Geography · Four parts, one land
Kurdistan Map
Where is Kurdistan? Picture the mountains between the Black Sea and the Gulf: that unbroken highland is the Kurdish homeland. This guide walks the map from north to west, city by city.
The land in one view
Kurdistan covers approximately 500,000 square kilometers, an area comparable to Spain (Institut kurde de Paris, 2026). It is a land of high ranges: the Zagros runs through its heart like a spine, the eastern Taurus closes it off to the north. Between them rise the sources of the Tigris and the Euphrates, the two rivers that made Mesopotamia, and the Great Zab that cuts through the south. The highest peak is Halgurd at about 3,607 meters (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2026).
The four parts on the map
Kurds describe their homeland with four directions. On any map of Kurdistan you will find them like a compass:
Bakur · the North
Amed, Mêrdîn, Wan, Dersim
The largest part by population, home of the great plains of Mesopotamia and the sources of the Tigris.
Başûr · the South
Hewlêr, Silêmanî, Duhok, Kerkûk
Seat of the Kurdistan Region with its own parliament in Hewlêr, its own flag and the citadel that has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Rojhilat · the East
Mahabad, Sine, Kirmaşan, Urmiyê
Land of the historic Republic of Kurdistan of 1946, proclaimed in Mahabad under the sunny flag.
Rojava · the West
Qamişlo, Kobanê, Efrîn, Hesekê
The youngest self-governing experience, known worldwide since the defense of Kobanê.
Population: documented estimates count between 30 and 48 million Kurds in the homeland and worldwide (Institut kurde de Paris, EBSCO, 2026); the community itself counts up to 70 million. Read more in What is Kurdistan?
The cities every map should name
| City | Part | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Amed | Bakur | The unofficial capital of the north, ancient basalt walls |
| Hewlêr | Başûr | Seat of the Kurdistan Region parliament, citadel inhabited for millennia |
| Silêmanî | Başûr | Cultural capital, poets and universities |
| Mahabad | Rojhilat | The Republic of Kurdistan of 1946 |
| Sine | Rojhilat | Music, literature and mountain culture |
| Qamişlo | Rojava | The beating heart of the west |
| Kobanê | Rojava | The defense that moved the world in 2014 |
| Zakho | Başûr | The gate of Kurdistan, the historic bridge over the Little Khabur |
Why the name is missing on most maps
Kurdistan is a land, a people, a language and a flag, but not yet a recognized state. Most atlases therefore leave the name off the map, even though the region has been called Kurdistan for centuries. Maps drawn by Kurds, like the ones flown at every Newroz, keep the name alive. The same is true for the flag: not yet official at the United Nations, already unmistakable in every stadium.
Frequently asked questions
What does a map of Kurdistan show?
A map of Kurdistan shows the contiguous Kurdish homeland in the heart of the Middle East: the four parts Bakur (north), Başûr (south), Rojhilat (east) and Rojava (west), connected by the Zagros and Taurus mountain ranges and crossed by the Tigris, the Euphrates and the Zab rivers.
How big is Kurdistan?
The Kurdish homeland covers approximately 500,000 square kilometers, an area comparable to Spain (Institut kurde de Paris, 2026). It is home to a population counted between 30 and 48 million in documented estimates, and up to 70 million according to the community.
Why is Kurdistan not on most world maps?
Because Kurdistan is not a recognized state, most atlases leave its name off the map. The land, the people, the language and the flag exist; the recognition does not yet. That is exactly why maps of Kurdistan made by Kurds matter.
What is the capital of Kurdistan on the map?
There is no single capital of all four parts. Hewlêr (also known as Erbil) is the seat of the parliament of the Kurdistan Region in the south; Amed is the largest Kurdish city in the north; Mahabad carries the memory of the 1946 republic in the east; Qamişlo is the main city of the west.
Sources
- Institut kurde de Paris, The Kurdish population and general presentation (institutkurde.org, 2026).
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Kurdistan (britannica.com, 2026).
- EBSCO Research Starters, Kurdish people (ebsco.com, 2026).
- World Population Review, Kurdish Population by Country (worldpopulationreview.com, 2026).
Read also
- What is Kurdistan? The land, the people and the question of a country
- The Kurdistan Flag explained: history, meaning and colors
- The Kurdistan Nike Football Shirt Explained
Wear the map on your chest
The crest of every Kurdistan shirt carries the mountains and the sun of this land. The Kurdistan necklace carries the map itself, in 18K gold.