Land & Ecology Kurdish homeland of about 230,000 square miles is about the areas of Germany and Britain combined, or roughly equal to France. “Kurds home ends where the mountains end” Mt. Alvand starts from Iran with the highest point 11,745 Mt. Ararat at 16,946 feet in Turkey More arable land than most middle eastern River valleys Invention of agriculture-12,000 years ago Indo-Europian- Medes

Population Northern Kurdistan-Southeast Turkey 15 to 20 million Eastern Kurdistan-Northwest Iran 6-7 million Southern Kurdistan-Northern Iraq 5-6 million West or Rojava-Northern Syria million

History Being the native inhabitants of their land there are no "beginnings" for Kurdish history and people. Kurds and their history are the end products of thousands of years of continuous internal evolution and assimilation of new peoples and ideas introduced sporadically into their land. Genetically, Kurds are the descendants of all who ever came to settle in Kurdistan, and not any one of them. By about 2,600 years ago, the Medes had already set up an empire that included all Kurdistan and vast territories far beyond. The Treaty of Sevres (signed August 10, 1921) anticipated an independent Kurdish state to cover large portions of the former Ottoman Kurdistan. Unimpressed by the Kurds' many bloody uprisings for independence, France and Britain divided up Ottoman Kurdistan between Turkey, Syria and Iraq. The Treaty of Lausanne (signed June 24, 1923) formalized this division. Kurds in Iran, were kept where they were by Teheran.

Geopolitics Since the end of World War I, Kurdistan has been administered by five sovereign states, with the largest portions of the land being respectively in Turkey (43%), Iran (31%), Iraq (18%), Syria (6%) and the former Soviet Union (2%). The Kurds part of Iran have lived under that state's jurisdiction since 1514 The other three quarters of the Kurds lived in the Ottoman Empire from that date until its break-up following WWI. The French Mandate Syria received a piece, and the British incorporated central Kurdistan or the into Mandate of Iraq. Northern and western Kurdistan were to be given choice of independence by the Treaty of Sevres(August 10, 1920) but instead they were awarded to the newly established Republic of Turkey under the term of the Treaty of Lausanne (June 24, 1923). The Russian/Soviet Kurds had passed into their sphere in the course of the 19th century when territories were ceded by Persia/Iran.

Language Modern kurdish Kurmanji group ¾ or million Sorani- 6-7 million Gurani-Zaza dialects million

Religion Muslims-Sunni Muslims-Shiete 3/5 th 1/2 million Alawies (Turkey)-distinct from islam 20 % Yazidies -Islam- judaism-christianity 2 % Yarasan-Ahle Haq13 % Bahaie and Christian 1 % Sufiesm (Islamic Mystic) Chant and dance to worship Allah

Culture & Life  Family oriented  Marriage between cousins is common  Tribal leadership is inherited  Kurdish women freely associate with men  Rich in culture  Oral tradition:  Epic poems: adventure of love and battle  Literature appeared in 7 th century  Dance and music

Dance

Music

Celebrations and major holidays New Year-March 21 st Folktale-Kawe the Blacksmith Islamic Holidays Ramazan The birth of Profit Mohammad

Newroz-New Year

Wedding-Eastern

Wedding-Rojava

Northern – South East Turkey

Rojava Women Fashion Show Newroz Festival

Southern – Northern Iraq

Eastern Kurdistan

Rojava-Popular Meals

KelaneDolme

Village Life

Life in villiage

Village in Eastern Kurdistan

Peshmarge & Freedom Fighters

Global rally for peace and freedom in Kubane

A way of life for the Kurds

What will be the future for them?

Thank You