Kyrgyzstan is another landlocked country that gained independence with the collapse of the USSR. The 198,500 sq km country, with almost 5.5 million people, has Kazakhstan to its North, China to the East, Tajikistan to its South. Uzbekistan to its West completes the encirclement. ‘Kyrgyz’ stands for forty, in deference to the eponymous hero, Manas who led a disparate group of forty tribes against marauders circa 995 AD, which is depicted by the 40-ray emitting sun on their national flag.

With its centralised location, the locals went through centuries of intermarriage, migration, conquest and assimilation, leaving the majority of the Kyrgyz peoples inhabiting the country as races of mixed origin. In 1991, the capital city’s name, Frunze, was reverted to its age-old name of Bishkek. This country was unwilling to secede from the USSR in 1991, but revolutionaries forced the leaders to do so, gaining independence in August 1991 as the Democratic Republic of Kyrgyzstan. 75% of its population is Islamic.

Kyrgyzstan has seven provinces and its two largest cities of Bishkek and Osh have the status of a province. Over four fifths of the country is ruggedly mountainous, with huge peaks touching over 7,000 m, particularly in the Tian Shan range towards the Chinese border. A number of clear water lakes make it a scenic region, but not really meant for idle tourists.

The weather is capricious and varies from region to region, depending on the mountains in that region. Floods caused by heavy winter snowfall cause considerable damage. On the positive side, controlled down-flow is also used to generate electricity. Fergana Valley, in the south-west tends to be very hot in summer, whereas the Tian Shan is sub-zero for a fair part of the year. Cultivation is limited to less than 8% of the land, but Kyrgyzstan has material metal deposits including gold and other rare metals. Its economy is in poor shape as it just about manages to make both ends meet. Petroleum and natural gas are imported, a drain on their frugal reserves.

Roads are bad and horses are the preferred option. The limited rail routes have an added attraction- Bikshek is on the 'Silk Route' between Beijing and Moscow. Australians and New Zealanders require visas. Hotels are aplenty, but the number of visitors are a disappointment.    

Its airline has not been given FAA certification and is banned in the EU. The only international airport is Manas International Airport near Bishkek. There are four domestic airports in use, with another forty odd ex-USSR military airstrips in disrepair.

The currency in use is the Som, with 1 US$=44 Som. Its time is UTC + 6 hours.