Kyrgyzstan: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. Its capital is Bishkek. Almost the whole country is mountainous: most of it lies more than 1,000 metres above sea level, among the high peaks of the Tian Shan range. Kyrgyzstan is known for its alpine lakes, summer pastures dotted with yurts, horse riding and the long Kyrgyz epic poem Manas.

On My Earth Toy you can visit the Burana Tower near the town of Tokmok, an 11th-century brick minaret that is one of the last remains of the old Silk Road city of Balasagun.

Geography and nature

The Tian Shan mountains cover much of Kyrgyzstan, with glaciers, deep valleys and high grasslands. The highest peak, Jengish Chokusu (Victory Peak), reaches 7,439 metres on the border with China. Issyk-Kul, a huge, slightly salty mountain lake, never freezes even though it sits high in cold mountains. In the south, Arslanbob has one of the largest natural walnut forests in the world. Snow leopards, ibex and argali sheep live in the high mountains.

People, languages and culture

Kyrgyz is the state language and Russian is also official; Uzbek is spoken by many people in the south. Most Kyrgyzstanis are Muslim. Nomadic traditions are still strong: families take their herds to summer pastures and live in yurts, and men often wear the tall white felt hat called the kalpak. Kok-boru, a rough team game played on horseback, is very popular. The epic Manas, recited from memory by storytellers called manaschi, tells of a hero who united the Kyrgyz people.

History in a nutshell

For centuries, Silk Road caravans crossed the region between China and the west. In the 10th to 12th centuries, Balasagun was a capital of the Karakhanid state, and the Burana Tower was built there. Later the area was ruled by the Mongols and then by the Kokand Khanate. In the 19th century the Russian Empire took control, and in the 20th century it became a Soviet republic. Kyrgyzstan became independent on 31 August 1991.