Jump to content

Kurdistan Region

Coordinates: 36°04′59″N 44°37′47″E / 36.08306°N 44.62972°E / 36.08306; 44.62972
Extended-protected article
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Halabja Boys College)
This article is about a sub-national federal region in the Republic of Iraq. For the wider geographical area in Iraq inhabited by Kurdish people, see Iraqi Kurdistan. For the entire Middle Eastern region inhabited by Kurdish people, see Kurdistan.
Kurdistan Region
Semi-autonomous region
Flag of Kurdistan Region
Flag
Official seal of Kurdistan Region
Coat of arms
Anthem: ئەی ڕەقیب
Ey Reqîb
"Oh, enemy!"
CountryIraq Iraq
Autonomy founded19 May 1992
Autonomy recognized15 October 2005[1]
CapitalErbil[2]
36°04′59″N 44°37′47″E / 36.08306°N 44.62972°E / 36.08306; 44.62972
Official languages
[3]
Recognized languages[5]
Ethnic groups
Predominantly Kurds
Minorities of Arabs, Iraqi Turkmens, Assyrians and Armenians
Religion
Majority: Islam
Large minority: Yazidism, Yarsanism, Christianity
other
Demonym(s)
GovernmentParliamentary semi-autonomous region within a federal republic
• President
Nechirvan Barzani
Masrour Barzani
• Deputy Prime Minister
Qubad Talabani
LegislatureKurdistan Parliament
Area
• Total
46,862[6] km2 (18,094 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate
6,556,752 (2023)[7]
GDP (PPP)2022[8][9] estimate
• Total
$66 billion[8][9]
• Per capita
$7,038[8][9]
Gini (2012)32[10]
medium
HDI (2014)0.750[10]
high
CurrencyIraqi dinar
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Driving sideright
Calling code+964
ISO 3166 code
Internet TLD.krd
 
People
Population
  • Homeland
History

Ancient

Karduchian dynasties

Corduene
Zabdicene
Cyrtians
Moxoene

Medieval

Modern
Culture
Languages
Kurdish languages
Religion

Kurdistan Region (KRI)[c] is a semi-autonomous administrative entity[d] in the Republic of Iraq.[13][14] It comprises four Kurdish-majority governorates of Arab-majority Iraq: Erbil Governorate, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Duhok Governorate, and Halabja Governorate. It is located in northern Iraq, which shares borders with Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, and Syria to the west.

It does not govern all of Iraqi Kurdistan and lays claim to the disputed territories of northern Iraq; these territories have a predominantly non-Arab population and were subject to the Ba'athist Arabization campaigns throughout the late 20th century. Though the KRI's autonomy was realized in 1992, one year after Iraq's defeat in the Gulf War, these northern territories remain contested between the Kurdistan Regional Government (in Erbil) and the Government of Iraq (in Baghdad) to the present day. The Kurdistan Region Parliament is based in Erbil, the capital of KRI.

Throughout the 20th century, Iraqi Kurds oscillated between fighting for autonomy and for full independence. Under the Ba'athist regime, the Kurds experienced Arabization and genocidal campaigns at the hands of the federal government in Baghdad.[15] However, when the United States, the United Kingdom, and France established the Iraqi no-fly zones, which restricted the federal government's power in the country's northern and southern areas following the Gulf War, the Kurds were given a chance to experiment with self-governance and the autonomous region was de facto established.[16] The Iraqi government only recognized the Kurdistan Region in 2005 (as a 'federal region'), after the American-led 2003 invasion of Iraq overthrew Saddam Hussein.[17] In September 2017, the KRI passed a non-binding independence referendum, inviting mixed reactions internationally. The KRI largely escaped the privations that afflicted other parts of Iraq in the last years of Saddam Hussein's rule as well as the chaos that followed his ousting during the Iraq War (2003–2011), and built a parliamentary democracy with a growing economy.[18] In 2014, when the Syria-based Islamic State began their Northern Iraq offensive and invaded the country, the Iraqi Armed Forces retreated from most of the disputed territories. The KRI's Peshmerga then entered and took control of them for the duration of the War in Iraq (2013–2017). In October 2017, following the defeat of the Islamic State, the Iraqi Armed Forces attacked the Peshmerga and reasserted control over the disputed territories.[19]

History

Main article: Iraqi Kurdistan § History

Early struggle for independence (1923–1975)

Before Iraq became an independent state in 1923, the Iraqi Kurds had already begun their independence struggle from the British Mandatory Iraq with the Mahmud Barzanji revolts, which were subsequently crushed by the United Kingdom after a bombing campaign against Kurdish civilians by the Royal Air Force.[20][21] Nonetheless, the Kurdish struggle persisted and the Barzani tribe had by the early 1920s gained momentum for the Kurdish nationalist cause and would become pivotal in the Kurdish-Iraqi wars throughout the 20th century. In 1943, the Barzani chief Mustafa Barzani began[22] raiding Iraqi police stations in Kurdistan, which led the Baghdad government to deploy 30,000 troops to the region. The Iraqi Kurdish leadership fled to Iran in 1945. There, Mustafa Barzani founded the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Iran and the Soviet Union began assisting the Kurdish rebels with arms.[23] Israel began assisting the Kurdish rebels in the early 1960s.[24]

From 1961 to 1970, the Kurds fought the Iraqi government in the First Iraqi–Kurdish War, which resulted in the Iraqi–Kurdish Autonomy Agreement. But simultaneously with its promise of Kurdish autonomy, the Iraqi government began ethnic cleansing Kurdish-populated areas, to reduce the size of the autonomous entity which a census would determine.[15] This mistrust provoked the Second Iraqi–Kurdish War between 1974 and 1975, which resulted in a serious defeat for the Iraqi Kurds (see Algiers Accord) and forced all of the rebels to flee once more to Iran.

The Kurdistan Region became politically divided with two administrations (the 50:50 system) with KDP controlling the Erbil and Duhok Governorates, while PUK took control of Sulaymaniyah Governorate to the east.
The region uses the Iraqi flag in official ceremonies alongside the Flag of Kurdistan despite reluctance.[25][26]

Insurgency and first elections (1975–1992)

The more left-leaning Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was founded in 1975 by Jalal Talabani and regenerated the Kurdish insurgency with guerrilla warfare tactics as the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was slowly recovering from their defeat. However, the Kurdish insurgency became entangled in the Iran–Iraq War from 1980 onwards. During the first years of the war in the early 1980s, the Iraqi government tried to accommodate the Kurds in order to focus on the war against Iran. In 1983, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan agreed to cooperate with Baghdad, but the Kurdistan Democratic Party remained opposed.[27] In 1983, Saddam Hussein signed an autonomy agreement with Jalal Talabani of the PUK, though Saddam later reneged on the agreement.

