KIRGHIZ REPUBLIC, a former A.S.S.R., since Dec. 5, 1936, a state member of the U.S.S.R., lying to the south-east of Kazakstan, which forms its northern boundary. It lies between 24' N. and 39° 17' N. and 7o° E. and 8o° E. Chinese Turkistan lies on the east, the autonomous Badakshan area and the Tajik S.S.R. on the south, while on the west are the Uzbek S.S.R. and Kazakstan. It is a mountain region, lying within the western extension of the Tian Shan range which branches off from the Khan-tengri mountain knot (23,600 ft.) in 80° 1' E. and 42° 13' N., on the western border of Chinese Turkistan. The Kunghei Ala-tau skirts the north of Lake Issyk Kul ; its southern slopes lie in the Kirghiz S.S.R., and its north ern in Kazakstan.
Most of the Alexander range, a western continuation of the Kunghei-Ala-tau, lies within the Kirghiz republic, as does the valley to the north, where the Chu river is the frontier between Kazakstan and the Kirghiz S.S.R. as far west as the village of Kamyshanka. The Alexander range bifurcates into two branches, the southern or Talas-tau lying within the Kirghiz S.S.R. The Terskei Ala-tau skirts the south of Lake Issyk-Kul, separating the lake, which appears to be a hollow of tectonic origin, from the high valley of the Naryn river. Striking south-westwards from Khan-tengri is the Kok-shal tau, whose crest forms the boundary between Russia and Chinese Turkistan. This range terminates in the Terek-tau, from which the Ferghana mountains branch north west and form a knot with the Talas-tau. The Naryn river enters the Ferghana valley through a deep cleft in the Ferghana range, the northern portion of which is sometimes called the Uzun-tau. From the knot, the Ala-tau branch to the north-west and the Chatkal-tau to the south-west. The Naryn river rises in two streams, the little and the great Naryn and between them, and parallel with them, lies the Dzhitym-tau range; south of the Naryn, below the town of Narynsk, lies the Kalkagar range, with the Dongus-tau to the north. Lake Son-Kul lies between this range and the Dzhungal-tau. Stretching from the Talas-tau to the Dongus-tau is the Susamyr-tau. From Lake Chatyr-Kul to the north-east, the great Ak-Sai plateau extends with the Ak-Sai river flowing along to Chinese Turkestan. The topography of the region has been profoundly influenced by its geological history. The closely folded Palaeozoic limestones and slates, which form the Tian Shan system were once a peneplain, in which warping and tilting took place, and in the basins thus formed late Mesozoic and Tertiary sandstones and shales were deposited, and the whole surface was once more worn down. But in late Tertiary times folding took place and the region was pushed to a great height, so that the plateau south of Lake Issyk-Kul is at an average elevation of 12,000 ft. Lake Issyk-Kul itself is 5,000 ft. above sea level. The main mass of the plateau is about 150 m. in width and consists of broad shallow basins (altitude c. Io,000 ft.) run ning in an east-west direction, separated by the broad ridges men tioned previously which slope gently to altitudes of 13.00o to
16,0oo ft., their flat tops reminiscent of the ancient peneplain. The Kokshal-tau range (16,000 ft.) has a more typical young fold mountain appearance, with sharp-edged peaks. The republic is a glacial region, the numerous small glaciers varying from one to five miles in length and occurring usually at altitudes of 12,000 ft. Broad U-shaped glacial valleys are the prevailing type, though V-shaped river gorges alternate picturesquely with them. Terraces occur in the river valleys, sometimes half a dozen, one above the other. Ellsworth Huntington concluded from his examination of the region that there had been at least five decreasingly severe glacial advances, with interglacial periods of warm climate.
The climate varies with altitude and exposure; slopes exposed to the west or north receive winds bearing more moisture and have less insolation and are therefore more favourable to vegeta tion. Rainfall increases steadily with altitude up to 1 o,000 ft., after which precipitation takes the form of snow, even in the height of summer, and hard frosts occur at night. The prevailing vegetation, in dependence on this abundant precipitation and on the altitude, is alpine and sub-alpine meadow, with luscious grass and abundance of gaily coloured flowers. Forests are rare, except in the valley bottoms and along some of the northern slopes; they are coniferous in type, with some birch and poplar. According to P. P. Semenov, the northern slopes may be roughly divided into a steppe region reaching 1,575 ft. in altitude, a zone of cul tivation to 4,300 ft., then coniferous trees to 8,1oo ft., sub-alpine, and alpine pasture to II,9oo ft., with perpetual snow above. Apple, plum and apricot grow wild in a few valleys up to 7,000 ft., but fruits and berries are rare. The abundance of flowers, especially east of Lake Issyk-Kul makes bee-keeping profitable, and 82o tons of honey were exported in 1914. Wild animal life is scarce, though birds are numerous in the lower slopes, especially round the lakes. The mouflon, antelope and argalleh are found, and also rabbits. Between 9,000 and 12,000 ft., where the grass is richest, the marmot is found in great numbers. The chief wealth of the region, in dependence on the fact that 90% of the useful land is occupied by meadow and pasture, is in its flocks and herds. The fat-tailed sheep is the most numerous and there were about 4,000,000 in 1926-27, furnishing milk, meat, wool and leather. Cows and yaks are also bred mainly as milch and draught cattle, the latter to be exported to the agricultural areas of the other central Asiatic republics. Horses of a small, shaggy, stocky breed come next in numbers, and are valued mainly for riding, not as pack animals. The two-humped Bactrian camel is bred, both for sale in the lowlands and as a beast of burden; its milk and hair are also useful. Goats, often used to lead the flocks of sheep, are kept and in a few valleys pigs are bred. Watch dogs guard every encampment.