Kyrgyzstan is located in Central Asia along the Silk Road- the ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean. It is officially known as the Kyrgyz Republic. The word “Kyrgyz” is thought to be derived from the Turkic word for “forty” that is why the country’s flag features a 40-ray sun. The mountainous Tian Shan region covers 80 per cent of Kyrgyzstan and the country has even been described as the “Switzerland of Central Asia”. There are just 29.5 residents for each square kilometer of land – making Kyrgyzstan one of the world’s least crowded countries. The official languages of Kyrgyzstan are Kyrgyz and Russian. Bishkek is the capital and largest city of the Kyrgyz Republic. Gold accounts for almost 43 per cent of Kyrgyzstan’s exports – The Kumtor Gold Mine in the Tian Shan mountains, which opened in 1997, sits on one of the largest gold deposits in the world. It has been one of the top locations for affordable medical education attracting students from all over the world.