By 1985, the PUK and KDP had joined forces, and Iraqi Kurdistan saw widespread guerrilla warfare up to the end of the war.[28] On 15 March 1988, PUK forces captured the town of Halabja near the Iranian border and inflicted heavy losses among Iraqi soldiers. The Iraqis retaliated the following day by chemically bombing the town, killing about 5,000 civilians.[29] This led the Americans and the Europeans to implement the Iraqi no-fly zones in March 1991 to protect the Kurds, thereby facilitating Kurdish autonomy amid the vacuum and the first Kurdish elections were consequently held in May 1992, wherein the Kurdistan Democratic Party secured 45.3% of the vote and a majority of seats.

Nascent autonomy, war and political turmoil (1992–2009)

Main article: Iraqi Kurdish Civil War

The two parties agreed to form the first Kurdish cabinet led by PUK politician Fuad Masum as Prime Minister in July 1992 and the main focus of the new cabinet was to mitigate the effect of the American-led sanctions on Iraq and to prevent internal Kurdish skirmishes. Nonetheless, the cabinet broke down due to plagues of embattlement and technocracy which disenfranchised the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and a new more partisan cabinet was formed and led by PUK politician Kosrat Rasul Ali in April 1993.[30] The KDP-PUK relations quickly deteriorated and the first clashes in the civil war took place in May 1994 when PUK captured the towns of Shaqlawa and Chamchamal from KDP, which in turn pushed PUK out of Salahaddin (near Erbil). In September 1998, the United States mediated a ceasefire and the two warring parties signed the Washington Agreement deal, where in it was stipulated that the two parties would agree on revenue-sharing, power-sharing and security arrangements.[31]

The anarchy in Kurdistan during the war created an opportunity for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which created bases in the northern mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region,[32][33] which still operates in the Region in the 2010s with frequent calls for withdrawal.[34]

In advance of the Iraq war in 2003, the two parties united in the negotiations with the Arab opposition to Saddam Hussein and succeeded in harvesting political, economic, and security gains and the Arab opposition agreed to recognize Kurdish autonomy in the case that Saddam Hussein was removed from power.[35] America and Kurdistan also jointly rooted out the Islamist Ansar al-Islam group in Halabja area as Kurdistan hosted thousands of soldiers.[36][37] The Kurdish autonomy which had existed since 1992 was formally recognized by the new Iraqi government in 2005 in the new Iraqi constitution and the KDP- and PUK-administered areas reunified in 2006, making the Kurdistan Region into one single administration. This reunification prompted Kurdish leaders and the Kurdish President Masoud Barzani to focus on bringing the Kurdish areas outside of the Kurdistan Region into the region and building healthy institutions.[35]

In 2009, Kurdistan saw the birth of a new major party, the Gorran Movement, which was founded because of tensions in PUK and would subsequently weaken the party profoundly. The second most important political PUK figure, Nawshirwan Mustafa, was the founder of Gorran, who took advantage of sentiments among many PUK politicians critical of the cooperation with the KDP.[35] Gorran would subsequently win 25 seats (or 23.7% of the votes) in the 2009 parliamentary elections to the detriment of the Kurdistan List.[38] In the aftermath of the elections, Gorran failed at its attempts to persuade the Kurdistan Islamic Group and Kurdistan Islamic Union to leave the Kurdistan List, provoking both KDP and PUK. Gorran also attempted to create goodwill with the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, which only aggravated the situation in Kurdistan, and the KDP and PUK chose to boycott Gorran from politics.[35]

ISIL and rapprochement with Iraq (after 2014)

In the period leading up to the ISIL invasion of Iraq in June 2014, the Iraqi-Kurdish relations were in a decline that the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) only worsened. When Iraqi forces withdrew from the Syrian-Iraqi border and away from the disputed areas, the Kurdistan Region consequently had a 1,000 km front with ISIL, which put the region into an economic stalemate. However, Kurdistan did not compromise on their stance regarding financial independence from Baghdad.[39] Due to the Iraqi withdrawal, Kurdish Peshmerga took control of most disputed areas, including Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Jalawla, Bashiqa, Sinjar and Makhmur. The strategically important Mosul Dam was also captured by Kurdish forces.[40] However, the control was only temporary as Iraqi forces retook control over most of the disputed areas in October 2017, after the 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum.[41] As of 2019, the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government in Baghdad are negotiating joint control over the disputed areas as their relations have become more cordial in the aftermath of ISIL's defeat.[42][43]

Geography

A valley in the north of the region, through which the Great Zab flows

The Kurdistan region of Iraq is an autonomous region in northern Iraq. It borders Iran in the east, Turkey in the north, and Syria in the west. The region encompasses most of Iraqi Kurdistan, which is the southern part of the greater geographical region of Kurdistan. The region lies between latitudes 34° and 38°N, and longitudes 41° and 47°E. Most of the northern and northeastern parts of the region are mountainous, especially those bordering Turkey and Iran. The region has several high mountains and mountain ranges. Other areas of the region are hills and plains, which make up the central and most southern parts of the region.[44]

Most of the precipitation there falls as rain or snow between November and April, annual precipitation ranges from about 375 to 724 mm. From ancient times this has made cultivation of winter crops (and vegetables and fruit in the summer) and the raising of livestock possible.[45]

Kurdish villagers working in a field

Around 1,368,388 hectares (33%) of the land is rainfed arable agricultural land and 328,428 hectares (8%) is Irrigated arable agricultural land.[46]

Climate

The climate of the Kurdistan Region is semi-arid continental; hot and dry in summer, and cold and wet in winter. The region is cooler compared to the central and southern parts of Iraq.[47]

Summers are hot and dry, with high average temperatures ranging from 35 °C (95 °F) in the cooler northernmost areas to blistering 40 °C (104 °F) in the southwest, with lows around 21 °C (70 °F) to 24 °C (75 °F). Winter is dramatically cooler than the rest of Iraq, with highs averaging between 9 °C (48 °F) and 11 °C (52 °F) and with lows hovering around 3 °C (37 °F) in some areas and freezing in others, dipping to −2 °C (28 °F) and 0 °C (32 °F) on average.

