Kyrgyzstan is a Central Asian country that I knew almost nothing about until today. Kyrgyzstan is neighboured by China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It also shares some seriously messy borders with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan including multiple enclaves and exclaves.

Kyrgyzstan is traditionally part of the Silk Road and is a highly mountainous country with its highest peak Jengish Chokusu reaching a truly impressive 7,439 metres. Kyrgyzstan is also home to Issyk-Kul, the seventh deepest lake in the world with a maximum depth of 668 metres.

The lake has no current outlet, and until recently continued to get deeper and deeper. It’s estimated that it’s 8 metres higher than it was during medieval times. 

When Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union Issyk-Kul depth made it an ideal test site for submarine torpedo technology. As of 2008 an area around the lake is being leased by the Russian and Indian navies for testing purposes.

Kyrgyzstan’s capital is Bishkek and it still has a “Lenin” district. Perhaps this is because the end of the Soviet Union was particularly tough on Kyrgyzstan as 98% of its exports were to the Soviet Union. Nowadays Kyrgyzstan’s largest export is gold making up 43% of its exports.

Kyrgyzstan is traditionally a nation of Nomads and started the World Nomad Games in 2014 and then went on to host the subsequent two games.

Even though Kyrgyzstan’s nomadic traditions continue, it’s more common to live in yurts only during the summer months. Despite this nomadic families apparently still spend as much time as possible outside, performing daily chores like preparing food or washing dishes in front of the yurt.

Kind of like my childhood caravan holidays.