Kyrgyzstan

Geography

:Main article: Geography of Kyrgyzstan

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Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The mountainous region of Tian Shan covers the majority of the nation, with the remainder made up of its valleys and basins. Issyk Kul in north-western Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. Pik Pobedy (Victory Peak) at 24,400ft (7439m) is the highest point and is considered by geologists (though not mountaineers) to be the northernmost 7000m peak. Around 75% of the country is under cover of snow and this causes problems of flooding during the spring thaw. These both claim lives (around 40 people were killed in 1998) and destroy crops (in 2005 there was a massive grain shortfall.)

Related Topics:
Central Asia - Kazakhstan - China - Tajikistan - Uzbekistan - Tian Shan - Issyk Kul - Titicaca - Pik Pobedy

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The climate varies regionally. The south-western Fergana Valley is Subtropical Climate and extremely hot in summer, with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F.) The northern foothills are Temperate Climate and Tian Shan varies from dry Continental Climate to Polar Climate, depending on elevation. In the coldest areas temperatures are sub-zero for around 40 days in winter and some desert areas experience constant snowfall in this period.

Related Topics:
Fergana Valley - Subtropical Climate - Temperate Climate - Continental Climate - Polar Climate

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Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of rare metals including gold and also some coal, petroleum and natural gas. Less than 8% of the land is cultivated and this is concentrated in the northern lowlands.

Related Topics:
Gold - Coal - Petroleum - Natural gas

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Bishkek in the north is its capital and largest city, with approximately 900,000 inhabitants in 2005. The second city of Kyrgyzstan is the ancient city of Osh located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Tajikistan. There are other smaller cities, mostly in the north and east of the country. The principal river is the Naryn River, flowing west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan, where it meets another of Kyrgyzstan's major rivers, the Kara Darya. There it forms the Syr Darya, eventually flowing into the Aral Sea. The Chu River also briefly flows through Kyrgyzstan before entering Kazakhstan.

Related Topics:
Bishkek - Osh - Cities - Naryn River - Kara Darya - Syr Darya - Aral Sea - Chu River

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Enclaves and exclaves

There is one exclave, the tiny village of Barak http://home.no.net/enklaver/kyrgyzstan.htm, (population 627) in the Fergana valley region where Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan meet. The village is surrounded by Uzbek territory and located between the towns of Margilan and Fergana.

Related Topics:
Exclave - Fergana - Tajikistan - Uzbekistan - Margilan

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There are also four Uzbek enclaves. Two of them are the towns of Sokh (area 325 km² and a population of 42,800 in 1993, although some estimates go as high as 70,000; 99% are Tajiks, the remainder Uzbeks) and Shakhrimardan (also known as Shakirmardon, and Shah-i-Mardan, area 90 km² and a population of 5,100 in 1993; 91% are Uzbeks, the remainder Kyrgyz); the other two are the tiny territories of Chong-Kara (or Kalacha, roughly 3 km long by 1 km wide) and Dzhangail (a dot of land barely 2 or 3 km across). Chong-Kara is on the Sokh river, between the Uzbek border and the Sokh enclave.

Related Topics:
Enclave - Sokh - 1993 - Shakhrimardan

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There are another two enclaves, belonging to Tajikistan this time: Vorukh (exclave area between 95 and 130 km², population estimated between 23,000 and 29,000, 95% Tajiks and 5% Kyrgyz, distributed among 17 villages), located 45 km south of Isfara on the right bank of the Karafshin river, and a small settlement near the Kyrgyz railway station of Kairagach.

Related Topics:
Vorukh - Isfara - Karafshin - Kairagach

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