KURDISTAN, (Pers., land of the Kurds). The name of a region south of Ar menia. in Western Asia, extending in a northwest and southeast direction through the northeastern part of the Turkish dominions and the north western part of Persia, from about latitude 34° to 39° N. and from about longitude 38° to 48° E. (Slap: Persia, B 3). It reaches to the vicin ity of Malatia in the west, borders on the Tigris in the south, and embraces Lake in the east. On the northern borders is Lake Van. Area, about 53,000 square miles. The region is very mountainous. West of Lake \ an there are distinguished three principal and a number of secondary ranges, inclosing high, fertile valleys and forming one of the most picturesque parts of Western Asia. As we approach the Persian frontier, the country is still more mountain ous, the mountain masses intersecting each other in every direction and possessing an average ele vation of not less than 10.000 feet, with single peaks rising to greater heights. In the Per
sian part of Kurdistan the ranges decrease in size, and the proportion of open country is much larger. Along the Tigris extends a level plain. Kurdistan belongs to the basins of the Tigris and the Euphrates, being traversed by numerous streams coursing south from the Ar menian highlands. Among the rivers which de scend from the mountains of Kurdistan to join the Tigris are the Greater and Lesser Zak The climate is hot and dry in the summer and rather severe in the winter. Cereals and southern fruits are produced in abundance. The region is in habited mainly by Kurds (q.v.). Turkish Kur distan is included mainly in the vilavets of Diarbekir, Bitlis, and Van. The part belonging to Persia has a relatively small area. 111 the extreme south of this portion is the town of Kimanshah. No reliable figures as to population are available. Kurdistan is a part of ancient Assyria.