Nature

The nature of Kyrgyzstan is very rich and diverse. 93% of the country is roofed by mountains all over the territory. The lowest valley makes 400 metres above sea level. The Tien-Shan or Celestial Mountains interpreted from Chinese is a mountainous system consisting of 88 powerful ranges. Three world-famous peaks are found in Kyrgyzstan. They are Pobeda (7439m), Lenin (7134m), and the legendary white/pink marble pyramid of Khan-Tengry.

In Kyrgyzstan there are 1923 lakes totally.

Issyk-Kul Lake is the second-largest massif lake in the world after Lake Titicaca which is in South America. The lake is at the elevation of 1610m above sea level, 170 km. long, 70 km. across, with a maximum depth of 695m.

Son-Kul Lake is the second-largest mountain lake in Kyrgyzstan at the elevation of  3016m above sea level, with a maximum depth of 15m.

Chatyr-Kul Lake is situated at height 3530m above sea level, with a maximum depth of 16m.

The largest rivers are the followings: the Naryn, Kara-Darya, Sary-Djaz, Chatkal, Chuy, Kekemeren and Isfairam-Sai.

Kyrgyzstan has many glaciers - there are more than 800 and they make up more than 4% of the land area of the country. The grandest glacier is 60km-long Inylchek Glacier.

The flora is rich and varied, which can boast with the major walnut forests in the world (the walnut is indigenous), fruit forests, unique in their beauty and medicinal properties, large tracts of Tien-Shan spruce trees, Semenov fir, perennial juniper, pistachio and almond, sea buckthorn, barberry, wild blackcurrants, honeysuckle, wild rose, and a wide variety of mushrooms and medicinal herbs.

The fauna of Kyrgyzstan is also very diverse with more than 80 species of mammals, over 300 species of birds and about 30 species of reptiles and amphibian. You have a wonderful opportunity to see various animals: from the very small rodents and birds till biggest mountain inhabitants - carrion-crows, and mountain goat. Here, isolated high elevation places of High Mountain lives snow leopard which is a national symbol of Kyrgyzstan.

Rare species of animals, inhabiting in Kyrgyzstan are the wild ram, bison, mountain goat, roe, deer, bear, lynx and snow leopard were logged in The Red Book.