Climate data for Erbil
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 20
(68) 		27
(81) 		30
(86) 		34
(93) 		42
(108) 		44
(111) 		48
(118) 		49
(120) 		45
(113) 		39
(102) 		31
(88) 		24
(75) 		49
(120)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 12.4
(54.3) 		14.2
(57.6) 		18.1
(64.6) 		24.0
(75.2) 		31.5
(88.7) 		38.1
(100.6) 		42.0
(107.6) 		41.9
(107.4) 		37.9
(100.2) 		30.7
(87.3) 		21.2
(70.2) 		14.4
(57.9) 		27.2
(81.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 7.4
(45.3) 		8.9
(48.0) 		12.4
(54.3) 		17.5
(63.5) 		24.1
(75.4) 		29.7
(85.5) 		33.4
(92.1) 		33.1
(91.6) 		29.0
(84.2) 		22.6
(72.7) 		15.0
(59.0) 		9.1
(48.4) 		20.2
(68.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.4
(36.3) 		3.6
(38.5) 		6.7
(44.1) 		11.1
(52.0) 		16.7
(62.1) 		21.4
(70.5) 		24.9
(76.8) 		24.4
(75.9) 		20.1
(68.2) 		14.5
(58.1) 		8.9
(48.0) 		3.9
(39.0) 		13.2
(55.8)
Record low °C (°F) −4
(25) 		−6
(21) 		−1
(30) 		3
(37) 		6
(43) 		10
(50) 		13
(55) 		17
(63) 		11
(52) 		4
(39) 		−2
(28) 		−2
(28) 		−6
(21)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 111
(4.4) 		97
(3.8) 		89
(3.5) 		69
(2.7) 		26
(1.0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		12
(0.5) 		56
(2.2) 		80
(3.1) 		540
(21.2)
Average rainy days 9 9 10 9 4 1 0 0 1 3 6 10 62
Average snowy days 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Average relative humidity (%) 74.5 70 65 58.5 41.5 28.5 25 27.5 30.5 43.5 60.5 75.5 50.0
Source 1: Climate-Data.org,[48] My Forecast for records, humidity, snow and precipitation days[49]
Source 2: What's the Weather Like.org,[50] Erbilia[51]

Biodiversity

Vegetation in the region includes Abies cilicica, Quercus calliprinos, Quercus brantii, Quercus infectoria, Quercus ithaburensis, Quercus macranthera, Cupressus sempervirens, Platanus orientalis, Pinus brutia, Juniperus foetidissima, Juniperus excelsa, Juniperus oxycedrus, Salix alba, Olea europaea, Ficus carica, Populus euphratica, Populus nigra, Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus azarolus, cherry plum, rose hips, pistachio trees, pear and Sorbus graeca. The desert in the south is mostly steppe and would feature xeric plants such as palm trees, tamarix, date palm, fraxinus, poa, white wormwood and chenopodiaceae.[52][53]

Animals found in the region include the Syrian brown bear, wild boar, gray wolf, golden jackal, Indian crested porcupine, red fox, goitered gazelle, Eurasian otter, striped hyena, Persian fallow deer, onager, mangar and the Euphrates softshell turtle.[54]

Bird species include, the see-see partridge, Menetries's warbler, western jackdaw, Red-billed chough, hooded crow, European nightjar, rufous-tailed scrub robin, masked shrike and the pale rockfinch.[55][56]

Government and politics

Main articles: Kurdistan Region Parliament and Government of Kurdistan Region

The Kurdistan Region is a multi-party, democratic and parliamentary republic[57] and has a presidential system wherein the President is elected by Parliament for a four-year term. In case of extensions of parliament's term, the president's term is also automatically extended.[58] The current President is Nechirvan Barzani, who assumed office on 1 June 2019.[59] The Kurdistan Parliament has 111 seats and are held every fifth year. Traditonally, the two major parties in Kurdistan Region are Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

The Carnegie Middle East Center wrote in August 2015 that:[60]

The Kurdistan region of Iraq enjoys more stability, economic development, and political pluralism than the rest of the country. And public opinion under the Kurdistan Regional Government demands rule-of-law-based governance. But power is concentrated in the hands of the ruling parties and families, who perpetuate a nondemocratic, sultanistic system. These dynamics could foster instability in Kurdistan and its neighborhood, but could also provide a rare window of opportunity for democratization.

Disputed areas

Main article: Disputed territories of Northern Iraq
  Present territory controlled by the Kurdistan Region in the context of the Iraqi conflict

The Committee for implementing article 140 defines the disputed territories as those areas Arabised and whose border modified between 17 July 1968 and 9 April 2003. Those areas include parts of four governorates of pre-1968 borders.[61]

Disputed internal Kurdish–Iraqi boundaries have been a core concern for Arabs and Kurds, especially since US invasion and political restructuring in 2003. Kurds gained territory to the south of Iraqi Kurdistan after the US-led invasion in 2003 to regain what land they considered historically theirs.[62]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Kurdistan Region

Despite being landlocked, the Kurdistan Region pursues a proactive foreign policy, which includes strengthening diplomatic relations with Iran, Russia, United States and Turkey. Twenty nine countries have a diplomatic presence in the Kurdistan Region, while the Kurdistan Region has representative offices in 14 countries.[63]

Administrative divisions

Governorates of Kurdistan Region[64]

The Kurdistan Region is divided into four governorates (Kurdish: پارێزگا, Parêzga): the governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and Halabja. Each of these governorates is divided into districts, for a total of 26 districts. Each district is also divided into sub-districts. Each governorate has a capital city, while districts and sub-districts have 'district centers'.[64]

Governorate Population
(2020) 		Area
(km2) 		Area
(mi2)
Erbil هەولێر 2,932,800 14,873 5,743
Sulaymaniyah سلێمانی 2,250,000 20,144 7,778
Duhok دهۆک 1,292,535 10,956 4,230
Halabja هەڵەبجە 109,000 889 343
Total 6,584,335 46,862 18,094

Economy

Economy by sector (GDP, 2013)[65]

  Oil (80%)
  Agriculture (10%)
  Tourism (4%)
  Other (6%)
Main article: Economy of Kurdistan Region

The Kurdistan Region has the lowest poverty rates in Iraq[66] and the stronger economy of the Kurdistan Region attracted around 20,000 workers from other parts of Iraq between 2003 and 2005.[67] The number of millionaires in the city of Sulaymaniyah grew from 12 to 2,000 in 2003, reflecting the economic growth.[68] According to some estimates, the debt of the Kurdish government reached $18 billion by January 2016.[69]

The economy of Kurdistan is dominated by the oil industry.[70] However, Kurdish officials have since the late 2010s attempted to diversify the economy to mitigate a new economic crisis like the one which hit the region during the fight against ISIL.[65] Major oil export partners include Israel, Italy, France and Greece.[71]

Petroleum and mineral resources

KRG-controlled parts of Iraqi Kurdistan contain 4 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. However, the KRG has estimated that the region contains around 45 billion barrels (7.2×10^9 m3) of unproven oil resource.[72][73][74][75] Extraction of these reserves began in 2007.

