| KYRGYZSTAN | | | | education since the 1960's, but English is widely |
| Population: 5.3 million (UN, 2005) | | | | spoken by the Kyrgyzstani youth who have been |
| Capital: Bishkek | | | | taught since primary school or have been learning |
| Area: 199,900 sq km (77,182 sq miles) | | | | the language as exchange students in the U.K. or |
| Major languages: Kyrgyz, Russian | | | | Germany. Kyrgyzstan is a largely Islamic with |
| Major religions: Islam, Christianity | | | | 76% of the country as Muslims, while Russian |
| Life expectancy: 63 years (men), 71 years | | | | Orthodox followers have a significant population of |
| (women) (UN) | | | | 20%. As a semi-nomadic society, agriculture is an |
| Monetary unit: 1 som = 100 tyiyns | | | | important sector of the republic where livestock is |
| The barren, hot, and impoverished fields of the | | | | the largest agricultural activity. |
| Kyrgyz Republic used to be a sleepy back border | | | | ATTRACTION |
| of the Soviet Union. Now, it is the best kept | | | | Still a lot of the big cities are modern like Bishkek. |
| secret for travellers and tourism. Kyrgyzstan has | | | | Nonetheless, the charm of Kyrgyzstan depends |
| become a vivacious nation that is no longer | | | | on its nature culture. The stunning beauty of |
| defined by dominating powers, having proven this | | | | Kyrgyzstan appeals to the traveller who mostly |
| recently by temporarily ousting its president and | | | | loves the outdoors. Song-kul's simplistic life |
| the entailing capitalist government. National tourist | | | | amongst the grandiose of its pristine pastures and |
| promotions state Kyrgyzstan as meaning "40 | | | | Lake Izzyk-kul's versatility for sailing, surfing, |
| towns", but locals recommend it to be not so. | | | | boating, scuba diving and fishing are the main |
| Kyrgyzstan from the sound of its name elicits an | | | | attractions of Kyrgyzstan. Izzyk translates to |
| impression of a strange and mysterious place | | | | "hot" because it is the lake that never freezes |
| unknown to the world for the most part, but the | | | | even in winter seasons. Hiking is just superb in the |
| name which actually means in Kyrgyz "immortal" | | | | hills around this lake. What a sight! The best part |
| or "indestructible" suggests an interesting culture | | | | about Kyrgyzstan, there is no traffic. The |
| that would name its nation such. Kyrgyzstan has | | | | rationale: public transport is a developing concept in |
| the most liberal tourist visa policies in Central Asia | | | | these parts. The people of Kyrgyzstan make |
| and an economy to match Kazakhstan's prowess. | | | | travel even more worthwhile with their naturally |
| GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE | | | | generous and respectful nature, so a traveller |
| Kyrgyzstan (42 52 N, 74 36 E) is a mountainous | | | | should know when planning to stay with a |
| region dominated by the Tien Shan range, which | | | | Kyrgyzstani family. Hospitality is uber important to |
| in Kyrgyz means "Celestial mountains". The | | | | the Kyrgyz people, which is why the Kyrgyzstanis |
| traveller will find wild and rugged snow-capped | | | | host their guests in a generous manner to a point |
| mountains that give an admiration surpassing that | | | | where they will offer you anything and everything |
| of the Swiss Alps. And with 93% of the region | | | | they have. |
| mountainous, the nation is a wonderful place to be | | | | FOOD |
| for nature-lovers. The republic is also a site for | | | | Food is a significant part of Kyrgyz hospitality and |
| glaciers and high altitude lakes, the highest point | | | | might it be said that Kyrgyz cuisine is one of the |
| being Jengish Chokusu at a height of 7,439 | | | | best offerings you'll get out of such hospitality. |
| metres which is absolutely beautiful for hiking. The | | | | Meat is a primary ingredient in any Kyrgyz meal |
| lowest point is 132 metres above sea level, the | | | | like horse meat or mutton. There are numerous |
| Kara Daryya. The climate is dry continental to | | | | dessert recipes in the Kyrgyz cuisine that are |
| polar in Tien Shan, temperate in the the north | | | | universal in Central Asia like meat dumplings |
| foothill zone, and subtropical in the southwest, at | | | | (manty), noodles and meat (besh barmak), meat |
| Fergana Valley. | | | | and veggie soup (shorpa), or fried meat and rice |
| PEOPLE & CULTURE | | | | (paloo). And a Kyrgyz meal never ends without |
| Of the 5,431,747 Kyrgyztanis in 2009, the Kyrgyz | | | | simple delicious desserts, from a nan-and-cream |
| (Turkic group) comprise a fat demographic of | | | | cheese/jam combo or fresh fruits to the most |
| around 70% of the population. Uzbeks (14.5%) | | | | popular choymo tokach or tan mosho cookies |
| are concentrated in the south, and the Russians | | | | made of intertwined leavened dough, fried in oil, |
| (9%), in the north. The sizeable minority of | | | | and powdered with sugar. Khalvaitar is another |
| Russians in the region explains the culture that | | | | ultra-delightful dessert is khalvaitar from mixing |
| remains and, also RUSSIAN as the official | | | | flour with sugar fried in sheep's tail fat. Chak-chak, |
| language. KYRGYZ, on the other hand, is the | | | | made of dough sugared with honey is also very |
| language of the state used in the parliament and | | | | popular in Kyrgyzstan or bliny, a Russian dessert |
| at home. ENGLISH is spoken for its deemed | | | | of pancakes filled with cheese or jam. In |
| significance and has been given the spotlight in | | | | Kyrgyzstan, less is indeed more. |