Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan, set in the Chüy Valley at the northern foothills of the Tian Shan. Known as Frunze in Soviet times, it became Bishkek after independence in 1991 and serves as the country’s political and cultural hub. Don’t mix it up with its neighbors: Almaty is Kazakhstan’s largest city (former capital), Dushanbe is Tajikistan’s capital, and Tashkent is Uzbekistan’s capital. Memory tip: Kyrgyzstan’s capital keeps the Ks—BishKEK—with two hard “k” sounds, and its name comes from a churn used to make kumis, a traditional Kyrgyz drink.