In November 2011, Exxon challenged the Iraqi central government's authority with the signing of oil and gas contracts for exploration rights to six parcels of land in Kurdistan, including one contract in the disputed territories, just east of the Kirkuk mega-field.[76] This act caused Baghdad to threaten to revoke Exxon's contract in its southern fields, most notably the West-Qurna Phase 1 project.[77] Exxon responded by announcing its intention to leave the West-Qurna project.[78]

As of July 2007, the Kurdish government solicited foreign companies to invest in 40 new oil sites, with the hope of increasing regional oil production over the following 5 years by a factor of five, to about 1 million barrels per day (160,000 m3/d).[79] Notable companies active in Kurdistan include Exxon, TotalEnergies, Chevron, Talisman Energy, DNO, MOL Group, Genel Energy, Hunt Oil, Gulf Keystone Petroleum, and Marathon Oil.[80]

Other mineral resources that exist in significant quantities in the region include coal, copper, gold, iron, limestone (which is used to produce cement), marble, and zinc. The world's largest deposit of rock sulfur is located just southwest of Erbil.[81]

In July 2012, Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government signed an agreement by which Turkey would supply the KRG with refined petroleum products in exchange for crude oil.[82] However, in March 2023 the International Chamber of Commerce ruled that this agreement was illegal, causing the pumping of petroleum products through the Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey to cease.[83] The closure of the pipeline left much of the Kurdistan Region's petroleum output with no legal outlet, causing a rise in illegal smuggling of oil to Iran via tanker trucks.[84]

Demographics

Due to the lack of a proper census, the exact population and demographics of Kurdistan Region are unknown, but the government has started to publish more detailed figures. The population of the region is notoriously difficult to ascertain, as the Iraqi government has historically sought to minimize the importance of the Kurdish minority while Kurdish groups have had a tendency to exaggerate the numbers.[85] Based on available data, Kurdistan has a young population with an estimated 36% of the population being under the age of 15.[86]

Ethnic data (1917–1947)

Population of Mosul Province (1917–1947)[87]
Ethnic
group 		British data 1917 British data 1921 British data 1930 British data 1947
Number % Number % Number % Number %
Kurds 401,000 54.4% 454,720 57.9% 393,000 55% 804,240 63.1%
Arabs – – 185,763 23.6% – – – –
Turkmens – – 65,895 8.4% – – – –
Assyrians, Armenians – – 62,225 7.9% – – – –
Jews – – 16,865 2.1% – – – –
Other, unknown, not stated 336,026 45.6% – – 321,430 45% 470,050 36.9%
Total 737,026 785,468 714,430 1,274,290

Religion

Further information: Religion in Kurdistan

Kurdistan has a religiously diverse population. The dominant religion is Islam, which is professed by the majority of Kurdistan Region's inhabitants. These include Kurds, Iraqi Turkmen, and Arabs, belonging mostly to the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam. There is also a small number of Shia Feyli Kurds.[88]

In 2015, the Kurdistan Regional Government enacted a law to formally protect religious minorities. Christianity is professed by Assyrians and Armenians.

Yazidis make up a significant minority, with some 650,000 in 2005,[89] or 560,000 as of 2013,[88] The Yarsan (Ahl-e Haqq or Kakai) religion numbers around 200,000 adherents respectively.[88] In 2020, it was reported that 60 Zoroastrian families live in Iraqi Kurdistan.[90] The first Zoroastrian temple was opened in the city of Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî) in September 2016.[91]

A tiny ethno-religious community of Mandaeans also exists within the semi-autonomous region. The National Association of Jews from Kurdistan in Israel stated there is a small number of expatriate Jews in the Kurdistan Region, but no Jews remaining from original Jewish communities.[92][93]

Immigration

Widespread economic activity between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey has given the opportunity for Kurds in Turkey to seek jobs in the Kurdistan Region. A Kurdish newspaper based in the Kurdish capital estimates that around 50,000 Kurds from Turkey are now living in the Kurdistan Region.[94]

Refugees

See also: Refugees of the Syrian Civil War and Internally displaced persons in Iraq

The Kurdistan Region is hosting 1.2 million displaced Iraqis who have been displaced by the ISIS war, as of early December 2017. There were about 335,000 in the area prior to 2014 with the rest arriving in 2014 as a result of unrest in Syria and attacks by the Islamic State.[95]

Education

See also: List of universities in Kurdistan Region

Before the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government, primary and secondary education was almost entirely taught in Arabic. Higher education was always taught in Arabic. This however changed with the establishment of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region. The first international school, the International School of Choueifat opened its branch in the Kurdistan Region in 2006. Other international schools have opened and British International Schools in Kurdistan is the latest with a planned opening in Suleimaniah in September 2011.

The Kurdistan Region's official universities are listed below, followed by their English acronym (if commonly used), internet domain, establishment date and latest data about the number of students.

Institute Internet domain Established Students
University of Sulaimani (UOS) univsul.edu.iq 1968 25,900 (2013)
Salahaddin University (SU) www.su.edu.krd 1970 20,000 (2013)
University of Duhok www.uod.ac 1992 19,615 (2017)[96]
University of Zakho www.uoz.edu.krd 2010 2,600 (2011)[97]
University of Koya (KU) www.koyauniversity.org 2003 4260 (2014)
University of Kurdistan Hewler (UKH) www.ukh.edu.krd 2006 400 (2006)
The American University of Iraq – Sulaimani (AUIS) www.auis.edu.krd 2007 1100 (2014)
American University Duhok Kurdistan (AUDK) www.audk.edu.krd 2014
Hawler Medical University (HMU) www.hmu.edu.krd 2006 (3400) (2018)
Business & Management University (BMU) www.lfu.edu.krd/index.php 2007
Lebanese French University www.lfu.edu.krd 2007 2,600 (2022)
Cihan University www.cihanuniversity.edu.iq 2007
Komar University of Science and Technology (KUST) www.komar.edu.iq 2012
Ishik University (IU) www.ishik.edu.krd Archived 2018-08-09 at the Wayback Machine 2008 1,700 (2012)
Soran University www.soran.edu.iq 2009 2200 (2011)
Nawroz University web.nawroz.edu.krd/ 2004
University of Human Development (UHD/Qaradax) www.uhd.edu.iq Archived 2017-03-08 at the Wayback Machine 2008
Sulaimani Polytechnic University (SPU) www.http://spu.edu.iq 1996 13000 (2013)
Knowledge University (KNU) knu.edu.iq 2009 2800 (2021)
Catholic University in Erbil (CUE) cue.edu.krd 2015 271 (2022)

Human resources

Iraqi Kurdistan has been investing in the growth of its human capital in general.[98] Public sector employees are often enrolled in local training programmes or sent overseas to participate in training courses, technical classes, and professional development programmes.[99] However, factors such as the lack of a practical and formal HRD framework specific to the KRG's public sector, the absence of evaluation process, inadequate civil service training institutions, and corruption have hampered effective and efficient professional development and training in the public sector.[99] Therefore, an assessment of such programmes and their outcomes is needed to identify any misuse of public funds, as well as to assist in the reducing of administrative and political corruption and to make policy recommendations. The government's policies for the public sector have also had an impact on the private sector. However, the government has played a much smaller role in the private sector.[100] In Iraqi Kurdistan, the Ministry of Planning has primarily concentrated on activating training in the public sector, with the goal of expanding opportunities and improving the efficiency of the training process.[99] In the long run, this will have an effect on private sector training and growth.

