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Kyrgyzstan, (variously
transliterated, also Kirgizia or Kirghizia), officially the Kyrgyz
Republic, is a country in Central Asia. Landlocked and mountainous, it
is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west,
Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east.
According to recent historical findings,
Kyrgyz history dates back to 201 BC. The early Kyrgyz lived in the upper
Yenisey River valley, central Siberia. The discovery of the Pazyryk and
Tashtyk cultures show them as a blend of Turkic nomadic tribes. Chinese
and Muslim sources of the 7th–12th centuries AD describe the Kyrgyz as
red-haired, in addition, blond-haired with a fair complexion and green
or blue eyes.
The descent of the Kyrgyz from the indigenous Siberian population is
confirmed on the other hand by recent genetic studies. Remarkably, 63%
of the modern Kyrgyz men share Haplogroup R1a1 (Y-DNA) with Tajiks
(64%), Ukrainians (54%), Poles (56%) and even Icelanders (25%).
Haplogroup R1a1 (Y-DNA) is believed to be a marker of the
Proto-Indo-European language speakers. |
