TOURISM IN KYRGYZSTAN - Tourism in Central Asia: Cultural Potential and Challenges - page 261

However, not all Kyrgyz would adopt a settled and urban way of life. Even
today some Kyrgyz continue to live as nomads (McMann, 2006).
In terms of topography, Kyrgyzstan is a very mountainous country, with
“a few isolated lowlands” in the western and northern parts of the country. 2
Mountain ranges (especially the Pamir-Alai and Tien Shan) cover approxi-
mately 95% of the country's lands (Kort, 2004). Most of Kyrgyzstan lies
more than 1,500 meters above the sea level, 3 the average elevation being
2,750 meters. A 40% of Kyrgyzstan are more than 3,000 meters above sea
level (Kort, 2004). Due to this mountainous topography, there are several
mountain streams and rivers in Kyrgyzstan that flow into and feed some
3,000 lakes of the country. Kyrgyzstan also has some of the world's largest
glaciers, such as the Inylchek, Kainda, Semenov and Mushketov. 4
Between these high mountains lie also some important valleys, such as
the Chu, Kemin and Talas. However, the most important among these is
the Fergana Valley that Kyrgyzstan shares with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Mountain Rivers and streams flow into the valley, making it quite rich
in terms of agricultural land and pastures. It is mostly in the Fergana Valley
that the Kyrgyz produce cotton. In Chu, Kemin and Talas, animal hus-
bandry is a major activity. In addition to this, tobacco and other agricul-
tural products such as grain, fruits and vegetables are raised (Saray, 2004).
Kyrgyzstan has some light industry as well, mostly revolving around
electrical devices and appliances, textile, shoes, refrigerators, canned food,
wool and silk (Roudnik, 2007; Saray, 2004). These industries are mostly
concentrated in the major cities of Bishkek, Osh and Tokmak. The country
is not as rich as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Together with
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan has the smallest economy of the region, making
it highly dependent on foreign help (Mahnovski, Akramov, and Karasik
2007, xv). The country has some deposits of mineral resources such as
gold, mercury, uranium, antimony, zinc, tin, lead, coal, and tungsten, as
well as small amounts of oil and natural gas (Kort, 2004; McMann, 2006;
Özcan, 2010; Roudnik, 2007).
Kyrgyz industry would develop during the Soviet era when the So-
viet administration started to make certain investments in Kyrgyzstan to
2 Kyrgyzstan: Then and Now . 1993. USA: Lerner Publishing Company, Geography Department, 13.
3 Kyrgyzstan: Then and Now . 1993. USA: Lerner Publishing Company, Geography Department, 12.
4 Kyrgyzstan: Then and Now . 1993. USA: Lerner Publishing Company, Geography Department, 12,
17.