KURDISTAN (kur-dis-tan'), an ex tensive geographical, though not polit ical, region of Asia, for the most part included within a line drawn from Sivas in Asia Minor by way of Diarbekr, Sulimanich, Kermanshah and Urmia (in Persia), Mount Ararat, and Erzerenn, back to Sivas. Kurdistan thus belongs to both the Turkish and Persian mon archies, chiefly to the former, and con tains about 50,000 square miles, with a population estimated at more than 2,250, 000, thus distributed: Nearly 1,500,000 in Turkey, 700,000 in Persia, 45,000 in Russian Transcaucasia, and about 5,000 on the Afghano-Persian frontier (traii planted thither by Nadir Shah). The country embraces the mountainous chains that abut upon the Armenian plateau on the S. and on the Iranian plateau on the E. Thus its surface ranges from 5,000 up to 15,000 feet in altitude. The principal products of the soil and of native industry are wool, but ter, sheep, gum, gall-nuts, hides, raisins, and tobacco.
The bulk of the inhabitants are Kurds (the ancient Carduchi), a race partly nomad and pastoral, and partly settled and agricultural. The Kurds speak a language called Kermanji, derived from an old Persian dialect. They are predatory and impatient of political subjection, but recognize a code of rude chivalrous honor and are hospitable and brave. They live under chiefs of their own, but are nominally subject to the Porte and the Shah of Persia respectively. Their origin is traced back to the Turanian Gutu or Kurdu, who were a powerful people in Assyrian times. The great Saladin was of Kurd ish descent. In 1880 an extensive Kurd ish rising against Persia took place. The chief towns are Bitlis, Van, Urumia, Diarbekr, and Kermanshah. Estimates of population give 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 to the Turkish portion, and from 400,000 to 500,000 to the Persian part.