A Great Country Name for Scrabble Quiz

Answer: Forty

It means forty, and refers to the forty clans of Manas, a legendary hero who united the clans of the region. The sun at the center of the Kyrgyz flag has forty rays extending outward. Kyrgyzstan celebrated the 1000 year anniversary of Manas in 1995. An epic poem about the hero contains 500,000 lines.

The story of Manas is a centerpiece of Kyrgyz literature, and it is often recited in public.

Answer: Yurt

Yurts are common dwellings in eastern and central Asia. They are portable, tent-like structures. Hogans are native to the southwestern United States, especially among the Navajo. A Qarmaq is a tent-like igloo built by the Inuit peoples of northern Canada. A Burdei is a sod cabin common to Eastern Europe.

Answer: Som

The Som has been the currency of Kyrgyzstan since 1993. The currency has changed since 1993, with series in 1994, 1997 and 2009. The Som generally has historical figures on the front and buildings on the obverse. When Kyrgyzstan was a Soviet Republic (prior to 1991), the currency was the ruble. Tenge was established as the currency of Kazakhstan in 1993. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have both used the Manat as currency.

Answer: Independence from the Soviet Union

August 31, 1991 marks the date that Kyrgyzstan became independent from the USSR. Noorus takes place around the Spring Equinox, March 21, and is a new year's celebration. Victory Day, a hold-over from the Soviet era, is celebrated May 9, on the anniversary of the surrender of Germany. Buddha's birthday is not a public holiday in Kyrgyzstan, as the majority of people are Muslims.

Answer: Judo

Judokan Aidyn Smagulov won a Bronze medal, beating Aliksher Muktharov of Uzbekistan. In 2008, Kanatbek Begaliev (Silver) and Ruslan Tumenbaev (Bronze) medaled in Greco-Roman Wrestling. Kyrgyzstan competed in the Olympics since 1996, but had not won a gold medal by 2012.

Answer: KG

KG is the country's top-level domain code for Kyrgyzstan. KY is the Cayman Islands, KZ is Kazakhstan and KR is the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

Answer: Askar Akayev

Akayev was a reformer in the Communist party, and a leading scientist. He was elected in 1991, and ruled until he was ousted in 2005. Bakiyev was the second President of Kyrgyzstan, serving from 2005 to 2010. Otunbayeva was President in 2010-2011, and was one of the leaders of the revolution that ousted Akayev. Nazarbayev was elected President of Kazakhstan in 1990, and served over twenty years.

Answer: The Tulip Revolution

The Tulip Revolution has also been called the Pink, Silk, Lemon or Daffodil revolution. It ousted Askar Akayev in March 2005, forcing him into exile. The Tulip Revolution was more violent that some of the other "color" revolutions, but achieved its goals in six weeks without a civil war.

The Rose Revolution in 2003 brought down the government of Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze. The Orange Revolution was in Ukraine in 2004, and led to the election of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko. The Yellow Revolution happened in the Philippines in the 1980s and led to the exile of Ferdinand Marcos.

Answer: Tobacco

Alliance One International is involved in the processing and purchasing of tobacco. The company plead guilty to giving local Kyrgyz officials $254,000 in exchange for rights to buy tobacco from local farmers. Cotton and tobacco are leading agricultural exports, while grapes and wheat tend to be used domestically.

Answer: Mutton

Mutton and horse meat are the two most common meats in Kyrgyzstan. The national dish, beshbarmaq, is boiled mutton served with noodles. While beef is available in Kyrgyzstan, it is not eaten as frequently as mutton. Since most of the country is Muslim, very little pork is consumed there. And there are very few chickens in Kyrgyzstan.