Representations of Peripheral Space in Iraqi Kurdistan

The large cities of Erbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniya in Iraqi Kurdistan are described as places of economic growth and development. This article focuses on the sharp discrepancies between “better-off” cities and “extremely vulnerable” districts. The example of Qaradagh, a district center in the governorate of Sulaimaniya, is used to argue that a combination of circumstances has resulted in the town’s economic and political dependency on Sulaimaniya, the consequences of this being illustrated through biographical accounts. Technocratic, academic and political conceptions seem at first sight to incorporate Qaradagh in development projects but, in fact, do little to reduce this dependency. On the contrary, they shape the process of peripheralization.