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

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Background: A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864; it achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Current concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises expansion of democracy and political freedoms inter-ethnic relations and terrorism.


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Location: Central Asia west of China

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N 75 00 E

Map reference: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Terrain: peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation

Elevation

Natural resources: abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal oil and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline mercury bismuth lead and zinc

Land use

Irrigated land: 9,000 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population: 4,685,230 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.43% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 40% (1993 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Kirghiz 52.4% Russian 18% Uzbek 12.9% Ukrainian 2.5% German 2.4% other 11.8%

Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) - official language Russian - official language

Religions: Muslim 75% Russian Orthodox 20% other 5%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.43% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 26.29 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.15 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.81 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a result water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 77.08 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 3.22 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital: Bishkek

Administrative divisions: 6 oblastlar (singular - oblast) and 1 city* (singular - shaar); Bishkek Shaary* Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek) Jalal-Abad Oblasty Naryn Oblasty Osh Oblasty Talas Oblasty Ysyk-Kol Oblasty (Karakol)

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: National Day 2 December; Independence Day 31 August (1991)

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

Legislative branch: bicameral Supreme Council or Zhogorku Kenesh consists of the Assembly of People's Representatives (70 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Legislative Assembly (35 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court judges are appointed for 10-year terms by the Supreme Council on recommendation of the president; Constitutional Court; Higher Court of Arbitration

Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Party [leader NA]; Agrarian Party of Kyrgyzstan [A. ALIYEV]; Banner National Revival Party or ASABA [Chaprashty BAZARBAY]; Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan or PKK [Absamat MASALIYEV chairman]; Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar JEKSHEYEV chairman]; Dignity Party [Feliks KULOV]; Fatherland or Alta Mekel Party [Omurbek TEKEBAYEV]; Justice Party [Chingiz AYTMATOV]; Kyrgyzstan Erkin Party (Democratic Movement of Free Kyrgyzstan) or ErK [Tursunbay Bakir UULU]; Movement for the People's Salvation [Djumgalbek AMAMBAYEV]; Mutual Help Movement or Ashar [Zhumagazy USUPOV]; National Unity Democratic Movement or DDNE [Yury RAZGULYAYEV]; Peasant Party [leader NA]; Republican Popular Party of Kyrgyzstan [J. SHARSHENALIYEV]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [J. IBRAMOV]

International organization participation: AsDB CIS EAPC EBRD ECE ECO ESCAP FAO IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO (correspondent) ITU NAM (observer) OIC OPCW OSCE PCA PFP UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIK UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kirghiz 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 Kirghiz yurt

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Kyrgyzstan is a small poor mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton wool and meat are the main agricultural products and exports. Industrial exports include gold mercury uranium and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been one of the most progressive countries of the former Soviet Union in carrying out market reforms. Following a successful stabilization program which lowered inflation from 88% in 1994 to 15% for 1997 attention is turning toward stimulating growth. Much of the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops in production had been severe since the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991 but by mid-1995 production began to recover and exports began to increase. Pensioners unemployed workers and government workers with salary arrears continue to suffer. Foreign assistance played a substantial role in the country's economic turnaround in 1996-97. The government has adopted a series of measures to combat such severe problems as excessive external debt inflation inadequate revenue collection and the spillover from Russia's economic disorders. Kyrgyzstan had moderate growth in 1999 of 3.4% with a similar rate expected for 2000.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.4% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,300 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: tobacco cotton potatoes vegetables grapes fruits and berries; sheep goats cattle wool

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

Industrial production growth rate: -3.4% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 1.7 million
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 55%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 30% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6% (1998 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 40% (1993 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 37% (1999 est.)

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: $515 million (1999 est.)
Commodities: cotton wool meat tobacco; gold mercury uranium hydropower; machinery; shoes
Partners: Germany 37% Kazakhstan 17% Russia 16% Uzbekistan 8% China 3% (1998)

Imports: $590 million (1999 est.)
Commodities: oil and gas machinery and equipment foodstuffs
Partners: Russia 24% Uzbekistan 14% Kazakhstan 9% Germany 6% China 5% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.1 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: soms (KGS) per US$1 - 46.235 (January 2000) 39.008 (1999) 20.838 (1998) 17.362 (1997) 12.810 (1996) 10.822 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 12.206 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 11.102 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 1.1 billion kWh (1998)
Imports: 850 million kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 357,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfied applications for household telephones

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $12 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 1% (FY99)

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: 54 (1994 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: natural gas 200 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 600 km (1990)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: territorial dispute with Tajikistan on southwestern boundary in Isfara Valley area; periodic target of Islamic terrorists from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia and Western Europe from Southwest Asia