erbil/london iraq five million people kurdish-held areas northern iraq summon take part non-binding referendum independence iraq monday ask tick yes/no box next question want kurdistan region kurdish areas outside region administration become independent state kurds large ethnic group leave stateless britain france colonial power world war one carve ottoman empire region roughly 30 million ethnic kurds leave scatter mainly four countries iraq iran turkey syria suffer persecution often deny right speak language iraq uproot saddam hussein regime suffer attack use chemical weapons autonomous kurdistan regional government krg northern iraq say shi ite rule central government baghdad fail respect autonomy establish 2003 overthrow saddam hussein u.s.-led invasion krg say vote acknowledge kurds crucial contribution confront islamic state overwhelm iraqi army 2014 seize control third iraq likely outcome next move outcome likely comfortable yes krg lead massoud barzani plan use vote legitimate mandate press negotiations baghdad neighbor countries achieve independence baghdad think vote could lead messy breakup iraq time struggle reconstruction return refugees offer talk resolve dispute land energy power share include status multi-ethnic oil region kirkuk iraq powerful neighbor fear separatist contagion kurdish populations turkey home large kurdish minority fight kurdish insurrection south-east since 1984. iran kurds close culturally iraq kurds speak kurdish language tehran also close shi ite political party rule iraq hold key security government position since 2003. syria embroil civil war kurds press self-administration everyone include unite state unite nations fear destabilization iraq war islamic state yet oil-rich kirkuk emerge flashpoint kirkuk multi-ethnic city lie outside recognize kurdish region home kurds turkmen arabs assyrian christians sit susbtantial oil reserve crude export pipeline mediterranean cross krg territory turkey turkey decide close pipeline would deprive krg government erbil hard currency income iraqi kurdistan produce around 650,000 bpd crude field include around 150,000 bpd dispute areas kirkuk region production volumes represent 15 percent total iraqi output around 0.7 percent global oil production krg aspire raise production million bpd end decade kurdish oil production dominate mid-sized oil firm genel dno gulf keystone dana gas major oil firm chevron exxon mobil rosneft also project kurdistan mostly exploration stage russia state oil major rosneft however lend billion krg guarantee oil sales commit total billion various project kurdistan trade house vitol glencore trafigura petraco lend total billion kurdistan guarantee oil sales turkey also provide total 1.5 billion support erbil past two years register residents kurdish-held region northern iraq kurds non-kurds eligible vote kurdish-held regions include inside official boundaries krg surround areas peshmerga fighters seize course war islamic state kirkuk lie outside krg also claim baghdad internally displace people dispute territories allow vote iraq kurdish diaspora also allow submit electronic ballot sept. 23 24. unite nations oppose referendum say participate process factbox iraq 's kurds vote historic referendum independence