Straddling the mountainous borders where Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria converge in the Middle East, the 25-30 million Kurds living there constitute the largest nation in the world without its own independent state. In recent years the Kurdish problem has become increasingly important in Middle Eastern and even international politics for two fundamental reasons.

First, the wars against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and 2003 resulted in the creation of a virtually independent Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in a federal Iraq. This KRG has inspired the Kurds elsewhere to seek cultural, social, and even political autonomy, if not independence. Second, Turkey's application for admission into the European Union (EU) also has brought the Kurdish issue to the attention of Europe.

The second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Kurds greatly expands on the first edition through an updated chronology, an introductory essay, an expanded bibliography, maps, photos, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the history of the Kurds.

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