Kyrgyzstan
Updated: Sep 29, 2022
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Country Name
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, and also known as Kirghizia.
Location
Kyrgyzstan is a country in Central Asia.
It is a landlocked country with mountainous terrain. It is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and southwest, Tajikistan to the southwest, and China to the east.
Capital
Bishkek.
Reason for Naming
"Kyrgyz" is believed to have been derived from the Turkish word "forty", about the forty groups of Manas, a legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the Uyghurs.
Literally, Kyrgyz means We are forty. At the time, in the early 9th century AD, the Uyghurs dominated much of Central Asia (including Kyrgyzstan), Mongolia, and parts of Russia and China.
"-stan" is a word in the Persian language meaning "place of" or "country".
Flag
The current flag was adopted on March 3, 1992.
The flag of Kyrgyzstan is composed of a red background and a yellow symbol resembling the sun.
The sun has 40 rays that represent 40 tribes living in the country. In the middle of the sun, there is a strange pattern (two sets of three lines) that is supposed to remind a ceiling of a yurt - a traditional dwelling of the local steppe people.
The colors and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings.
The red color represents "bravery and valor", which indicate the purported emblem raised by Manas, the national hero of Kyrgyzstan.
The yellow sun represents peace and prosperity, while its 40 rays represent the number of tribes united by Manas to fight against the Mongols, as well as the number of followers he had.
The center of the sun features a stylized illustration of the roof (tunduk) atop a traditional Kyrgyz tent (yurt) when viewed from the interior.
Although these tents are less commonly used today, their incorporation into the flag is meant to symbolize the "origin of life", the "unity of time and space", as well as the people's "hearth and home" and their history.
Language
Russian and Kyrgyz are the two official languages of Kyrgyzstan.
It is one of the two former Soviet republics located in Central Asia to continue using Russian as the official language of Kyrgyzstan. After the independence of the country, Kyrgyz was selected as a second official language in September 1991.
Russian is used in business and political affairs while Kyrgyz was only spoken in homes across the country and rarely used in government proceedings, today the language of Kyrgyzstan is spoken during most parliamentary meetings in the country.
Religion
Islam is the dominant religion of Kyrgyzstan. Most of the Muslims living in Kyrgyzstan are Sunni Muslims.
Christianity is the second-largest religion practiced in Kyrgyzstan, Other faiths practiced in Kyrgyzstan include Russian Orthodox and Ukrainian Orthodox versions of Christianity, and Jehovah's Witnesses.
Currency
Som (c) (KGS).
Time Zone
+06:00 GMT
Government Regime
Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic.
Climate
Kyrgyzstan has a continental climate, with chilly winters that are frequently icy and warm and sunny summers that are occasionally scorchingly hot at low elevations but cooler in the mountains.
The west receives moderate precipitation, but the center-east of the region is dry, and even desert at lower elevations. Winds capable of bringing sandstorms can blow from neighboring nations' extensive deserts.
Temperatures in the coldest locations reach sub-zero for roughly 40 days in winter, and some desert areas get continual snowfall throughout this time.
Temperatures in the lowlands range from roughly 6 °C (21 °F) in January to 24 °C (75 °F) in July.
If you want to visit the major cities of Kyrgyzstan and the lowlands, the best times are spring and autumn, especially the periods of April-May and September-October.