Knowra Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Region The Kurdistan Region is an autonomous federal region in northern Iraq, administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government and comprising Erbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah, and Halabja governorates.
Kurdistan Region Parliament : The elected legislature of the Kurdistan Region, based in Erbil. It passes regional laws and oversees the government.
Kurdish uprisings in Iraq : Rebellions by Iraqi Kurds against the Iraqi state, especially those of 1991 and 1994–1997. The 1991 uprising and its aftermath opened the way to de facto self-rule.
Erbil Governorate : A governorate in northern Iraq whose capital, Erbil, is also the Kurdistan Region’s capital. It contains the regional seat of government and major institutions.
Kurdistan Region independence referendum : A September 2017 referendum in which voters in the Kurdistan Region overwhelmingly supported independence from Iraq. The vote intensified conflict with Baghdad and prompted federal forces to retake disputed areas.
Iraqi Kurdistan : The Kurdish-populated area of northern Iraq, a geographic and historical designation broader than the Kurdistan Region’s formal administration. The term can include Kurdish areas outside the region’s recognized governorates.
Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Natural Resources : A regional government ministry responsible for natural-resource policy, including oil and gas. Its contracts and export decisions have shaped disputes over regional authority.
Operation Provide Comfort : A United States-led military operation that protected displaced Kurds in northern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War. Its no-fly-zone policy helped shield the area from Baghdad’s forces.
Duhok Governorate : A governorate in northwestern Iraq and one of the four governorates of the Kurdistan Region. It anchors the region’s northwestern border with Turkey and Syria.
Kirkuk : A multiethnic city and oil-producing area in northern Iraq claimed by both the federal government and the Kurdistan Region. Control of Kirkuk became a central test of the region’s territorial claims.
Kurdistan : A geographic and cultural region inhabited primarily by Kurds across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. The Kurdistan Region is one part of this larger, transnational region.
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