Kyrgyzstan is a rugged Central Asian country along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean. The Tian Shan mountains, which surround the old caravan route and dominate the country, are home to snow leopards, lynx and sheep. In the south, the millennia-old city of Osh has a huge, busy bazaar that was a stop on the Silk Road.
Capital: Bishkek
Currency: Kyrgyzstani som
Population: 5.72 million (2013)World Bank
GDP per capita: 1,263.45 USD (2013)World Bank
President: Almazbek Atambayev
Neighboring countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China
