Kyrgyzstan is sometimes colloquially referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia" given its relative peace, and the snow-topped Tian Shen mountains covering approximately 95% of the country. Surrounded by Kazakhstan on the north, Uzbekistan in the southwest, Tajikistan in the south, and China in the southeast, Kyrgyzstan is a melting pot of Central Asian, Russian, and Chinese influences. The Kyrgyz people are proud of their nomdic traditions such as horsemanship, the yurt, and kumis (fermented mare's milk).

Image courtesy of the CIA World Factbook.