Human rights

In 2010 Human Rights Watch reported that journalists in the Kurdistan Region who criticize the regional government have faced substantial violence, threats, and lawsuits, and some have fled the country.[101] Some journalists faced trial and threats of imprisonment for their reports about corruption in the region.[101]

In 2009 Human Rights Watch found that some health providers in Iraqi Kurdistan had been involved in both performing and promoting misinformation about the practice of female genital mutilation. Girls and women receive conflicting and inaccurate messages from media campaigns and medical personnel on its consequences.[102] The Kurdistan parliament in 2008 passed a draft law outlawing the practice, but the ministerial decree necessary to implement it, expected in February 2009, was cancelled.[103] As reported to the Centre for Islamic Pluralism by the non-governmental organization, called as Stop FGM in Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, on 25 November, officially admitted the wide prevalence in the territory of female genital mutilation (FGM). Recognition by the KRG of the frequency of this custom among Kurds came during a conference program commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.[104] On 27 November 2010, the Kurdish government officially admitted to violence against women in Kurdistan and began taking serious measures.[105] 21 June 2011 The Family Violence Bill was approved by the Kurdistan Parliament, it includes several provisions criminalizing the practice.[106] A 2011 Kurdish law criminalized FGM practice in Iraqi Kurdistan and law was accepted four years later.[107][108][109] The studies have shown that there is a trend of general decline of FGM.[110]

British lawmaker Robert Halfon sees the Kurdistan Region as a more progressive Muslim region than the other Muslim countries in the Middle East.[111]

Although the Kurdish regional parliament has officially recognized ethnic minorities such as Assyrians, Turkmen, Arabs, Armenians, Mandaeans, Shabaks and Yazidis, there have been accusations of Kurdish discrimination against those groups. The Assyrians have reported Kurdish officials' reluctance in rebuilding Assyrian villages in their region while constructing more settlements for the Kurds affected during the Anfal campaign.[112] After his visit to the region, Dutch politician Joël Voordewind noted that the positions reserved for minorities in the Kurdish parliament were appointed by Kurds as the Assyrians for example had no possibility to nominate their own candidates.[113]

The Kurdish regional government has also been accused of trying to Kurdify other regions such as the Nineveh Plains and Kirkuk by providing financial support for Kurds who want to settle in those areas.[114][115]

While Kurdish forces held the city of Kirkuk, Kurdish authorities attempted to Kurdify the city. Turkmen and Arab residents in Kirkuk experienced intimidation, harassment and were forced to leave their homes, in order to increase the Kurdish demographic in Kirkuk and bolster their claims to the city. Multiple Human Rights Watch reports detail the confiscation of Turkmen and Arab families' documents, preventing them from voting, buying property and travelling. Turkmen residents of Kirkuk were detained by Kurdish forces and compelled to leave the city. Kurdish authorities expelled hundreds of Arab families from the city, demolishing their homes in the process.[116][117][118]

United Nations reports since 2006 have documented that Kurdish authorities and Peshmerga militia forces were illegally policing Kirkuk and other disputed areas, and that these militia have abducted Turkmen and Arabs, subjecting them to torture.[119]

In April 2016, Human Rights Watch wrote that the Kurdish security force of KRG, the Asayish, blocked the roads to Erbil to prevent Assyrians from holding a protest. According to demonstrators, the reason for the blocked protest was that Kurds in the Nahla Valley, mainly populated by Assyrians, encroached on land owned by Assyrians, without any action by courts or officials to remove the structures the Kurds built there.[120]

In February 2017, Human Rights Watch said Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) forces are detaining men and boys who have fled the fighting in Mosul even after they have passed security checks. Detainees were held for up to four months without any communication with their families. Relatives of these men and boys said that KRG and Iraqi forces didn't inform them of the places of their detained relatives and didn't facilitate any contact with them.[121]

Human Rights Watch reported that Kurdistan Regional Government security forces and local police detained 32 unarmed protesters in Erbil on March 4, 2017, at a peaceful demonstration against recent clashes in Sinjar. 23 of them were released at the same day and 3 more within four days, but 6, all foreign nationals, are still being held. A police chief ordered one protester who was released to permanently leave Erbil, where he was living. While in detention, protesters were not allowed to contact with anyone or have access to a lawyer.[122]

In 2017, Assyrian activists Juliana Taimoorazy and Matthew Joseph accused the Kurdistan Regional Government of issuing threats of violence against Assyrians living in the area who protested its independence referendum. These accusations were later confirmed when the KDP-controlled provincial council of Alqosh issued a statement warning residents that they would face consequences for protesting the referendum.[123]

In 2010, it was reported that passing of a new law in Iraqi Kurdistan, guaranteeing “gender equality”, has deeply outraged some local religious community, including the minister of endowments and religious affairs and prominent imams, who interpreted the phrase as "legitimizing homosexuality in Kurdistan".[124] Kamil Haji Ali, the minister of endowments and religious affairs, said in this regard that the new law would “spread immorality” and “distort” Kurdish society.[124] Following an outrage of religious movements, the KRG held a press conference, where the public were ensured that gender equality did not include giving marriage rights to homosexuals, whose existence is effectively invisible in Iraq due to restrictive traditional rules.[124]

In the disputed areas of Sinjar and the Nineveh Plains, the Kurdistan Regional Government has been accused by the native Assyrian[125] and Yazidi[126][127] inhabitants of forcefully disarming them with the guarantee of protection in order to justify the Peshmerga’s presence in those regions.[126] In 2014, when the Islamic State invaded Northern Iraq, the Peshmerga abandoned their posts in these areas without notifying the locals.[127]

