The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia Encyclopedia World Factbook Columbia Gazetteer American Heritage Coll. The region lies astride the Zagros Mts. 2 Ethnically close to the Iranians, the Kurds were traditionally nomadic herders but are now mostly seminomadic or sedentary. The majority of Kurds are devout Sunni Muslims.
Kurdish dialects belong to the northwestern branch of the Iranian languages.
The Kurds have traditionally resisted subjugation by other nations. Despite their lack of political unity throughout history, the Kurds, as individuals and in small groups, have had a lasting impact on developments in SW Asia. Saladin, who gained fame during the Crusades, is perhaps the most famous of all Kurds. The region was held by the Seljuk Turks in the 11th cent. The Kurds brought their claims for independence to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.