ABSTRACT
Known for its mountainous landscape, the Kyrgyz Republic, also referred to as Kirghizia in Russian, is a landlocked country in Central Asia, sharing borders with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. The population of 6 million lives mainly in rural areas, with the most densely inhabited area in the north and in and around the capital of Bishkek, as well as Osh in the western part of the country. About 40 percent of the population lives in urban areas. The majority of the population identifies as ethnically Kyrgyz, with a smaller number identifying as Uzbek and Russian. Kyrgyz and Russian are the official languages, and the overwhelming majority of the population (90 percent) is Sunni Muslim. Several mountain ranges jut throughout its impressive landscape: the Kok Shaal-Tau, Alay, Trans-Alay (Zaalay), and Atbashi ranges. Lowlands account for only one-seventh of the total land area of Kyrgyzstan, and yet this portion of land is home to most of the population.