Infrastructure and transportation

Infrastructure

Due to the devastation of the campaigns of the Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein and other former Iraqi regimes, the Kurdistan Region's infrastructure was never able to modernize. After the 1991 safe haven was established, the Kurdistan Regional Government began projects to reconstruct the Kurdistan Region. Since then, of all the 4,500 villages that were destroyed by Saddam Husseins' regime, 65% have been reconstructed by the KRG.[128]

Transportation

Sulaimaniyah International Airport
Erbil International Airport
Airports of Sulaimaniyah and Erbil

Iraqi Kurdistan can be reached by land and air. By land, Iraqi Kurdistan can be reached most easily by Turkey through the Habur Border Gate which is the only border gate between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey. This border gate can be reached by bus or taxi from airports in Turkey as close as the Mardin or Diyarbakir airports, as well as from Istanbul or Ankara. Iraqi Kurdistan has two border gates with Iran, the Haji Omaran border gate and the Bashmeg border gate near the city of Sulaymaniyah. Iraqi Kurdistan has also a border gate with Syria known as the Faysh Khabur border gate.[129] From within Iraq, the Kurdistan Region can be reached by land from multiple roads.

Two international airports are located in the region; Erbil International Airport and Sulaimaniyah International Airport, which both operate flights to Middle Eastern and European destinations. The KRG spent millions of dollars on the airports to attract international carriers, and currently Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Etihad, Royal Jordanian, Emirates, Gulf Air, Pegasus Airlines, Egyptair, Middle East Airlines, Fly Baghdad, Atlas Jet, Iraqi Airways, Wizz Air,[130] Flynas[131] and Fly Dubai all service the region. There are at least 2 military airfields in Iraqi Kurdistan.[132]

Culture and Society

Languages

Kurdistan Region is a multilingual region with several languages and dialects. The majority of the people speak Kurdish in its various dialects. The two main Kurdish dialects in the region are Central Kurdish (Sorani) and Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), other Kurdish dialects and languages spoken in the region by small communities are Hawrami Kurdish, Southern Kurdish, Arabic, Assyrian, Armenian, and Turkmen.[133]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Official in administrative districts with high number of speakers, called Syriac in constitution.
  2. ^ Official in administrative districts with high number of speakers, the written language of the Iraqi Turkmen is based on Istanbul Turkish using the modern Turkish alphabet.[4]
  3. ^ Sorani Kurdish: هەرێمی کوردستان, romanized: Herêmî Kurdistan
    Kurmanji Kurdish: Herêma Kurdistanê[11]
    Arabic: إقليم كردستان, romanized: Iqlīm Kurdistān[12]
  4. ^ Federal region; (Arabic: اقليم اتحادي, romanized: Iqlīm Ittiḥādī) in the Iraqi constitution

