Lake Its Koul

Lake of high mountain of the Kirghizstan, located in the solid mass of the Tian Shan, with the altitude of 3016 m, the western north of the town of Naryn.

Of a surface of 275 km ², and a 15 m depth, it forms the greatest fresh water natural reserve of Kirghizstan. The length of its banks exceeds 90 km.

The lake Its Koul is located in a basin at the soft slopes, of 60 km length and 30 km broad, surrounded by mountainous peaks, of which more the high summits exceed 4000 Mr.

Frozen and covered of snow 150 days per annum, the lake is accessible only by collars to more than 3100 m, open from June to September. In summer, its banks are used as pasture with more than 3000 horses, 3000 bovines and 40.000 sheep.

The Wildlife is very rich: more than 60 species of birds nest there, in particular of geese of the mountains. One also finds wolves, leopards of snows, ibexes, marmots and various reptiles. The flora presents interesting specimens of Edelweiss in very great concentration.

The economy of Its Koul rests on the breeding of summer: production of meat, wool, cow's milk and mare. The lake also produces 100 tons of fish per annum. Tourism of nature, without hotel infrastructure other that the yurts of the shepherds, is today under development.

The settlement, exclusively estival of Its Koul, counts approximately 1000 people, for approximately 300 yurts.

Its Koul is a very appreciated site of the foreign travellers and local tourists, for the beauty of the panorama which he proposes, but also especially for the authenticity of the lifestyle and the human reports/ratios that he knew to preserve.

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