KYRGYZSTAN
Kyrgyzstan is a country on the Asian continent. This nation is located in the centre of that continent. This country borders Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The country is very cold in winter and hot in summer. This nation does not have a coastline.
Most of the land of Kyrgyzstan is steppe. That means flat grassland. These prairies are not suitable for arable farming. For millennia the Kyrgyz people were itinerants. They traveled with herds of horses seeking fresh pasture and the dwelt in tents. The people started to speak the Kyrgyz language. This is a Turkic tongue.
This country has been part of various empires. They were ruled by the Mongols for some time. Islam was introduced here in the Middle Ages. Kyrgyz was written in the Arabic alphabet.
In the 19th century this land was conquered by the Russians. The country became part of the Russian Empire. A railway was then constructed in Kyrgyzstan. The Russians brought their language. They also insisted that the people write their language in Cyrillic letters.
In 1917 the Russian Revolution took place. This led to the introduction of communism. In 1922 the Soviet Union was established. Kyrgyzstan then included Kazakhstan. Only in 1936 was Kazakhstan separated from Kyrgyzstan. Ironically, Kazakhstan is far larger than Kyrgyzstan. The Soviet Government forbade nomadism in the 1930s. People were forced to settle. This sort of agriculture failed and led to a famine. Hundreds of thousands of people died of hunger.
In 1991 the USSR broke up. Kyrgyzstan became independent. The Russian language has declined there since then. Most ethnic Russians left the country. Kyrgyz is the only official language.
The capital city is Bishkek. Bishkek means a bottle that is used for carrying mare’s milk.
The Flag of Kyrgyzstan is red and yellow. The field is red. There is a yellow disc symbol and pattern in the centre. This is the nodal point of a tent. That is what the emblem represents.
This country is democratic. One woman has been president.
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- Which region of Asia is Kyrgyzstan in?
- Name the neighbours of this land? Four marks.
- What is the climate like?
- Describe the landscape.
- Which sea is this country beside?
- Which empire was it part of before it was conquered by Russia?
- The Kyrgyz language belongs to which family?
- When did Russia annex this land?
- What lifestyle did most Kyrgyz people live before the Russians conquered them?
- What is the capital city?
- What does Bishkek mean?
- Draw the flag. Five marks.
- When did this land become independent?
- What is the major religion?
- What is the official language?