References

  1. ^ Joseph R. Rudolph Jr. (2015). Encyclopedia of Modern Ethnic Conflicts, 2nd Edition. p. 275.
  2. ^ "Kurdistan Region Constitution (Article 10)". Kurdistan Tribune.
  3. ^ "Kurdistan Region Constitution (Article 14)". Kurdistan Tribune.
  4. ^ Saatçi, Suphi (2018), "The Turkman of Iraq", in Bulut, Christiane (ed.), Linguistic Minorities in Turkey and Turkic-Speaking Minorities of the Periphery, Harrassowitz Verlag, p. 357, ISBN 978-3447107235
  5. ^ "Kurdistan Region Constitution (Article 14, Second)". Kurdistan Tribune.
  6. ^ "Kurdistan Region Area". krso.gov.krd. Kurdistan Region Statistics Office. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Population". krso.gov.krd. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  8. ^ a b c "Erbil International Fair" (PDF). aiti.org.ir. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  9. ^ a b c kurdistanchronicle. "Invest Kurdistan: An Emerging, Multi-Sector Business Hub". kurdistanchronicle.com. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  10. ^ a b "Iraq Human Development Report 2014" (PDF). p. 29. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Şandeke Herêma Kurdistanê serdana Bexdayê dike". Rûdaw (in Kurdish). Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  12. ^ "حکومەتی هەرێمی كوردستان" (in Kurdish). Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  13. ^ "Iraq". CIA.gov.
  14. ^ "Iraq's Constitution of 2005" (PDF). 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  15. ^ a b Alex Danilovich (2016). Iraqi Kurdistan in Middle Eastern politics. Taylor & Francis. p. 18. ISBN 978-1315468402.
  16. ^ Peter J. Lambert (December 1997). The United States and the Kurds: case studies in United States engagement (PDF). Monterey, California: Calhoun – Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School. pp. 85–87. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  17. ^ Philip S. Hadji (September 2015). "Iraq Timeline: Since the 2003 War". United States Institute of Peace. 41 (2). Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  18. ^ "Iraqi Kurdistan profile". BBC News. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Iraqi Kurds 'withdraw to 2014 lines'". 18 October 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  20. ^ Mari R. Rostami (2019). Kurdish Nationalism on Stage: Performance, Politics and Resistance in Iraq. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 67. ISBN 978-1788318709.
  21. ^ E. O'Ballance (1995). The Kurdish Struggle, 1920-94. Palgrave. p. 20.
  22. ^ Tareq Y. Ismael, Jacqueline S. Ismael (2005). Iraq in the Twenty-First Century: Regime Change and the Making of a Failed State. Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 1317567595.
  23. ^ Gordon W. Rudd (2004). Humanitarian Intervention – Assisting the Iraqi Kurds in Operation PROVIDE COMFORT, 1991. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army. p. 12.
  24. ^ Arash Reisinezhad (2018). The Shah of Iran, the Iraqi Kurds, and the Lebanese Shia. Springer. p. 126. ISBN 978-3319899473.
  25. ^ Rafaat, Aram (2018). Kurdistan in Iraq: The Evolution of a Quasi-State. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 9781351188814.
  26. ^ Multiple sources:
  27. ^ Katzman, Kenneth (1 October 2010). The Kurds in Post-Saddam Iraq (PDF). Congressional Research Service. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  28. ^ Efraim Karsh (2002). The Iran-Iraq War, 1980–1988. Osprey Pub. ISBN 978-1-84176-371-2.
  29. ^ David McDowall (2004). A modern history of the Kurds (3rd ed.). I.B. Tauris. p. 357. ISBN 9781850434160.
  30. ^ Gareth R. V. Stansfield (2003). Iraqi Kurdistan – Political development and emergent democracy. RoutledgeCurzon. pp. 146–152. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.465.8736. ISBN 0-415-30278-1.
  31. ^ Alan Makovsky (29 September 1998). "Kurdish Agreement Signals New U.S. Commitment". Washington Institute. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  32. ^ Robert W. Olson (1996). The Kurdish nationalist movement in the 1990s: its impact on Turkey and the Middle East. p. 56.
  33. ^ Kanan Makiya (1998). Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq, Updated Edition. University of California Press. p. 321. ISBN 0520921240.
  34. ^ "Barzani: PKK Rebels Should Leave Northern Iraq". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 1 August 2015. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  35. ^ a b c d Mohammed M. A. Ahmed (2012). Iraqi Kurds and nation-building (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137034076.
  36. ^ Krajeski, Jenna (20 March 2013). "The Iraq War Was a Good Idea, If You Ask the Kurds". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  37. ^ Appendix B – Statement of Reasons – Ansar al-Islam (formerly Ansar al-Sunna). Parliament of Australia. 15 June 2009. ISBN 978-0-642-79186-3. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  38. ^ "Kurdish opposition makes strong showing in Iraq regional elections". Los Angeles Times. 27 July 2009. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  39. ^ Aram Rafaat (2018). Kurdistan in Iraq: The Evolution of a Quasi-State. Routledge. p. 187. ISBN 9780815393337.
  40. ^ "Iraqi Kurds 'withdraw to 2014 lines'". 18 October 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  41. ^ "Infographic: Control Over Iraq's Disputed Territories". Stratfor. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  42. ^ "Kurdish leaders discuss disputed areas, Erbil-Baghdad ties with US delegation". Kurdistan24. 25 June 2019. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  43. ^ "Exclusive: New Kurdish PM says priority is stronger Baghdad ties, rather than independence". Reuters. 10 July 2019. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  44. ^ "Kurdistan Region Geography". KRG Representation in Spain. www.krgspain.org. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  45. ^ "Geography of Iraq". fanack.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  46. ^ "Agricultural lands". krso.gov.krd. Kurdistan Region Statistics Office. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  47. ^ "Kurdistan Region – Geographical characteristics and climate". presidency.gov.krd. Kurdistan Region Presidency. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  48. ^ "Climate: Arbil – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  49. ^ "Irbil, Iraq Climate". My Forecast. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  50. ^ "Erbil climate info". What's the Weather Like.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  51. ^ "Erbil Weather Forecast and Climate Information". Erbilia. Archived from the original on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  52. ^ Village on the Euphrates: From Foraging to Farming at Abu Hureyra, by A. M. T Moore, G. C. Hillman and A. J. Legge, Published 2000, Oxford University Press
  53. ^ A Dictionary of Scripture Geography, p 57, by John Miles, 486 pages, Published 1846, Original from Harvard University
  54. ^ Al-Sheikhly, O.F.; and Nader, I.A. (2013). The Status of the Iraq Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli Hayman 1956 and Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra Linnaeus 1758 in Iraq. Archived 2017-08-07 at the Wayback Machine IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 30(1).
  55. ^ C.Michael Hogan. 2009. Hooded Crow: Corvus cornix. GlobalTwitcher. Archived 2010-11-26 at the Wayback Machine ed. N.Stromberg
  56. ^ "Iraq's Marshes Show Progress toward Recovery". Wildlife Extra. Archived from the original on 9 May 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  57. ^ Constitution of Kurdistan Region–Article 1
  58. ^ "Amendment of Presidency Law, 2019" (PDF). Kurdistan Parliament. 11 September 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  59. ^ "Nechirvan Barzani elected president of Kurdistan Region of Iraq". Reuters. 28 May 2019. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  60. ^ "Kurdistan's Politicized Society Confronts a Sultanistic System". Carnegie Middle East Center. 2015-08-18. Archived from the original on 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  61. ^ "نبذة عن اللجنة". com140.com. p. ar. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  62. ^ Bartu, Peter (2010). "Wrestling With the Integrity of A Nation: The Disputed Internal Boundaries in Iraq". International Affairs. 6. 86 (6): 1329–1343. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2346.2010.00946.x.
  63. ^ "Department of Foreign Relations Kurdistan Regional Government". dfr.gov.krd. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  64. ^ a b "Map of area of Kurdistan Region & its Governorates". www.krso.net. Archived from the original on 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  65. ^ a b Pankaj, D.; Ramyar, R.A. (22 January 2019). "Diversification Of Economy–An Insight into Economic Development with Special Reference to Kurdistan" s Oil Economy and Agriculture Economy". Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences. 85 (1): 395–404. doi:10.18551/rjoas.2019-01.48.
  66. ^ "Nearly 25 percent of Iraqis live in poverty". NBC News. 2009-05-20. Archived from the original on 2014-02-04. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
  67. ^ Barkey, HJ; Laipson, E (2005). "Iraqi Kurds And Iraq's Future". Middle East Policy. 12 (4): 66–76 [68]. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4967.2005.00225.x.
