Occupying only 86th place in the world in terms of area, Kyrgyzstan has a clear administrative-territorial division. The country includes two cities of republican significance - Bishkek and Osh - and seven regions. In the capital, there is a subdivision into inner-city districts, and all regions of Kyrgyzstan are also divided into districts and cities of regional subordination, of which there are 40 and 13 in the country, respectively. Going on tours to Kyrgyzstan, it is important to imagine the geographical location of a particular region of the country in order to navigate the roads and lay out routes of movement with the least loss of time.
Repeating the alphabet
The list of regions of Kyrgyzstan is opened by the Batken region with the center of the same name, and the short list is closed by the Talas and Chui regions. The most densely populated regions of Kyrgyzstan are Jalal-Abad and Osh. Here the number of inhabitants exceeds one million people in each. In Talas and Naryn regions, four times fewer inhabitants are registered, which is due to the mountainous relief and difficult climatic conditions in this part of the country.
The northernmost region is Chuiskaya, on the territory of which the valley of the same name is located. The south of the country is occupied by the Batken and Osh regions, and the extreme east of Kyrgyzstan is the Issyk-Kul region.
Through the pages of historical chronicles
The city of Talas in the north of the country is the center of the eponymous region of Kyrgyzstan. He is well known to those interested in the military history of the early Middle Ages. In 751, a historic battle took place here between the troops of the Arab Caliphates and the army of Tang China. The control over the territories of Central Asia was at stake, and therefore the Talas battle was long and bloody. For five days, one hundred thousandth enemy armies stood to death, until the military cunning of the Arabs forced the Chinese troops to flee. Thus, the advance to the west of the Tang Empire was stopped.
Everywhere, at home
Among the regions of Kyrgyzstan, there are territories where the shares of the Russian and Kyrgyz population are almost equal. For example, in the Chui region, which is the most industrially and agriculturally developed region of the country, the ethnic composition for a long time was dominated by Russian families who moved to the valley at the end of the 19th century. When traveling in the north of Kyrgyzstan, you don't have to worry about the language barrier, because the vast majority of the population speaks Russian here.
