Kyrgyzstan
,
country
of
Central Asia
. It is bounded by
Kazakhstan
on the northwest and north, by
China
on the east and south, and by
Tajikistan
and
Uzbekistan
on the south and west. Most of Kyrgyzstan’s borders run along
mountain
crests. The capital is
Bishkek
(known from 1862 to 1926 as Pishpek and from 1926 to 1991 as Frunze).
The
Kyrgyz
, a Muslim
Turkic
people,
constitute
nearly three-fourths of the population. The history of the Kyrgyz in what is now Kyrgyzstan dates at least to the 17th century. Kyrgyzstan, known under Russian and
Soviet
rule as Kirgiziya, was conquered by tsarist Russian forces in the 19th century. Formerly a
constituent
(union) republic of the
U.S.S.R.
, Kyrgyzstan declared its independence on August 31, 1991.
Land
Relief
Kyrgyzstan is above all a mountainous country. At its eastern extremity, next to the Uighur
Autonomous
Region of Sinkiang, China, rises
Victory (Pobedy) Peak
, at 24,406 feet (7,439 metres) Kyrgyzstan’s highest peak.
Mount Khan-Tengri
(22,949 feet) is on the border with Kazakhstan. These mountains stand in the core of the
Tien Shan
system, which continues eastward into China. On the southern border lie the Kok Shaal-Tau, Alay, Trans-Alay (Zaalay), and Atbashi ranges.
To the southwest are two great hollows, the
Fergana Valley
and another valley close to Mount Khan-Tengri. The latter valley is bounded by the westward-thrusting arms of the Kungey-Alatau and Terskey-Alatau ranges and contains
Lake Ysyk
(Issyk-Kul), whose clear deep waters are fed by the snow-covered peaks. The rugged mountain-and-basin structure of much of the country, and the high alpine
plateau
of the central and eastern regions, are separated from the Fergana Valley on the west by the
Fergana Range
, running southeast to northwest, which merges into the
Chatkal Range
. The Chatkal Range is linked to the
Ysyk-Kol
region
by a final enclosing range, the
Kyrgyz
. The only other important lowlands in the country are the
Chu
and
Talas river valleys in the north, with the capital, Bishkek, located in the Chu. The country’s lowland areas, though occupying only one-seventh of the total area, are home to most of its people.
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Drainage
Snow and ice perpetually cover the crests of Kyrgyzstan’s high mountain ranges. The
Naryn River
, draining into the Fergana Valley, continues northwestward as a tributary of the
Syr Darya
. The
Chu River
runs parallel to and forms part of the northern boundary with Kazakhstan. Both the Chu and the
Naryn
are of major importance to the country.
Climate
Kyrgyzstan’s great distance from the oceans and the sharp change of elevation from
adjacent
plains strongly influence the country’s climate. Deserts and plains surround Kyrgyzstan on the north, west, and southeast, making the contrast with the climate and landscape of its mountainous interior all the more striking. The lower parts of its fringing ranges lie in belts of high temperature and receive hot, drying winds from the deserts beyond. The amount of precipitation the country’s westward- and northward-facing slopes receive increases with their height. The valleys have hot dry summers, with a mean July temperature of 82 °F (28 °C). In January the average temperature is ?0.5 °F (?18 °C). Annual precipitation varies from 7 inches (180 mm) in the eastern Tien Shan to 30 to 40 inches (760 to 1,000 mm) in the Kyrgyz and Fergana ranges. In the most populous valleys, rainfall ranges from 4 to 20 inches (100 to 500 mm) a year.
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Plant and animal life
Woodlands run along the lower valleys and on slopes of the north-facing ranges. These are coniferous forests, containing the striking Tien Shan white spruce and occupying 3 to 4 percent of the country’s area. The
brown bear
,
wild pig
, lynx,
gray wolf
, and ermine live in the woodlands. Wooded ravines and the valleys of the mountainous steppe regions provide the
abode
of the argali, a
mountain sheep
, along with mountain goats, deer, and snow leopards. In the
desert
, yellow gophers, jerboas, hares, and a large-eared hedgehog are typical.