  68. ^ "Iraqi President Talabani's Letter to America". 22 September 2006. Archived from the original on 15 February 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  69. ^ Zaman, Amberin (20 January 2016). "Is the KRG heading for bankruptcy?". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  70. ^ "The Kurdish opening". The Economist. 2012-11-03. Archived from the original on 2017-09-23. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  71. ^ "Israel turns to Kurds for three-quarters of its oil supplies". Financial Times. 23 August 2015. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  72. ^ U.S. Energy Information Administration Archived 2014-12-23 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  73. ^ Bloomberg Archived 2015-01-11 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  74. ^ New oil pipeline boosts Iraqi Kurdistan Archived 2017-10-12 at the Wayback Machine, Washingtonpost. Retrieved 2014-12-23
  75. ^ Will Kurds use oil to break free from Iraq? Archived 2014-09-14 at the Wayback Machine, CNN. Retrieved 2014-12-23
  76. ^ "westernzagros.com Oil Map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-09.
  77. ^ "Exxon's Kurdistan". Zawya. 3 April 2012. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014.
  78. ^ "Iraq says expects Exxon to finish West Qurna Sale by December". Reuters.[dead link‍]
  79. ^ "Iraqi Kurds open 40 new oil sites to foreign investors". Iraq Updates. 2007-07-09. Archived from the original on 2011-04-24. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  80. ^ "Kurdistan Oil and Gas Activity Map" (PDF). Western Zagros. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  81. ^ Official statements on the oil and gas sector in the Kurdistan region[usurped], Kurdistan Development Corporation.
  82. ^ "First Shipment of Kurdistan Crude Arrives in Turkey". BrightWire. Archived from the original on 2013-01-18.
  83. ^ Rasheed, Ahmed; Edwards, Rowena (2023-03-25). "Iraq halts northern crude exports after winning arbitration case against Turkey". Reuters.
  84. ^ Azhari, Timour (2024-07-11). "Kurdish oil smuggling to Iran flourishes". Reuters.
  85. ^ Gareth R. V. Stansfield; Jomo (29 August 2003). Iraqi Kurdistan: Political Development and Emergent Democracy. Routledge. pp. 32–. ISBN 978-1-134-41416-1. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  86. ^ "The people of the Kurdistan Region". www.krg.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-06. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  87. ^ Fuat Dundar (2012). British Use of Statistics in the Iraqi Kurdish Question (1919–1932) (PDF). p. 45. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  88. ^ a b c "Minorities in Iraq: Memory, Identity and Challenges" (PDF). 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 1, 2014.
  89. ^ "Iraq's Yezidis: A Religious and Ethnic Minority Group Faces Repression and Assimilation" (PDF). September 25, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2006.
  90. ^ "Kurdistan welcomes US State Department report on religious freedom". Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  91. ^ "Hopes for Zoroastrianism revival in Kurdistan as first temple opens its doors". rudaw.net. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  92. ^ "Regarding Jewish status, and lack of populations in the Kurdistan Region" (Press release). National Association of Jews from Kurdistan in Israel. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  93. ^ Ben Solomon, Ariel (7 December 2015). "Publicity seeking Kurdish official brings back memories of Jewish Kurd aliya fiasco". jpost.com. The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  94. ^ "An unusual new friendship". The Economist. February 19, 2009. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  95. ^ "Urgent reconstruction needed for returning Iraqi refugees: IOM". Rudaw. February 22, 2018. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  96. ^ "About The University of Duhok". Archived from the original on 2017-11-17. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  97. ^ "Opening Ceremony of The 1st International Scientific Conference – UOZ 2013". Archived from the original on 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
  98. ^ Maher, Asaad Hamdi (30 June 2017). "Trends in human capital formation in the Kurdistan Region – Iraq". Journal of University of Human Development. 3 (2): 333. doi:10.21928/juhd.v3n2y2017.pp333-353.
  99. ^ a b c Khodr, Hiba; Zirar, Araz Abdullah (December 2013). "International briefing 30: training and development in Iraqi Kurdistan". International Journal of Training and Development. 17 (4): 295–309. doi:10.1111/ijtd.12014.
  100. ^ Ahmad, A.B.; Shah, M. (2016). Shah, M.; Nair, C.S. (eds.). "The rise of private higher education in Kurdistan". A Global Perspective on Private Higher Education. Chandos Publishing: 219–228. doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-100872-0.00013-6. ISBN 9780081008720.
  101. ^ a b "Iraqi Kurdistan: Journalists Under Threat". Human Rights Watch. 29 October 2010. Archived from the original on 18 August 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  102. ^ "Abusing Patients | Human Rights Watch (Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) section)". 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-03-08. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  103. ^ "Iraq: Events of 2009". Iraq. Human Right Watch. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  104. ^ "IRAQ: Iraqi Kurdistan Confronts Female Genital Mutilation". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  105. ^ Rudaw in English The Happening: Latest News and Multimedia about Kurdistan, Iraq and the World – Kurdistan Takes Measures Against Gender-Based Violence Archived 2011-09-02 at the Wayback Machine
  106. ^ "Human Rights Watch lauds FGM law in Iraqi Kurdistan". Ekurd.net. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  107. ^ "KRG looks to enhance protection of women, children". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  108. ^ "Human Rights Watch lauds FGM law in Iraqi Kurdistan". Ekurd.net. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  109. ^ Iraqi Kurdistan: Law Banning FGM Not Being Enforced Archived 2017-04-09 at the Wayback Machine Human Rights Watch, August 29, 2012
  110. ^ "Stop FGM in Kurdistan". www.stopfgmkurdistan.org. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  111. ^ "British MP hails Iraqi Kurdistan as regional leader in religioustolerance". Ekurd.net. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  112. ^ Al-Ali, Nadje; Pratt, Nicola (2009). What kind of liberation?: women and the occupation of Iraq. University of California Press. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-520-25729-0. Archived from the original on 2016-01-07. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  113. ^ Voordewind, Joël (2008). Religious Cleansing in Iraq (PDF). nowords, ChristenUnie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-04-11.
  114. ^ Hashim, Ahmed (2005). Insurgency and counter-insurgency in Iraq. Cornell University Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-8014-4452-4. Archived from the original on 2016-01-07. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  115. ^ Taneja, Preti (2007). Assimilation, exodus, eradication: Iraq's minority communities since 2003. Minority Rights Group International. p. 20. ISBN 9781904584605. Archived from the original on 2016-01-07. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  116. ^ "Iraq: Kirkuk Security Forces Expel Displaced Turkmen". Human Rights Watch. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  117. ^ "KRG: Kurdish Forces Ejecting Arabs In Kirkuk". Human Rights Watch. 3 November 2016. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  118. ^ "Iraq: Arab's homes destroyed in Kirkuk". Human Rights Watch. 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19.
  119. ^ "Uncertain Refuge, Dangerous Return: Iraq's Uprooted Minorities" (PDF). Minority Rights Group International. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  120. ^ "Iraqi Kurdistan: Christian Demonstration Blocked". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  121. ^ "Iraq/Kurdistan Region: Men, Boys Who Fled ISIS Detained". Human Rights Watch. 2017-02-26. Archived from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  122. ^ "Kurdistan Region of Iraq: 32 Arrested at Peaceful Protest". Human Rights Watch. 2017-03-16. Archived from the original on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  123. ^ Smith, Jesserer (October 3, 2017). "Kurdish Referendum May Imperil Christian and Minority Safe Haven in Iraq". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  124. ^ a b c Homosexuality Fears Over Gender Equality in Iraqi Kurdistan Archived 2012-01-24 at the Wayback Machine
  125. ^ Hanna, Reine (September 26, 2019). "Testimony for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Religious Minorities' Fight to Remain in Iraq" (PDF). United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  126. ^ a b ""They came to destroy": ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis" (PDF). June 15, 2016. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  127. ^ a b van den Toorn, Christine (August 17, 2014). "How the U.S.-Favored Kurds Abandoned the Yazidis when ISIS Attacked". Institute of Regional & International Studies. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  128. ^ "Kurdistan Regional Government". KRG. Archived from the original on 2014-04-05. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  129. ^ "Iraq federal, Kurd region oil chiefs informally agree on exports". UPI.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
  130. ^ "Wizzair Flights to Erbil".
  131. ^ flynas. "Office Locations | flynas". flynas.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  132. ^ "Military Comms Monitoring. HF VHF UHF". Milaircomms.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
  133. ^ "Gobierno Regional del Kurdistán | Language". krgspain.org. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kurdistan_Region&oldid=1259168196"