Iraqi Kurdistan is a place close to my heart. The saying "no friends but the mountains" is a powerful reminder of the Kurdish people's determination to protect their land and their people, and their reliance on the natural terrain of the mountains as a source of strength and inspiration.

Iraqi Kurdistan is an autonomous region located in northern Iraq. It has its own regional government and parliament, and controls its own security forces, known as the Peshmerga. The region is predominantly populated by Kurds, who are an ethnic group with their own distinct language and culture.