KURDISTAN, in its broadest or ethnographical accepta tion, means the region inhabited by the Kurds, an area stretch ing north and south from Mount Ararat to the Diyala tributary of the Tigris, and east and west from about 28° E. to the Kara Su. Thus the country occupied more or less continuously by the Kurds is 600 m. in length from south-east to north-west and from 120-150 m. in breadth. The territory is now divided between Persia, 'Iraq and Turkey and probably has a total Kurdish popu lation of about 1,500,00o.
In Persia the Kurds occupy mainly the provinces of Kerman shah and Kurdistan as well as the southern part of Azerbaijan and the mountainous region of the districts of Urmia, Khoi, and the southern slopes of Ararat. Colonies of Kurds are found also in Khurasan, Fars and Burujird (Luristan). In Asiatic Turkey the principal localities occupied by Kurds lie just along the Turco-Persian frontier and Kurds mingled with Christians inhabit the region around Lake Van.
Between the upper courses of the Tigris and Euphrates Kurds are found mainly to the north of a line joining Feshkhabur (near Jazirat ibn Omar) to Su maisat above Birejik and they are also found considerably west ward of the Euphrates. They are numerous around Bitlis, Erzin jan, Diarbekr, Erzerum and on the western slopes of Ararat. In the mandated territory of 'Iraq, in what was formerly the Turkish vilayet of Mosul, according to the census of 5923-4, they num bered ; they occupy the whole of the town of Sulai maniya, and form a majority in Erbil and Kirkuk. (In Russian Transcaucasia the Kurds of Erivan and Kars were said to number 125,000 in 1910.) The Kurdish race is thus distributed under three jurisdictions : a condition which is likely to retard their development into a homogeneous community.
Kurdistan, in the narrower sense, is a province of Persia situ ated in the mountainous country between Azerbaijan on the north, and Kermanshah on the south, extending to the frontier of Iraq on the west and bounded east by the provinces of Gerrus and Hamadan. The administrative headquarters is Sinandaj (more generally called Sinneh) and the revenue of the province amounted to 1,624,099 krans in 1926-7 (i St.= 45 krans) which is small in
comparison with the area and due to the fact that a great part of the population consists of restive and turbulent nomads who are resentful of official control.
The province occupies the mountainous system which starting from the range of Anti Taurus sweeps east to become the Zagros, which the Kurds share with the Lurs farther south. The country presents either masses of mountains heaped upon each other or great upland tablelands covered with flocks and the tents of the Ilyats. The valleys are deep and narrow, wherein the villages are commonly built in situations which protect the inhabitants from the inclemency of the weather. The soil in the valleys is good and would yield in abundance, but the Kurds prefer a pas toral life. The district of Ardalan in particular produces excellent pasture. The chief natural productions are wheat, barley, cotton, tobacco and all kinds of fruits (particularly cherries) and vege tables. The walnut tree is common and the oaks here yield great quantities of gall-nuts which are largely exported. Snow falls for four months of the year during which the sedentary people live much in underground houses as a protection from the weather, where they store food for themselves and fodder for their cattle. The great need is fuel and dried dung is carefully stored for this purpose.
The population consists almost wholly of hill people and nomad tribes, except at Sinandaj and a few other populous cen tres. Sinandaj is situated in 35° 15' N. and 47° 18' E., at an elevation of 5,300 ft. and is 200 m. S. of Tabriz, 8o m. N.W. of Hamadan and 87 m. N. of Kermanshah to all of which places cart-tracks lead. The population is estimated at about 32,000, of whom a few hundreds are Jews and Armenians. The town lies snugly in a valley and in general appearance is pleasing, the houses being generally well built among gardens. The residence of the governor is a castle called Dar ul Ayaleh on a hill above the town. The chief industries are the making of carpets of wool and felt and as the local wool is of excellent quality the products are highly prized. Other articles of trade are hides, skins, sheep and cereals.