ABSTRACT
Kurdistan, where this North-West Iranian language is mainly spoken, covers large contiguous areas of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Kurds are also resident in north-eastern Iran (Khorasan), Baluchistan, and in the Arm enian, A zer baijani, and Turkmen Republics. Estimates as to the total number of speakers vary widely; possibly around 1 0 million people speak one or another form of Kurdish. The main dialects are Sorani (Iraq and Iran), and Kurmandji (Turkey, CIS, Syria).
