Başûrê Kurdistanê (“Southern Kurdistan”) is the Kurdistan Region of Iraq — the only part of Kurdistan with internationally recognised self-government. Around six million people live in the Region, which has its own parliament, government (the KRG), security forces and flag under the Iraqi constitution of 2005.
Key facts
- Capital: Hewlêr (Erbil), whose citadel is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Other cities: Silêmanî (Sulaymaniyah), Duhok, Helebce (Halabja), Zaxo, Soran, Koye; Kerkûk (Kirkuk) is a disputed city outside the Region’s formal borders
- Languages: Sorani Kurdish in Hewlêr and Silêmanî; Kurmanji (called Badini locally) in Duhok and Zaxo; also Arabic, Turkmen, Syriac
- Economy: oil and gas, agriculture, trade and a growing tourism sector around the mountains of Rawanduz, Barzan and Amadiya
Culture
Silêmanî is the literary capital of the Kurdish world, home to the poets Nalî, Piramerd and Sherko Bekas and a lively music and theatre scene. Hewlêr blends an ancient bazaar with new universities, malls and an international airport. Traditional Kurdish dress is still everyday wear in many towns, and Newroz in March fills the mountains with picnics and bonfires.
A short history
Kurdish revolts against Baghdad ran through the 20th century, from Sheikh Mahmud Barzanji in the 1920s to Mustafa Barzani’s movement in the 1960s and 70s. The Ba’athist Anfal campaign of 1988 killed an estimated 100,000 Kurds, and the chemical attack on Helebce on 16 March 1988 remains a national day of mourning. After the 1991 uprising and the creation of a no-fly zone, Kurds ran their own affairs, and the 2005 constitution formalised the Kurdistan Region. A 2017 independence referendum passed overwhelmingly but was rejected by Baghdad and neighbouring states. Today the Region is a hub for Kurds from all four parts and the diaspora.
On Kurdistan.fm
Much of our music comes from Silêmanî and Hewlêr — from classic Sorani singers to today’s pop and rap — and our news hour covers Kurdistan Region politics, business and daily life.