page_title: Kurdistan
section_title: Subdivisions (Upper and Lower Kurdistan)
hierarchical_section_title: Kurdistan / Geography / Subdivisions (Upper and Lower Kurdistan)
caption_attribution_description: English: The States outlined in red are two Kurdish States named Hakkiari and Mosul in this 1902 map. They are referred to as Upper Kurdistan and Lower Kurdistan respectively.
context_page_description: Kurdistan or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural historical region wherein the Kurdish people form a majority of the population and Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. Geographically, Kurdistan roughly encompasses the northwestern Zagros and the eastern Taurus mountain ranges. Historically, the word "Kurdistan" is first attested in 11th century Seljuk chronicles.
  Contemporary use of the term refers to the following four areas: southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, northern Iraq, and northwestern Iran. Some Kurdish nationalist organizations seek to create an independent nation state consisting of some or all of these areas with a Kurdish majority, while others campaign for greater autonomy within the existing national boundaries.
  Iraqi Kurdistan first gained autonomous status in a 1970 agreement with the Iraqi government, and its status was re-confirmed as the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government within the federal Iraqi republic in 2005. There is a Kurdistan Province in Iran, but it is not self-ruled.
context_section_description: In A Dictionary of Scripture Geography (published 1846), John Miles describes Upper and Lower Kurdistan as following:
  Modern Curdistan is of much greater extent than the ancient Assyria, and is composed of two parts the Upper and Lower. In the former is the province of Ardelan, the ancient Arropachatis, now nominally a part of Irak Ajami, and belonging to the north west division called Al Jobal. It contains five others namely, Betlis, the ancient Carduchia, lying to the south and south west of the lake Van. East and south east of Betlis is the principality of Julamerick, south west of it is the principality of Amadia. the fourth is Jeezera ul Omar, a city on an island in the Tigris, and corresponding to the ancient Bezabde. the fifth and largest is Kara Djiolan, with a capital of the same name. The pashalics of Kirkook and Solimania also comprise part of Upper Curdistan. Lower Curdistan comprises all the level tract to the east of the Tigris, and the minor ranges immediately bounding the plains and reaching thence to the foot of the great range, which may justly be denominated the Alps of western Asia.
  The northern, northwestern and northeastern parts of Kurdistan are referred to as upper Kurdistan, and includes the areas from west of Amed to Lake Urmia.
  The lowlands of southern Kurdistan are called lower Kurdistan. The main cities in this area are Kirkuk and Arbil.
caption: The States outlined in red are two Kurdish States named Hakkiari and Mosul in this 1902 map. They are referred to as Upper Kurdistan and Lower Kurdistan respectively.
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