The Earth From the Air
Yann Arthus-Bertrand
A glacier near Mount It-Tish, Ysyk-Kol area, Kyrgystan (Kyrgyzstan)
Glaciers in Kyrgystan are so numerous (about 3,000 of them) and cover so much space (6,500 km2) that some of them remain nameless. Their slow descent forms the valleys of the Tien-Shan mountain range, second only to the Himalayas for its numerous peaks. The highest one, Pobedy Peak, is 7,439 m high. At the heart of Central Asia, surrounded by Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Kasakhstan, the Kygys territory is thus perched at an average height of over 3,000 m. High mountains cover close to 95% of the area, leaving very little space for sedentary agriculture. In fact, the whole country remains attached to its nomadic tradition, which is still very much alive today.
This postcard is unused.