Country Profile - Kyrgyz Republic
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Get detailed information on the Kyrgyz Republic, an important snow leopard range country.
Further information about the Kyrgyz Republic's environment,
history, people, and economy.
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Environment
The Kyrgyz Republic is made up almost entirely of mountain peaks and valleys. The dominant range is the Tien Shan in the East and South, along the borders of China and Kazakhstan.
Three-quarters of the nation's land is under permanent snow and glaciers, in the high-altitude cold deserts. Nestled in the valleys are numerous alpine lakes, including the 700-meter-deep Lake Issyk-Kul at the edge of the Tien Shan mountains.
Serious poaching problems exist here as in most other Central Asian
countries. However, high, grassy mountain meadows still support wild
antelope, sheep, goats, marmots, pika, and snow leopards, while the
forests of the Tien Shan contain lynx, wolf, wild boar, and brown
bear.
Snow leopards occur in several nature reserves and national parks established by the Kyrgyz government. The recently established Sary Chat Ertash wildlife reeserve offers good habitat for the snow leopard and its prey species of argali sheep and ibex.
The climate of the Kyrgyz Republic varies dramatically depending upon the elevation, ranging between polar, dry continental, subtropical, and temperate.
The average annual maximum temperature is about 104 degrees F in the summer, while temperatures remain below freezing in January, when cold winds blow in from Siberia.
History
The Saka warrior tribes resided in the area of what is now the Kyrgyz Republic from about the 6th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D., fiercely resisting the advance of Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C. Modern Kyrgyz people are probably descended from Siberians who migrated to the area as a result of the expansion of Genghis Khan into their original territory in the 13th century.
Between the mid-1600s and the mid-1800s, control of the area passed from the Mongols to the Chinese and finally to the Russians. After the formation of the Soviet Union, many Kyrgyz nomads were forced to settle during the land reforms and collectivization campaign of the 1920s and 1930s. In August 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic declared its independence from the disintegrating Soviet Union.
People/Culture
The Kyrgyz Republic
is home to a variety of ethnic groups, but Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Russian people
make up about 90% of the population. The official languages are Kyrgyz and Russian, which have equal
status in the country.
Seventy-five percent are of Kyrgyz citizens are Muslim, and 20% are Russian Orthodox. Many of the cultural practices of Islam have not been adopted as extensively as in the Middle East. For example, most Kyrgyz Muslims will drink alcohol, which their coreligionists in other parts of the world have interpreted as forbidden.
As in Mongolia, Kyrgyz culture and society are shaped by centuries-old nomadic herding practices. Cultural differences exist between the sparsely populated, Islamic south, and the industrialized, Russian-speaking northern provinces. These differences are sharpened by ancient tribal affiliations that are still relevant in modern times.
Economy
The economy of the Kyrgyz Republic is mainly based on agriculture; important crops include tobacco, cotton, wool, and meat. Industrial exports include gold, rare metals, natural gas, and electricity. The country's economy grew rapidly during the 1990s, and was the first of the former Soviet states to become a member of the World Trade Organization.
However, 50 percent of the Kyrgyz population still lives below the poverty line. In rural areas, herders lack consistent access to markets for their meat and wool. This precarious economic existence causes some herders to turn to poaching of snow leopards and other species to supplement their income.
Quick Links:
Environment
The Kyrgyz Republic is made up almost entirely of mountain peaks and valleys. The dominant range is the Tien Shan in the East and South, along the borders of China and Kazakhstan.
Three-quarters of the nation's land is under permanent snow and glaciers, in the high-altitude cold deserts. Nestled in the valleys are numerous alpine lakes, including the 700-meter-deep Lake Issyk-Kul at the edge of the Tien Shan mountains.
Serious poaching problems exist here as in most other Central Asian
countries. However, high, grassy mountain meadows still support wild
antelope, sheep, goats, marmots, pika, and snow leopards, while the
forests of the Tien Shan contain lynx, wolf, wild boar, and brown
bear.Snow leopards occur in several nature reserves and national parks established by the Kyrgyz government. The recently established Sary Chat Ertash wildlife reeserve offers good habitat for the snow leopard and its prey species of argali sheep and ibex.
Climate
The climate of the Kyrgyz Republic varies dramatically depending upon the elevation, ranging between polar, dry continental, subtropical, and temperate.
The average annual maximum temperature is about 104 degrees F in the summer, while temperatures remain below freezing in January, when cold winds blow in from Siberia.
History
The Saka warrior tribes resided in the area of what is now the Kyrgyz Republic from about the 6th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D., fiercely resisting the advance of Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C. Modern Kyrgyz people are probably descended from Siberians who migrated to the area as a result of the expansion of Genghis Khan into their original territory in the 13th century.
Between the mid-1600s and the mid-1800s, control of the area passed from the Mongols to the Chinese and finally to the Russians. After the formation of the Soviet Union, many Kyrgyz nomads were forced to settle during the land reforms and collectivization campaign of the 1920s and 1930s. In August 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic declared its independence from the disintegrating Soviet Union.
People/Culture
The Kyrgyz Republic
is home to a variety of ethnic groups, but Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Russian people
make up about 90% of the population. The official languages are Kyrgyz and Russian, which have equal
status in the country.Seventy-five percent are of Kyrgyz citizens are Muslim, and 20% are Russian Orthodox. Many of the cultural practices of Islam have not been adopted as extensively as in the Middle East. For example, most Kyrgyz Muslims will drink alcohol, which their coreligionists in other parts of the world have interpreted as forbidden.
As in Mongolia, Kyrgyz culture and society are shaped by centuries-old nomadic herding practices. Cultural differences exist between the sparsely populated, Islamic south, and the industrialized, Russian-speaking northern provinces. These differences are sharpened by ancient tribal affiliations that are still relevant in modern times.
Economy
The economy of the Kyrgyz Republic is mainly based on agriculture; important crops include tobacco, cotton, wool, and meat. Industrial exports include gold, rare metals, natural gas, and electricity. The country's economy grew rapidly during the 1990s, and was the first of the former Soviet states to become a member of the World Trade Organization.
However, 50 percent of the Kyrgyz population still lives below the poverty line. In rural areas, herders lack consistent access to markets for their meat and wool. This precarious economic existence causes some herders to turn to poaching of snow leopards and other species to supplement their income.