The national homeland of the Kurds (Greater Kurdistan) is separated into four regions occupied by Turkey (Northern Kurdistan), Iran (Eastern Kurdistan), Iraq (Southern Kurdistan), and Syria (Western Kurdistan). Northern Kurdistan covers most of the landmass in Southeastern Turkey and stretch to a small coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. Eastern Kurdistan is located in Western Iran covering most of the areas in Northern
Zagros Mountains. Southern Kurdistan is located in Northern Iraq, which is currently an autonomist region called the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Western Kurdistan is located in North Eastern Syria and most of the land area around Efrin district. Each region’s Kurdish population is measured using the national statistic centers of
the nation states that occupy greater Kurdistan. The Kurdish population is one of the hardest data to measure, since they are not recognized by the government of Turkey, Iran,
and Syria as minority groups. It is very difficult to come up with an exact figure for the population of the Kurds in each nation. To measure the population, maps and various sources were used to come up with an estimate for each province that are Kurdish dominated in terms of population and historical records.
Northern Kurdistan has the largest Kurdish population, and it is also the largest region in greater Kurdistan with twenty –five provinces. Eastern Kurdistan has the second largest population and land area with four provinces. Southern Kurdistan is third in terms of population and land area with four provinces. Western Kurdistan is fourth both in population and in land area compared to the other regions of Kurdistan with one province.
The population of ethnic Kurds is estimated to be around 32,000,000 in greater Kurdistan and in other regions of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. This data does not provide the population of ethnic Kurds in Europe, and North America which is estimated at around 1.4 million. The population data of ethnic Kurds in the Caucasus region which is estimated at around 300,000 to 500,000 is not provided in this paper.
Greater Kurdistan Population(2010) Square (KM) Square (miles)
Northern Kurdistan
Kurdish names / Turkish names
Agiri Agri 539,581 11,498.67 7,144.94
Amed Diyarbakır 1,535,664 15,204.01 9,447.33
Bayazid Igdir 184,494 3,587.81 2,229.36
Bidlîs Bitlis 329,328 7,094.50 4,408.32
Çewlik Bingol 257,273 8,253.51 5,128.49
Colêmerg Hakkari 261,273 7,178.88 4,460.75
Dersim Tunceli 83,299 7,685.66 4,775.65
Dilok Gaziantep 1,687,077 6,844.84 4,253.19
Elih Batman 507,248 4,659.21 2,895.10
Erzingan Erzincan 213,431 11,727.55 7,287.16
Erzorom Erzurum 782,986 25,330.90 14,697.54
İskenderun Hataya 668,960 2,952.45 1,834.57
Kilis Kilis 123,368 1,427,76 887.17
Meleti Malatya 742,211 12,102.70 7,520.27
Merdin Mardin 735,247 8,806.04 5,471.82
Meres Kahramanmaraş 866,041 9,897.41 6,149.97
Mus Mus 404,362 8,067.16 5,012.70
Qares Kars 304,744 10,139.09 6,300.14
Riha Sanliurfa 1,646,524 19,336.21 12,014.96
Semsur Adiyaman 590,300 7,606.16 4,726.25
Şirnex Sirnak 435,986 7,151.57 4,443.78
Sêrt Siirt 296,133 5,473.29 3,400.94
Sêwas Sivas 491,815 18,666.08 11,598.56
Wan Van 1,037,836 18,666.08 12,063.39
Xarput Elazig 553,984 9,281.45 5,767.23
Outside Provinces 5,627,068
Southern Kurdistan
7
Duhok 1,713,461 6,553 4,071.85
Hawler 1,800,769 15,074 9,366.55
Kirkuk 950,000 9,679 6,014.25
Silemani 1,176,709 17,023 10,577.60
Eastern Kurdistan
8
Ilam 544,332 20,133 12,510.07
Kirmaşan Kermanshah 1,905,793 24,998 15,533.04
Kurdistan 1,467,585 29,137 18,104.89
West Azarbayejan 3,016,301 37,411 23,246.12
Kurds of Khorasan 1,500,000
Western Kurdistan
Western Kurdistan 1,700,000 27,184 16,891.35
Total 36,681,183 434,403.23 270,235.27
1
Note, the population estimated also includes non-Kurds living in those provinces that are considered part
of greater Kurdistan. The number of Kurds and none Kurds could not be measured due to lack of resource.
2
The land mass for each province were retrieved from http://www.geohive.com/ database.
3
The population estimate for northern Kurdistan provinces were measured using Turkish Statistical
Institute website at http://www.tuik.gov.tr/isgucuapp/isgucu.zul?dil=2
4
In Northern Kurdish most of the province names were changed from their original Kurdish names to
Turkish names by the government of Turkey once the Republic was formed after World War I. The original
Kurdish names were retrieved from various sources.
D.Ebdullah Xefur. 2000. Cografiyay Kurdistan. Hawler. www.mukiryani.com
http://ku.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan
http://wapedia.mobi/ku/Bajar%C3%AAn_Kurdistan%C3%AA
5
Only a few districts within the province of Hataya are considered part of greater Kurdistan; therefore,
İskenderun being the main district is used to define the Kurdish province.
6
http://www.timeturk.com/tr/2010/03/25/en-buyuk-kurt-sehri-istanbul.html
7
http://www.krg.org/articles/detail.asp?smap=03010400&lngnr=12&rnr=141&anr=18657
8
Statistical center for Iran, http://amar.sci.org.ir/index_e.aspx
9
http://www.cskk.org/en/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=19
10
http://english.rojhelat.eu/perspectives/1007-the-current-situation-of-the-kurds-in-syria
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