- “Kyrgyz” is thought to be derived from the Turkic word for “forty” – a reference to the 40 clans of the great Manas
- 80% mountainous, Kyrgyzstan has been called the “Switzerland of Central Asia”
- Kyrgyzstan is one of only 45 land-locked countries in the world
- Horse meat and mare’s milk are popular in Kyrgyzstan
- In all of Kyrgyzstan there is only 1 hotel from a western chain
- Just 36% of Kyrgyzstan residents live in urban areas
- Gold accounts for 43% of Kyrgyzstan’s exports while tourism contributes just 1.25% of GDP
