Once you look at the map of the World and find Central Asia on
it, you would get a chance to find a small state called Kyrgyzstan. It is very
difficult since this country is hidden from everyone by high mountains. It lies
south of Kazakhstan and the Tien Shan mountains form its southern border with
China. It is largely mountainous except for low valleys in the Bishkek area and
in the southwest where the Ferghana Valley begins. Kyrgyzstan is considered the
most progressive of the Central Asian countries in terms of developing a
democratic market economy. Kyrgyzstan was proclaimed an independent, democratic
state in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Until then the Kyrgyz had
never had neither their national state nor their own territory. The head of the
country is president who is elected for a 5-year term of office. The current
president of the country is Askar Akaev. The highest legislative organ in
Kyrgyzstan is Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) and the highest executive and
administrative body is the Government headed by the Prime Minister.
The native Kyrgyz are Turkic people who were traditionally
pastoral nomads. The Kyrgyz are one of the ancient peoples. The first historical
data about them refer back to 201 A.D. The Kyrgyz people migrated from the
region of the upper Yenisei and China to settle in the area that is now
Kyrgyzstan in about the 16th century. The region was conquered by Mongolians in
the late 17th century, and came under the Kokand khanate in the 19th century.
Tsarist Russian forces defeated the khanate in 1876, and incorporated present-day
Kyrgyzstan into the Russian Empire.
From time to time the territory of Kyrgyzstan became the arena
for battles by various states for domination in the region. That time and events
are well depicted in the unique masterpiece - epos Manas, which reflected the
ancient history of the Kyrgyz people and their social life covering the period
of millennium. The epos "Manas" is the national pride of the Kyrgyz people, the
peak of their spiritual life, which they inherited from their ancestors.
The main occupation of the Kyrgyz was agriculture and animal
husbandry (horse and sheep breeding). For centuries, horses were the principal "
mean of conveyance" of the Kyrgyz people. Nowadays horses are still used as
carriers in remote areas and villages. The Kyrgyz are tireless riders able to be
in a saddle for a long time, riding over passes, crossing rushing rivers or
riding up or down steep slopes.
For centuries, the nomadic people of Central Asia have lived
in portable, circular dwellings known as yurts. The yurts were easy to assemble
and transport. They were warm in cold and cool in summer. The yurts are used by
Kyrgyz people until now but only during summer pasture time or during
celebrations or funerals. The ground of yurts, traditionally, is covered with
felt rugs ("koshma") and walls are decorated with felt shyrdaks and other
decorative bands.
The Kyrgyz people wear both Western-style and traditional
clothing. Traditional clothing for men includes a padded or a sheepskin coat,
boots, and a white felt hat with black or red flaps ("ak-kolpak"). Married women
often wear a white turban made of a long scarf.
Kyrgyz food shows the effect of its location and history.
Traditional Kyrgyz foods include shorpo (mutton and vegetable soup), and besh
barmak (lamb and noodles). Popular milk products include cheese, ayran (a
yogurtlike drink), and kumiss (fermented mare's milk). The Kyrgyz and the
Kazakhs are almost alone among Central Asian peoples in eating horse meat; only
young mares are used and they are fed on the Alpine grasses, which are thought
to impart a particularly good flavor.
In ancient times, polygamy was quite common among Kyrgyz.
Number of wives depended on man's welfare. Women's kidnapping had frequently
occurred. Nowadays those traditions are in the past and families became monogamy.
The Kyrgyz profess Islam, though it has sat relatively lightly
on the Kyrgyz people. It is mentioned in some of the sources that the Kyrgyz
were " bad Muslims" since they had made religious devotions occasionally and in
making that they were not diligent. During Kokand khanate, confession of Islam
became more active. Nowadays a new burst of religiosity is observed. Mosques and
Chirches are being built nation-wide and religion schools are opening. Since
Kyrgyzstan is a multi-ethnic country, apart from Islam some other religions are
spread as well (Christianity, Judaism, Buddism etc.).
The total population of Kyrgyzstan is 4.8 mln people.
Kyrgyzstan is a multi-ethnic state. Representatives of more than 80 ethnic
groups live in the republic: Kyrgyz (64,9%), Russians (12,5%), Uzbeks (13,8 %),
Ukrainians (1.0%), Germans (0,4%), Tatars, Kazakhs, Dunghans, Tadjiks, Turks,
Koreans, Azerbaijanians and other minorities. 3/5 of the population is rural.
Animal life in Kyrgyzstan is rich and diverse: there are more
than 80 species of mammals, over 330 species of birds, around 50 species of
reptiles and amphibians. Several species of animals and snow leopard is one of
them, are included in the International Red Book.
During Soviet times it was very problematic for westerners to
visit Kyrgyzstan and some of the areas like Issyk-Kul lake, Pobeda and Khan-Tengry
Peaks were just prohibited from visiting at all. Since its independence, many
things have changed in Kyrgyzstan. Tourism became a priority branch of
Kyrgyzstan's economy. The importance of tourism is connected with the unique
nature of Kyrgyzstan, its ecosystems, landscape, and recreation resources. Every
year hundreds of tourists come to Kyrgyzstan to climb northernmost seven-thousanders
in the world, hike in the mountain valleys, ski down along steep mountain slopes,
ride horses, raft, hunt or travel along the Great Silk Road. Mountains cover
about 70 % of the territory of Kyrgyzstan which is equal to ? of territory of
Spain. Long mountain chains stretch from east to west in 88 mighty ridges of the
great Tien-Shan mountains which means "celestial mountains" in Chinese. The
highest point of that mountain system is Pobeda Peak (7,439 m). The southern
border with Tajikistan lies along the Pamir Alay Range with its highest point -Lenin
Peak 7,134 m. The surrounding plains and valleys are full of relics of the Silk
Road, and hark back to the era of Timur the Lame, who launched his conquests
from here and this provides another opportunity for tourism.