FACTS
Capital: Kyzyl
Currency: Ruble
Time zone: UTC+7
GEOGRAPHY
Tuva is twice the size of Austria, with over 9,000 rivers. The upper course of the Yenisei River is in Tuva and is fed here to become the 5th largest river in the world. There are also both glacial and salt lakes (not from the sea but from a high concentration of minerals in these land-locked bodies of water). Mountains and hills cover 80% of Tuva's land.
PEOPLE AND DIALECTS
Tuvans are renound for their throat singing whereby they can produce several notes at once for quite a time! This tradition has developed from the nature of Tuva being a mountain basin so sounds travel long distances. Singers often travel deep into the countryside or to bases of mountains to create the right environment for throat singing.
The Tuvan language is turkic, although there are many Mongolian words present also.
WILDLIFE
Wolves, bears, flying foxes, snow leopards, eagles and huge fish are a few of the natural wonders of this region.