Map of Kyrgyzstan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: A country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan became part of the Russian empire in 1864. In the Czarist and Soviet periods, Russian managers and technicians were sent to Kyrgyzstan and have recently made up more than one-fifth of the population. Many Russians have been returning home since Kyrgyzstan gained its independence in 1991 when the USSR collapsed. Privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of democracy and political freedoms, and inter-ethnic relations are current issues.


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Location: South Asia, between China and Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates

Map reference:

Area
Total: 198,500 km²
Land: 191,300 km²

Land boundaries

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Climate: dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in south (Fergana Valley)

Terrain: peaks of Tien Shan rise to 7,000 meters, and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation

Elevation

Natural resources: small amounts of coal, natural gas, oil, nepheline, rare earth metals, mercury, bismuth, gold, lead, zinc, hydroelectric power

Land use
Arable land: NA%
Permanent crops: NA%
Meadows and pastures: NA%
Forest and woodland: NA%
Other: NA%

Irrigated land: 10,320 km² (1990)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 4,625,954 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.56% (1993 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Kirghiz 52.4%, Russian 21.5%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%, German 2.4%, other 8.3%

Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) - official language, Russian

Religions: Muslim 70%, Russian Orthodox NA%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.56% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 26.69 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 7.45 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.62 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
Current issues note: landlocked

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 47.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.71 years
Male: 63.47 years
Female: 72.15 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.39 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Noun: Kirghiz(s)
Adjective: Kirghiz

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Kyrgyzstan
Conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
Local long form: Kyrgyzstan Respublikasy
Local short form: none
Former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: republic

Capital: Bishkek (Frunze)

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: National Day, 2 December

Constitution: adopted 5 May 1993

Legal system: based on civil law system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, Cabinet of Ministers, prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral Zhogorku Keneshom

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Roza OTUNBAYEVA
In the us chancery: 1511 K Street, NW, Washington, DC
In the us telephone: (202) 347-5,029
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edward HURWITZ
From the us embassy: (temporary) Erkindik Prospekt #66, Bishkek
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,721
From the us telephone: 7-3,312 22-26-93, 22-35-51, 22-29-20
From the us fax: 7-3,312 22-35-51

Flag description: red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Krygyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized representation of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Kyrgyzstan's small economy (less than 1% of the total for the former Soviet Union) is oriented toward agriculture, producing mainly livestock such as goats and sheep, as well as cotton, grain, and tobacco. Industry, concentrated around Bishkek, produces small quantities of electric motors, livestock feeding equipment, washing machines, furniture, cement, paper, and bricks. Mineral extraction is small, the most important minerals being coal, rare earth metals and gold. Kyrgyzstan is a net importer of many types of food and fuel but is a net exporter of electricity. In 1992, the Kirghiz leadership made progress on reform, primarily by privatizing business, granting life-long tenure to farmers, and freeing most prices. Nonetheless, in 1992 overall industrial and livestock output declined because of acute fuel shortages and a widespread lack of spare parts.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -25% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $NA

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: wool, tobacco, cotton, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle), vegetables, meat, grapes, fruits and berries, eggs, milk, potatoes

Industries: small machinery, textiles, food-processing industries, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, and rare earth metals

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA% (1992)

Labor force: 1.748 million
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 33%
By occupation industry and construction: 28%
By occupation other: 39% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 0.1% includes officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $NA
Commodoties: wool, chemicals, cotton, ferrous and nonferrous metals, shoes, machinery, tobacco
Partners: Russia 70%, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and others

Imports: $NA
Commodoties: lumber, industrial products, ferrous metals, fuel, machinery, textiles, footwear
Partners: other CIS republics

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: rubles per US$1 - 415 (24 December 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations


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Electricity
Production: 4,100,000 kW capacity; 11,800 million kWh produced, 2,551 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 52
Usable: 27
With permanentsurface runways: 12
With runways over 3659 m: 1
With runways 2440-3659 m: 4
With runways 1220-2439 m: 13

Heliports

Pipelines: natural gas 200 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: territorial dispute with Tajikistan on southern boundary in Isfara Valley area

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and opium; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europel (1992)