Western Kurdistan (,
Rojavayê Kurdistanê), known simply as
Rojava ("the West"), is a
de facto autonomous region in northern
Syria, also known as
Syrian Kurdistan. The region gained its autonomy in November 2013 as part of the ongoing
Rojava Revolution, establishing a society based on principles of
direct democracy,
gender equality, and
sustainability. Rojava consists of the four
cantons of (from east to west)
Jazira,
Tell Abyad,
Kobani, and
Afrin. Rojava is unrecognized as autonomous by the government of Syria and is a participant in the
Syrian Civil War.