 36.08306; 44.62972
Official languagesKurdish[1]
Administrative languages
Recognized languages[1][4]
Ethnic groups
(2004[1])
Recognized ethnicities:
Religion
Demonym(s)Kurd, Kurdish
GovernmentParliamentary republic
• President
Nechirvan Barzani
• Prime Minister
Masrour Barzani
• Deputy Prime Minister
Qubad Talabani
Legislature111-seat Kurdistan Parliament
Area
• Total
41,220[8] km2 (15,920 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate
7,222,747 (2018)[9]
GDP (PPP)2015[10] estimate
• Total
$26.5 billion[10]
• Per capita
$7,000[10]
Gini (2012)32[11]
medium
HDI0.750[11]
high
CurrencyIraqi dinar
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)
Driving sideright
Calling code964
Internet TLD.krd

The Kurdistan Region is part of Iraqi Kurdistan or South Kurdistan, itself part of Kurdistan. The government of the Kurdistan Region is the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Its capital is Erbil, called Hewlêr in Kurdish.

The Kurdistan Region is to the west of Iranian Kurdistan (in Iran). To the Kurdistan Region's west is Syrian Kurdistan (in Syria), and to the north is Turkish Kurdistan (in Turkey).

Geography change

The area is 80,000 km² and 5,500,000 people live there. Iraqi Kurdistan is a mountain region, where the highest point is 3.611 metres, known as Cheekha Dar. The biggest lake is Dukan.

Iraqi Kurdistan is divided into 6 provinces.

  • Three of the provinces that are under control of Iraqi Kurdistan are:

1.As Sulaymaniyah (Silemanî)

2.Arbil (Hewlêr)

3.Dahuk (Duhok)

  • The provinces that are a part of Iraqi Kurdistan are:

4.Diyala (Diyale)

5.Kirkuk (Kerkûk)

6.Ninawa (Neynewa)

Demographics change

The population in Iraqi Kurdistan is about 5-6 million. Most of these people are Sunni Muslims. There are also many Yazidis, Kakeyís and Christians. Kurds make the ethnic majority in the region while the Turkmen, Aramean, Assyrians, Armenians and Arabs make up the rest of the western part of the area.

Maps change

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Kurdistan: Constitution of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region". 14 April 2004. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  2. Joseph R. Rudolph Jr. (2015). Encyclopedia of Modern Ethnic Conflicts, 2nd Edition. p. 275.
  3. Saatçi, Suphi (2018), "The Turkman of Iraq", in Bulut, Christiane (ed.), Linguistic Minorities in Turkey and Turkic-Speaking Minorities of the Periphery, Harrassowitz Verlag, p. 357, ISBN 978-3447107235
  4. "A Reading for the Law of Protecting Components in Kurdistan" (PDF). July 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  5. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for (2 September 2016). "Iraq: Information on the treatment of atheists and apostates by society and authorities in Erbil; state protection available (2013-September 2016)". Refworld. Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  6. "Kurdistan, the only government in Middle East that recognizes religious diversity". Kurdistan24. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  7. "Country Information and Guidance Iraq: Religious minorities" (PDF). Government of the United Kingdom. August 2016: 13. Retrieved 31 August 2019. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. Almas Heshmati, Nabaz T. Khayyat (2012). Socio-Economic Impacts of Landmines in Southern Kurdistan. p. 27.
  9. "Demographic Survey - Kurdistan Region of Iraq" (PDF). Relief Web. July 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Erbil International Fair" (PDF). aiti.org.ir. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  11. 11.0 11.1 "Iraq Human Development Report 2014" (PDF). p. 29. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  12. Everett-Heath, John, ed. (2020). "Iraq (Al 'Irāq), (Mesopotamia)". Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-190563-6.

References change

  1. The written language of the Iraqi Turkmen is based on Istanbul Turkish using the modern Turkish alphabet.[3]