| officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a country in Central Asia. Landlocked and mountainous, it is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east.
The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia", as a result ), with the remainder made up of valleys and basins. Lake Issyk-Kul in the north-western Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. Peak Jengish Chokusu, at (7,439 m, is the highest point and is considered by geologists (though not mountaineers) to be the northernmost 7,000 m peak in the world.
The Mountains of Central Asia Flora was listed as a biodiversity hotspot by Conservation International in February 2005. The Flora was previously overlooked; 5500 species including 1500 endemic species in 64 genera on an extent of 863 362km square. 20% of the Flora remains and 6.9% is protected.
|
|
|
Home page
browser
List of collections
Itinerary
collecting team and links
Photo essay
|