Kyrgyzstan

KYRGYZSTAN IS LOCATED in Central Asia, west of China, with which it shares its dominant geological feature: the Tien Shan mountain range. The former Soviet state has a varied climate, ranging from subtropical to polar, but most of the country is arid, high mountain terrain. Over 45 percent of Kyrgystan sits at elevations that make it uninhabitable to humans. Of the remaining 54 percent, only 19 percent of the land [Page 591]is considered comfortable for human habitation. Government researchers have found that, over the past 100 years, average temperatures in Kyrgyzstan rose by 2.8 degrees F (1.6 degrees C) (much higher than the global average of 1 degree F, or 0.6 degrees C). Precipitation rose only 6 percent during the same period. Scientists project temperature ...