Kyrgyzstan - Tourism and Travel

The Kyrgyz Republic, or Kyrgyzstan, is a country in central Asia.

It is a landlocked country with an area of 76,641 square miles (198,500 square kilometers).

Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country. The Tien Shan mountain range is in the east, along the borders with China and Kazakhstan. The Tien Shan and Pamir mountains surround the fertile Fergana Valley, which was formed by a series of major rock faults.

Although the Fergana Valley does not receive much rain, underground water and water from the Syr Darya and Naryn rivers enable intensive agriculture.

Ozero Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, in the Tien Shan mountains, is a lake that is 5,193 feet (1,584 meters) above sea level. Despite its high altitude, a small amount of salt in the water causes this lake to be free of ice year round.

Kyrgyzstan has cold winters and hot summers.

Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

5,482,000 people live in Kyrgyzstan.

Most of them live in valleys in the western and northern parts of the country.

Isolated communities live in the mountains.

65% of the people of Kyrgyzstan are Kyrgyz, 14% are Uzbek, 13% are Russian, 1% are Dungan and 1% are Ukrainian.

Kyrgyz and Russian are official languages. Other languages spoken include Uzbek, Ukrainian and Tatar.

70% of the population is Muslim, mostly Sunni Muslim, and 30% is Christian Orthodox.

The primary economic activity is agriculture, most of which consists of livestock farming.

Kyrgyzstan produces some oil, gas, coal, mercury, antimony and gold.

Important exports include metals, metal products and machinery.

Kyrgyzstan has a presidential system of government.

The official currency of Kyrgyzstan is the som, which is equal to 100 tyiyn.

Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were once Soviet Republics.

In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, these republics became independent countries.

Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States.