Ethnic Kurds
 |
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 30-40 million (The World Factbook, 2015 estimate) 36.4–45.6 million (Kurdish Institute of Paris, 2017 estimate) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Turkey
|
estimates from 14.3 to 20 million |
 Iran
|
estimates from 8.2 million to 12 million |
 Iraq
|
estimates from 5.6 to 8.5 million |
 Syria
|
estimates from 2 to 3.6 million, |
| Diaspora (outside Greater Kurdistan) | 2 million |
 Germany
|
800,000 |
 France
|
150,000 |
 Sweden
|
83,600 |
 Netherlands
|
70,000 |
 Belgium
|
50,000 |
 Russia
|
63,800 |
 United Kingdom |
50,000 |
 Kazakhstan
|
42,300 |
 Armenia
|
37,500 |
 Switzerland
|
35,000 |
 Denmark
|
30,000 |
 Jordan
|
30,000 |
 Austria
|
23,000 |
 Greece
|
22,000 |
 United States
|
15,400 |
 Georgia
|
13,861 |
 Kyrgyzstan
|
13,200 |
 Canada
|
11,685 |
 Finland
|
10,700 |
 Australia
|
7,000 |
 Azerbaijan
|
6,100 |
| Languages | |
|
Kurdish and Zaza–Gorani, Turkish (in Turkey), Persian (in Iran), Arabic (in Syria and Iraq) In their different forms: Sorani, Kurmanji, Pehlewani, Zaza, Gorani |
|
| Religion | |
| majority Islam (Sunni Muslim, but also Shia Muslim and Sufism) with minorities of deism, agnosticism, Yazdânism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Iranian peoples | |
The Kurds (Kurdish: کورد) or the Kurdish people (Kurdish: گەلی کورد), are an ethnic group in the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a contiguous area spanning adjacent parts of southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdistan), northwestern Iran (Eastern Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan), and northern Syria (Western Kurdistan). The Kurds are culturally, historically and linguistically classified as belonging to the Iranian peoples.
Globally, the Kurds are estimated to number anywhere from a low of 30 million, to possibly as high as 45 million, with the majority living in the region they regard as Greater Kurdistan. However, there are significant Kurdish diaspora communities in the cities of western Turkey, in particular Istanbul. A recent Kurdish diaspora has also developed in Western countries, primarily in Germany. The Kurds are the majority population in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, and are a significant minority group in the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iran, and Syria, where Kurdish nationalist movements continue to pursue greater autonomy and cultural rights.
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Wikipedia