The Kyrgyz Republic, to give it its proper title, is quite simply one of the most beautiful countries on earth. The Mountains of Heaven that stretch majestically across its length and breadth are lush, high and wild, dissected by sweeping steppe lands, primal forests and turquoise lakes. And far in the distance, scratching the belly of the endless sky, is an ever-changing vista of lofty snow-capped peaks that, up until a decade ago, were strictly off-limits.
Home to glaciers, deserts, alpine meadows and several 7000 metre plus mountains, the country rises up from the fertile slopes of the Ferghana Valley to the heights of Mount Pobeda (7,437 m) on the Chinese-Kyrgyzstan border. Scattered with over 2,000 lakes, a third of this breathtaking country is permanently covered in snow.
Kyrgyzstan which was historically known as the land of 40 tribes, is landlocked by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China.
The capital city is Bishkek.
Sites of interest in Kyrgyzstan include Burana Tower, Ala Archa National Park, Son-Kul Lake, the remote mountain lake at an altitude of about 3000 meters, Tash Rabat a stone fortress and Osh the ancient Silk Road city.
