Iraqi Kurdistan refers to the 4 Kurdish northern Iraqi Provinces, which are autonomous of the central Iraqi government and ruled by the Kurdistan Regional Government. These provinces achieved de facto independence after an uprising in 1991 and their autonomy has now been enshrined into the Iraqi federal constitution. The 4 Kurdish Provinces are, Arbil, At-Ta'mim, As-Sulaymaniyah, and parts of Diyala and Ninawa.
The major cities controlled by the KRG are:
Kurdistan is a land of rugged beauty, characterised by mountains, ravines, waterfalls and natural water springs. It has long been famed in middle eastern literature as a paradise on earth, owing to its plentiful scenes of natural beauty which are in such contrast to the somewhat arid scenes so prominent in surrounding areas.
Having been spared the war of 2003, Kurdistan-Iraq is a very different place from southern Iraq. With a minimal level of terrorist activity and massive economic development, Kurdistan is fast becoming a "gateway to Iraq" with high levels of foreign investment and development of infrastructure.
A valid Iraqi (Kurdistan stamp) visa is required on arrival for all nationalities. Citizens of the EU, the US, Canada, Japan and Australia can purchase a visa on arrival ($10 US).
Kurdistan is subserved by 2 international airports:
Further advice on entry on these routes and other ones such as a land crossing from turkey can be found at:
Kurdish is the official language and most widely spoken, however higher learning institutes produce teenagers eager to practise their foreign language "skills" in many towns and that a large number of expat kurds have returned home, bringing with them languages as diverse as Swedish and Japanese.
Meat! As with many other middle eastern people, Kurds are voracious carnivores. Local foods include: Kebab, ''dolma'' (stuffed grape vines), ''yaprax'' (assorted stuffed vegtables ranging from onions to courgettes, ''shila u brinc'' (the Kurdish national dish, composing rice alongside a soup, which is made from many vegtables such as okra "bamiya", and the infamous ''gipa'' (much like scottish haggis).
The less adventurous traveler will be reassured to know that many "western" style food establishments are now open in the major population centres, such as Dominoe's Pizza and numerous fried chicken and burger joints.
Bottled water is widely available. As are bottled/canned soft drinks. The tap water is considered to be relatively safe.
Although a muslim nation, alcohol is widely available and freely consumed, visitors are advised to try the kurdish national drink "Arak", a concoction of fermented dates and aniseed which can as local tradition has it "make the dryest eye cry". European beers, lagers and ales are also widely available as are locally produced wines, which make up for what they lack in sophistication with character.
Also you can go out to a Lebanese Restaurant Fairuz on the 60 street 0750 4804440
While Kurdistan Iraq is a reasonably safe place, the journey can become dangerous if you cross into the areas of Iraq outside of Kurdistan regional government control. Southern Iraq is extremely unsafe as compared to Kurdistan, with bombings and attacks on foreigners commonplace. The border is well demarcated by the Kurdish security services.