Although the world's attention has recently been focused on the Kurds of northern Iraq, Kurds live in numerous other countries of the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, and North America. Kurdistan is the geographic area which is home to the majority of Kurds. It was named for the first time in the twelfth century by the Seljuk Turks to identify the region under their control which was inhabited by Kurds. If the Middle East map were to be redrawn to give the Kurds their own boundaries, Kurdistan would be as large as France, stretching over 200,000 square miles and encompassing six countries. Of the world-wide population of nearly 30 million, over 25 million Kurds are unevenly distributed between Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Kurdistan is a rugged, mountainous region, much of which is covered with snow for over half the year. Three large river systems, the Arax, Tigris, and Euphrates create fertile valleys where Kurds farm and pasture sheep, goats, and cattle. Much of the oil in these countries is found in Kurdistan.

Kurds in Turkey

Several Kurdish dialects are spoken in Turkey. The majority speak Kurmanji. Until recently, speaking Kurdish in public was a crime. The vast majority of Kurds in Turkey are Sunni Muslims. A few, however, are members of the Alevi sect which Sunnis despise and persecute. The Turkish government hopes to dilute the Kurdish population, which it sees as a threat, and to assimilate Kurds into Turkish society through forced resettlement.

Kurds in Iran

Kurds of eastern Iran live along the Central Asian and Afghan borders more than 600 miles from their traditional homelands in northwestern Iran. Under the Persian Empire in the 1500s, these Kurds were relocated to their present homes to serve as border guards against Turk and Mongol invaders. They have good relations with their Turkmen neighbors, and many speak Turkmen or Persian as their first language.

Along the western border, in the most rugged part of Kurdistan, Kurds reside in small villages of under 2000 people. A few maintain the semi-nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors. Due to water shortages and high population density, the area faces persistent problems with malaria, tuberculosis, and trachoma. In general, the area is wooded and twice as densely populated as the rest of Iran. The majority of Kurds in Iran are Sunni with pockets of Shi'ite and other minority sects.

Kurds in Iraq

The Kurds of Iraq form more than 20% of the population. They have been allowed more cultural freedom than in other parts of the Middle East For instance, the Kurdish language is still officially taught in schools and Iraqi Kurds are free to talk and write in their mother tongue. Although other dialects are used in Iraqi Kurdistan, Sorani which utilizes the Arabic script is the language officially used in schools. Due to the relative freedom to speak and write in Sorani, Iraqi Kurds are proud to have preserved the cultural and literary heritage of Kurdistan. A great many scholars have emerged in northern Iraq. They have written and published books in Kurdish on a variety of subjects such as the history, geography, and culture of Kurdistan. A number of magazines and newspapers have also been published. However, Iraq has been the -scene of some of the worst persecution of the Kurds.

Iraq's Kurds are mostly Sunni. Beside the nearly 4 million Kurds who five in the north of the country, more than half a million live in Iraq's major cities of Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk.

Kurds in Syria

Besides the Kurds who were displaced against their will, a large segment of the Kurdish population has established itself in independent. communities in Syria's major urban centers in search of work- On the average, Kurds are poor and they work for wealthy Syrians in menial jobs as servants, gas station attendants, and garbage collectors. Most of these Kurds speak the Kurmanji dialect, which utilizes the Latin script. Pressure to learn Arabic has increased greatly, and many in the cities no longer speak their mother tongue. Today, an increasing number of these Kurds are well on their way to being assimilated into Arab society. Arabic, not Kurdish, is their primary language. They have lost their ties with their homeland and have become permanent residents outside Kurdistan. Major concentrations of Kurds are found in Damascus, Horns, and Aleppo. The vast majority of Kurds in Syria are Sunni Muslims.

Kurds in Central Asia

Armenia has become an international center for Kurds, with radio broadcasting in the Kurmanji language, Kurdish language education and a publishing house.

The Kurds of Central Asia are among their nation's most prosperous citizens. They face no discrimination and many hold high political offices. They enjoy utilities, roads, housing, and medical facilities. Illiteracy disappeared among them in the 1930s. However, they are caught in a tense area where ethnic rivalry is increasing and violence occasionally breaks out.

The Kurds of Armenia and Georgia originated in Turkey and Iran. Most of them are Yezedis. They chose to settle here to avoid further persecution by Azerbaijani Muslims. A large number of Sunni Kurds from Turkey and Iran reside in Azerbaijan, but there is little interaction between them and the Yezidi Kurds of Georgia and Armenia.

The Kurdish communities of Khazakhstan and Kirgizia originated in northwestern Iran and Turkey. In the 1930s many were deported to the China-Soviet border regions for political reasons.

The small Kurdish community of Afghanistan was moved from their traditional homeland in northwestern Iran over 400 years ago by the Persian Empire. Many now speak Turkmen or Dari as their first language. However, they maintain an awareness of their Kurdish heritage.

Kurds in Lebanon

Kurds in Jordan

Kurds in the West

The Kurdish communities of Europe serve to some extent as a voice for their people, drawing Western attention to the political and social issues of the Kurds.

Since the recent Gulf War between Iraq and Western allies, some five thousand Kurds have entered North America as refugees. The largest concentrations of these are in Dallas, where about a thousand live, Detroit, and other major cities.

About 15,000 Kurds are reported to have immigrated to Australia.

	Vol 6. Spring 1993
Copies of this article are available from Horizons International. This document should be cited as follows in a bibliography: ReachOut, The Plight of the Kurds: Kurds around the World. Horizons International, Vol 6, Spring 1993. pp. 8-10.