Iraqi Kurdistan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iraqi Kurdistan (Kurdistan Region) ھەرێمی کوردستان (Kurdish) Herêmî Kurdistan
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Ey Reqîb Oh Enemy
Capital and largest city	Hewlêr (Erbil / Arbil)
Recognised regional languages	Neo-Aramaic
Official languages	Kurdish Arabic
Demonym(s)	Iraqi
Government	Parliamentary democracy
• President	Massoud Barzani
• Prime Minister	Nechirvan Barzani
Autonomous region
• Accord signed	March 11, 1970
• De facto autonomy	October, 1991
• Regional government established	July 4, 1992
• In transitional constitution	January 30, 2005
Area
• Total	40,643 km2 (15,692 sq mi)
Population
• 2013 estimate	5,500,000-6,500,000
GDP (nominal)	2011 estimate
• Total	$23.6 bn
• Per capita	$4,452
Currency	Iraqi dinar (IQD)
Time zone	UTC+3
Driving side	right
Calling code	+964
Internet TLD	.iq

Iraqi Kurdistan also known as Kurdistan Region (Kurdish: هەرێمى كوردستان, Herêma Kurdistan, Arabic: إقليم كردستان العراق) is the autonomous region of Iraq. Its capital is Erbil and it's called Hewlêr in Kurdish.

The area is 80,000 km² and 5,500,000 people live there.

Geography

The numbers show Iraqi Kurdistan

Iraqi Kurdistan is a huge mountain range, where the highest point is 3.611 meters, known as Cheekha Dar. The biggest lake is Dukan.

Iraqi Kurdistan is divided into 6 provinces.

• 3 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

5.Kirkuk

6.Ninawa

Demographics

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.

Images for kids

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  Erbil, capital of Kurdistan Region

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  Lake Dukan

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  Greater Zab River near Erbil

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  A canyon near the northern city of Rawandiz

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  Shanidar Cave is surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation.

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  Ottoman vilayets of Van and Mossoul, 1899. Modern Iraqi Kurdistan is covered by the Mosul vilayet (green), which is divided into the sanjaks of Mossoul (Mosul), Kerkouk (Kirkuk and Erbil), and Souleimanié (Sulaymaniyah). To the east is Persia and south is the vilayet of Bagdad.

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  Ethnographical Map of the contested territory, compiled by the Commission according to the latest statistics drawn up by the Government of Iraq (1922–1924), League of Nations. Green shows the Kurdish population in the region, while yellow is used for Arabs and purple for Yazidis

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  Kurdish Independent Kingdoms and Autonomous Principalities circa 1835

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  Mahmud Barzanji was the leader of a series of Kurdish uprisings against the British Mandate of Iraq.

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  Kingdom of Kurdistan in 1923

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  The Barzani revolt, June 1932

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  Mustafa Barzani with Abd al-Karim Qasim

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  Kurdistan Autonomous Region in 1975

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  Kurdish Federation in 1998

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  Pro-independence rally in Erbil in September 2017