5th May: Kyrgystan Constitution Day

It's Kyrgystan Constitution Day. 10 things you didn't know about Kyrgystan.

1. Not only is Kyrgystan landlocked, but it is further from the sea than any other country. So far away, in fact, that even its rivers flow to enclosed drainage systems and not to the sea.
2. "Kyrgyz" is believed to have derived from the Turkic word for "forty", in reference to the forty clans of Manas, a legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the Uyghurs. Literally it means "We are forty." The theme of forty is maintained on the country's flag, which has a sun with forty rays, representing the forty tribes.
3. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.
4. Kyrgystan is 80% mountainous and has 88 mountain ranges. Its largest lake, Tian Shan, is the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. The highest peak is Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 m (24,406 ft), and is considered by geologists to be the northernmost peak over 7,000 m (22,966 ft) in the world.
5. The epic poem, Manas, is the longest in the world with nearly half a million lines.
6. Kyrgyzstan's population was estimated at 5.6 million in 2013. 80% of them are Muslim.
7. Road transport is relatively limited because of all the mountains - the steep, winding roads are frequently blocked by Snow and landslides in winter. Many of the roads were built during the Soviet era and cross international borders, meaning lengthy immigration procedures; so many people travel on horseback rather than by car. Horses are cheaper to run as well as able to negotiate terrain that a motor vehicle couldn't.
8. Horses are not just a means of transport here, but are used for food. The national dish is Beshbarmak, which is horse meat boiled in its own broth for several hours and served over homemade noodles sprinkled with parsley and coriander. Beshbarmak means "Five Fingers" in the Kyrgyz language, because the dish is typically eaten with the hands. Beshbarmak is most often made for special family occasions. (It can be made with mutton or beef, as well. If mutton is used instead of horse meat, a boiled sheep's head is placed on the table in front of the most honoured guest, who cuts bits off the head and offers them to the other guests.) A popular Kyrgyz beverage is kymyz, a slightly alcoholic drink made by fermenting mare's milk.
9. There is one tiny village, Barak (population 627), in the Fergana Valley which is an enclave, surrounded by Uzbek territory. There are four Uzbek enclaves within Kyrgyzstan as well as two enclaves belonging to Tajikistan.
10. Kyrgyzstan is home to the world's largest natural walnut forest, Arslanbob. The grove produces 1500 tonnes of walnuts per year and is the largest single natural source of walnuts on Earth. There are two waterfalls here, and the tomb of Arslanbob, a disciple of Mohamed, who is said to have been given the seeds to plant the forest by the prophet himself, so it is a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims. A different legend says Alexander the Great planted the first walnut trees in Arslanbob and that he carried several sacks of walnuts with him to pay boatmen to ferry his troops.