Kyrgyzstan Land Of The Sky Mountains

The Kyrgyz, a Muslim Turkic people, constitute nearly three-fourths of the population.

- JOE BUERGI

The Land and The People

The history of the Kyrgyz in what is now Kyrgyzstan dates at least to the 17th century. Kyrgyzstan, known under Russian and Soviet rule as Kirgiziya, was conquered by Tsarist Russian forces in the 19th century. Formerly a constituent (union) republic of the U.S.S.R., Kyrgyzstan declared its independence on August 31, 1991.

Kyrgyzstan is, above all, a mountainous country. At its eastern extremity, next to the Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang, China, rises Victory (Pobedy) Peak, at 24,406 feet (7,439 meters) Kyrgyzstan’s highest peak. Mount Khan-Tengri (22,949 feet) is on the border with Kazakhstan. These mountains stand in the core of the Tien Shan system, which continues eastward into China. The Kok Shaal-Tau, Alay, Trans-Alay (Zaalay), and Atbashi ranges are on the southern border.