Kurdistan province facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kurdistan Province
Province
استان کردستان
Miyane village
Location of Kurdistan province within Iran
Country	Iran
Region	Region 3
Capital	Sanandaj
Counties	10
Area
• Total	29,137 km2 (11,250 sq mi)
Population  (2016)
• Total	1,603,011
• Density	55.0163/km2 (142.4917/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+03:30 (IRST)
Main language(s)	Persian (official) local languages: Turkic Kurdish
HDI (2017)	0.743 high · 30th

Kurdistan Province (also called Kordestan Province) is one of Iran's 31 provinces. It covers an area of about 28,817 square kilometers. The capital city of Kurdistan Province is Sanandaj. Other important cities include Saqqez, Baneh, Marivan, and Qorveh.

This province is located in the western part of Iran. It shares a border with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to the west. It also borders other Iranian provinces like West Azerbaijan to the north and Kermanshah to the south. In 2016, about 1.6 million people lived in Kurdistan Province.

History of Kurdistan Province

A soldier statue from Ziwiye hoard

People have lived in the area now known as Kurdistan Province for a very long time. The earliest signs of humans here date back to the Paleolithic Period. This was over 40,000 years ago, when Neanderthals lived in the Sirwan Valley.

Cities and Towns

Kurdistan Province is divided into 10 main areas called counties. Each county is named after its main city. Many people in Kurdistan Province live in cities. In 2016, over 70% of the province's population lived in its cities.

Most Populous Cities

Here are the largest cities in Kurdistan Province by population in 2016:

People and Languages

Most of the people in Kurdistan Province are Kurds. However, some Turkic communities live in the eastern parts of the province.

Most Kurds in the province speak Sorani Kurdish. In the eastern areas, including Bijar, people speak Southern Kurdish. In some villages in the southwest, Gorani is the main language.

In the far eastern part of the province, you can find different types of Oghuz Turkic spoken. These are similar to, but distinct from, Iranian Azerbaijani. These languages are spoken in cities like Delbaran and Tup Aghaj.

While not everyone's first language, Persian is becoming more common, especially in the eastern parts of the province.

Economy and Jobs

A beautiful old Senneh prayer kilim from the 1800s

The main ways people make a living in Kurdistan Province are through farming and modern livestock raising. Farmers grow crops like wheat, barley, and various fruits.

The province also has industries such as chemical, metal, textile, leather, and food production. However, Kurdistan Province faces challenges with unemployment. Many people work as kolbar (porters) to support their families.

Colleges and Universities

Kurdistan Province is home to several higher education institutions:

• University of Kurdistan
• Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences
  • Tohid Medical Center
• Islamic Azad University of Sanandaj

See also

• Hajar Khatoon Mosque
• Uramanat Villages
• Iranian Kurdistan
• Kurdistan
• Kurdistan (disambiguation)

Images for kids

• 

  Map showing the counties of Kurdistan Province