Is Kurdistan a nation?
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Is Kurdistan a nation?
The Kurds make up “the largest nation in the world without its own independent state” (Gunter 2004: 197). Spread across Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, and even small parts of Armenia (cf. Yavuz 1998: 9), the Kurds are a scattered people across various state borders.
Where do Kurds live in the Middle East?
Iraq
Kurd, member of an ethnic and linguistic group living in the Taurus Mountains of southeastern Anatolia, the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, portions of northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and western Armenia, and other adjacent areas.
Who are the Kurds and where do they live?
Who are the Kurds? Between 25 and 35 million Kurds inhabit a mountainous region straddling the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia. They make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, but they have never obtained a permanent nation state.
What is the modern name of the Kurdish region?
The territory corresponds to Kurdish irredentist claims. Contemporary use of the term refers to the following areas: southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan), northwestern Iran (Eastern Kurdistan) and northern Syria (Rojava or Western Kurdistan).
What is the percentage of Kurds in Turkey?
Kurds comprise anywhere from 18 to 25\% of the population in Turkey, 15 to 20\% in Iraq; 10\% in Iran; and 9\% in Syria. Kurds form regional majorities in all four of these countries, viz. in Turkish Kurdistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iranian Kurdistan and Syrian Kurdistan.
What are the major physical features of Kurdistan?
Mountains are regarded as sacred by the Kurds. Included in the region are Mount Judi and Ararat (both prominent in Kurdish folklore), Zagros, Qandil, Shingal, Mount Abdulaziz, Kurd Mountains, Jabal al-Akrad, Shaho, Gabar, Hamrin, and Nisir . Kurdistan is a region relatively rich in water, especially for countries in the Middle East region.