Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan refers to the Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of Kurdistan, which also includes parts of southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, and northwestern Iran.

Which country is Iraqi Kurdistan?

Kurdistan, Arabic Kurdistān, Persian Kordestān, broadly defined geographic region traditionally inhabited mainly by Kurds. It consists of an extensive plateau and mountain area, spread over large parts of what are now eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and western Iran and smaller parts of northern Syria and Armenia.

Is Kurdistan a part of Iraq?

The Kurdistan Region (KRI; Kurdish: ھەرێمی کوردستان‎, romanized: Herêma Kurdistanê, Arabic: اقليم كردستان‎) is an autonomous region in Iraq comprising the four Kurdish-majority governorates of Dohuk, Erbil, Halabja and Sulaymaniyah and bordering Iran, Syria and Turkey.

Is Kurdistan a real country?

Kurdistan is not a country, but the map of the Kurdish region includes the geographical region in the Middle East wherein the Kurdish people have historically established a prominent population and unified cultural identity.

What is Iraq Kurdistan?

Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan (Kurdish: باشووری کوردستان‎, romanized: Başûrê Kurdistanê) refers to the Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. ... Much of the geographical and cultural region of Iraqi Kurdistan is part of the Kurdistan Region (KRI), an autonomous region recognized by the Constitution of Iraq.

What is KURDISTAN? (Hidden Gem of Middle East)

Is Kurdistan Iraq Safe?

Iraqi Kurdistan is a very safe travel destination, with the last terrorist attack dating from 2014, and the last foreigner being killed in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq by foreign forces.

What does Kurds believe in?

Religion. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims who adhere to the Shafiʽi school, while a significant minority adhere to the Hanafi school. Moreover, many Shafi'i Kurds adhere to either one of the two Sufi orders Naqshbandi and Qadiriyya. Beside Sunni Islam, Alevism and Shia Islam also have millions of Kurdish followers.

Is Iraq Safe?

Iraq - Level 4: Do Not Travel. Do not travel to Iraq due to COVID-19, terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, and Mission Iraq's limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens.

Where do the Kurds live today?

Most of the Kurds live in contiguous areas of Iran, Iraq, and Turkey—a somewhat loosely defined geographic region generally referred to as Kurdistan (“Land of the Kurds”).

What currency is used in Kurdistan?

Despite claiming independence from Iraq in 2007, Kurdistan continues to use the Iraqi Dinar, however, USD is also widely accepted in the region.

Does Kurdistan exist?

Presently, Iraqi Kurdistan first gained autonomous status in a 1970 agreement with the Iraqi government, and its status was re-confirmed as the autonomous Kurdistan Region within the federal Iraqi republic in 2005. There is also a Kurdistan Province in Iran, but it is not self-ruled.

Where do Kurds live in Iraq?

They are the majority in at least three provinces in northern Iraq which are together known as Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurds also have a presence in Kirkuk, Mosul, Khanaqin, and Baghdad. Around 300,000 Kurds live in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 50,000 in the city of Mosul and around 100,000 elsewhere in southern Iraq.

What did Iraq do to the Kurds?

During the Anfal campaign the Iraqi military attacked about 250 Kurdish villages with chemical weapons and destroyed Kurdish 4500 villages and evicted its inhabitants. The campaign culminated in the Halabja massacre in March 1988.

How many wives can a Kurdish man have?

Most Kurdish marriages are monogamous marriages. However, Islam allows polygynous marriages; a man may have as many as four wives at one time providing that he fulfills his obligations as prescribed in Islam.

How many Kurds live outside Kurdistan?

While there is no recent, accurate census of the Kurdish diaspora, widely accepted figures estimate around 1.2 million Kurds living outside Kurdistan, with around half of those Kurds living in Germany.

Does Iraq get cold?

Many people imagine Iraq to be a warm country, but it does get very cold in the winter season. Around now, in November, we start to get heavy rains and the temperatures plummets. In December and January, we often have snow and temperatures fall below 0c.

Is Baghdad safe in 2021?

OVERALL RISK : HIGH

Baghdad isn't the safest country to visit, because of its complicated political situation and turmoil that took over the country and its neighbors. Unfortunately, at this time, there's a very high threat of terrorist attacks and a very high threat of kidnapping in this city.

Are Kurds circumcised?

A representative of the American Kurdish Information Network in Washington, DC informed the RIC that the great majority of Kurds are Muslims and therefore practice circumcision. As part of a religious ceremony, Muslim males are circumcised at a very young age.

What should I wear in Kurdistan?

The traditional Kurdish women's outfit includes either a vest or long-sleeved jacket or long overcoat worn over a gown. An underdress and puffy pants are worn beneath the gown. A belt over the gown is also needed. Traditionally women wore Kurdish hats ornamented with valued coloured stones, beads and gold pieces.