Kurdistan region
Context
Iraq has announced the complete withdrawal of the U.S.-led international coalition from its territory.
The coalition was originally deployed to assist Iraq in combating extremist threats and stabilising internal security.
Kurdistan
Kurdistan (Kurdish: Kordestan – “land of the Kurds”) is a geo-cultural region in West Asia.
It is not a sovereign State and has no internationally demarcated boundaries.
The region is defined by:
Predominance of the Kurdish population
Shared Kurdish culture, language and national identity
The term Greater Kurdistan is sometimes used to describe the wider Kurdish-inhabited areas across multiple countries.
Regional divisions of Kurdistan
Kurdistan traditionally comprises four regions, named according to their relative location:
Northern Kurdistan
Located in southeastern Turkey
Southern Kurdistan
Located in northern Iraq
Eastern Kurdistan
Located in northwestern Iran
Western Kurdistan
Located in northern Syria
Geographical extent
Kurdistan roughly spans:
Northwestern Zagros Mountains
Eastern Taurus Mountains
These mountain ranges have historically:
Provided natural protection
Shaped Kurdish settlement patterns
Influenced socio-political autonomy movements
Countries involved
Kurdistan extends across parts of four modern States:
Turkey
Iraq
Iran
Syria
Prelims Practice MCQs
Q. Consider the following pairs:
Region | Commonly Known As |
Southeastern Turkey | Northern Kurdistan |
Northern Iraq | Southern Kurdistan |
Northwestern Iran | Eastern Kurdistan |
Northern Syria | Western Kurdistan |
Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
All four regions are correctly matched with their respective Kurdistan identifiers.
Q. Geographically, the Kurdistan region roughly encompasses which of the following mountain ranges?
A. Hindu Kush and Karakoram
B. Zagros and Taurus
C. Atlas and Alps
D. Urals and Caucasus
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
Kurdistan broadly covers the northwestern Zagros and eastern Taurus mountain ranges.
Q. Kurdistan primarily extends across which of the following present-day countries?
Turkey
Iraq
Iran
Syria
Select the correct answer using the code below:
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
Kurdistan spans parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria.