The name "Kyrgyz" means "descendants of forty virgins". The flag of Kyrgyzstan bears forty suns, symbolising Kyrgyz heritage. Despite their kinship with the Kazakhs and other Turkic peoples of the region, the Kyrgyz are similar to the Mongols. The Kyrgyz have retained their tribal organisation.
During the 72 years of communist rule, the Kyrgyz population quadrupled. Hundreds of towns and villages were built as many abandoned their traditional nomadic lifestyle.
Today, the Kyrgyz live on one of the highest plateaus in the world.
Since the land is generally unsuitable for farming, many rural Kyrgyz still lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving their herds from pasture to pasture as their ancestors did. Their survival depends entirely on animals.
Kyrgyz women enjoy more freedom than most women in other Central Asian countries. For example, they do not have to wear the veil. They are allowed to talk to men and can ride freely in the pastures. They work hard, investing a lot of time and effort in maintaining the home, and their position in the family is important and respected. Men, on the other hand, devote themselves almost entirely to caring for the livestock.
Music, dance and storytelling are important components of Kyrgyz culture. Oral folklore has been very widely developed over the years. The Kyrgyz have the longest oral epic in the world, Manas. It contains 100,000 lines. Folk tales are often sung to the accompaniment of a three-stringed guitar - komuz.
Hunting with golden eagles is very popular among men, and a well-trained golden eagle is of great value.
