Kyrgyzstan has an area of 198,500 sq km, and is a landlocked country located in Central Asia . To its east is China , to its south is Tajikistan , to its west is Uzbekistan and to its north is Kazakhstan .
Most of the country is mountainous, with about 90% of the land covered by Tien Shan and its extensions, the Pamir and Alay mountain ranges in the southwest. Tien Shan , in the east, separates China from Kyrgyzstan . The highest peak, Jengish Chokusu, is more than 7,400 m high. The average elevation of the country is about 2,750 m above sea level and 90% of the country is over 1,000 m .
The mountain peaks are snow-covered year round and are covered by thousands of glaciers and numerous deep valleys through which fast-flowing rivers and streams traverse.
Most of the rivers and streams in the country are part of the Syr Darya river system, which is a major river in Central Asia and originates in Tien Shan . This river eventually flows into Uzbekistan , and then into the Aral Sea at the border of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan .
Further north is the 1,100 km long Chu River , which also originates from Tien Shan , and flows through Chu Valley where the capital city of Bishkek is located. In the valley, the water from the river is used for irrigation. As the river flows through the valley, it becomes part of the natural border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan , and eventually disappears into the steppes.
The terrain is covered by thousands of lakes, the larger ones are the saline lakes of Ysyk-Kol (over 6,000 sq km big, in the north-east) and Chatyr-Kol (in Tien Shan near the Chinese border). Practically all the other lakes are at most a few square kilometres in size.
Given the mountainous terrain, most of the population live in pockets of land, including the Chu Valley and Talas Valley in the north and Fergana Valley in the southwest. The capital city of Bishkek is situated in the Chu Valley , and the major city of Osh is in the Fergana Valley .
Fergana Valley has an area of 21,000 sq km and stretches into Uzbekistan and Tajikistan . It is fed by the Syr Darya River and many other streams. The valley is covered by fertile soil and some desert land. To maximise land for agricultural use, irrigation canals have been built to draw water from the surrounding rivers and streams.
The valley is densely populated, and is a major agricultural and industrial centre, with s everal major cities from all the three countries located there, including Khudjand in Tajikistan , Osh in Kyrgyzstan and Kokand in Uzbekistan . Crops grown in the valley include walnuts, vine, cotton and fruits. The valley was on the route of the Silk Road , and to this day, silk milling is a major activity and mulberry trees are grown for the silk worms. In the area around the valley are deposits of oil, natural gas and mineral ores.
The country is seismically active. Major earthquakes have occurred in the past few decades.
Last edited Feb 25, 09 6:06 PM. Contributors: Andrew W. |
