Is Kurdistan a Barren land?

Kurdistan is a land rich in oil and mineral resources.  Its soil is fertile, rainfall is abundant and there are many rivers.  Kurdistan has high mountains where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers originate.

What do the Kurds do for a livelihood?

Though Kurdistan is rich in minerals resources it is the least developed region of Turkey , Iran , Iraq , and Syria .  Consequently the Kurds derive their primary living from farming and shepherding.

The Weather:

  Kurdistan has a Mediterranean climate which is rainy and cold in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. The weather in the mountains regions is severe and snow falls heavily which slows down communications during the winter season.

Agriculture and Farming:

Kurdistan economy is based mainly on agriculture and livestock ( sheep, goat, cow, and poultry).

·         The tribe communities combine agriculture with the raising of farm animals, because of the suitable climate and sufficient amounts of rainfall.

·         The farm animals including poultry are one of the important sources of income in Kurdistan .

·          Kurdistan highland is the natural habitat for grain and cereal.

·         The summer crops such as rice, corn, cotton, beets, and sugar beets are produced in large quantities by means of irrigation.

·         The Kurdish tobacco is considered of good quality and is sold throughout the Middle East or delivered to cigarette factories.

·         The fruits and vegetables now are produced in large quantities.

·         The thick forest now exists on the rugged mountainous and hilly countryside.

Third:  Water Resources in Kurdistan

        Kurdistan has a tremendous quantity of water resources, it has been described as the heart of the region because 

    almost all of the water supply for the area comes from Kurdistan .

These are some of the rivers in Kurdistan :

Most of the following rivers end up outside of Kurdistan .

1.)    The Euphrates River                            10.) Dizful

2.)    The Tigris                                             11.) Kizil Uzan ( Safid- Rud)

3.)    The Khabur

4.)    The Great Zab

5.)    The Lesser Zab

6.)    Sirwan ( Diyala)

7.)    Alwand ( Halwan)

8.)     Aras

9.)    Kerkha

Fourth:    Mineral Resources

Kurdistan is considered to be rich in mineral resources and these are some of them:

1.)    Iron                 4.) Lead                       7.) Uranium                 10.) Chrome

2.)    Coal                 5.) Magnesium            8.) Gold and Silver

3.)    Copper             6.) Zinc and Tin          9.) Gypsum

Fifth:    Oil Resources

Kurdistan is very rich in oil resources. The oil fields in Kurdistan include the following.

1.)    Kurdistan of Iraq

Four working oil fields are located in Ain Zala, Kirkuk , Zanboor and Khanaqin.

Fourteen other fields are known to contain rich oil deposits.

2.)    Kurdistan of Iran

The oil fields located near the city of Kurmanshah .

3.)    Kurdistan of Turkey

Turkey ’s only oil fields are located in the district of Van.

4.)    Kurdistan of Syria

Its oil fields are located in the district of Jezirah near the Iraq-Turkey border.