Map of Kyrgyzstan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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
Total: 198,500 km²
Land: 191,300 km²
Water: 7,200 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries
Total: 3,878 km
Border countries: (4) China 858 km; , Kazakhstan 1,051 km; , Tajikistan 870 km; , Uzbekistan 1,099 km

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
Extremes lowest point: Kara-Darya 132 m
Extremes highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

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
Arable land: 7%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 44%
Forests and woodland: 4%
Other: 45% (1993 est.)
Note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut forest

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: 4,753,003 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.44% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: 51% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Kyrgyzstani
Adjective: Kyrgyzstani

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

Languages
Note: in May 2000, the Kyrgyzstani legislature made Russian an official language, equal in status to Kirghiz

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 35.03% (male 841,029; female 823,723)
15-64 years: 58.83% (male 1,369,842; female 1,426,522)
65 years and over: 6.14% (male 110,340; female 181,547) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.44% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 26.18 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 9.13 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 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
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 76.5 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.46 years
Male: 59.2 years
Female: 67.94 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.19 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97%
Male: 99%
Female: 96% (1989 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: republic

Capital: Bishkek

Administrative divisions
Note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 31 August (1991)

Constitution: adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by President AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 10 February 1996 significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature

Legal system: based on civil law system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Askar AKAYEV (since 28 October 1990)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV (since 22 December 2000)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; elections last held 29 October 2000 (next to be held November or December 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Askar AKAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Askar AKAYEV 74%, Omurbek TEKEBAYEV 14%, other candidates 12%; note - election marred by serious irregularities

Legislative branch
Elections: Assembly of People's Representatives - last held 20 February and 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA February 2005); Legislative Assembly - last held 20 February and 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA February 2005)
Election results: Assembly of People's Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; percent of vote by party - NA; and Legislative Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - total seats by party in the Supreme Council were as follows: Union of Democratic Forces 12, Communists 6, My Country Party of Action 4, independents 73, other 10
Note: the legislature became bicameral for the 5 February 1995 elections; the 2000 election results include both the Assembly of People's Representatives and the Legislative Assembly

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

Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Labor Party of Kyrgyzstan [Uson S. SYDYKOV]; Agrarian Party of Kyrgyzstan [Arkin ALIYEV]; Ata-Meken Socialist Party or Fatherland [Onurbek TEKEBAYEV]; Banner National Revival Party or ASABA [Chaprashty BAZARBAY]; Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar JEKSHEYEV]; Democratic Women's Party of Kyrgyzstan [T. A. SHAILIYEVA]; Dignity Party [Feliks KULOV]; Erkin Kyrgyzstan Progressive and Democratic Party [Tursunbay Bakir UULU]; Justice Party [Chingiz AYTMATOV]; Movement for the People's Salvation [Jumgalbek AMAMBAYEV]; Mutual Help Movement or Ashar [Jumagazy USUPOV]; My Country of Action [Almazbek ISMANKULOV]; National Unity Democratic Movement or DDNE [Yury RAZGULYAYEV]; Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Absamat M. MASALIYEV]; Party of the Veterans of the War in Afghanistan [leader NA]; Peasant Party [leader NA]; People's Party [Melis ESHIMKANOV]; Poor and Unprotected People's Party [Daniyar USENOV]; Republican Popular Party of Kyrgyzstan [J. SHARSHENALIYEV]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [J. IBRAMOV]; Union of Democratic Forces (composed of Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan or PSD [J. IBRAMOV] Economic Revival Party and Birimdik Party

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bakyt ABDRISAYEV
In the us chancery: 1732 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 338-5,141
In the us fax: [1] (202) 338-5,139
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John M. O'KEEFE
From the us embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, 720,016 Bishkek
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [996] (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217
From the us fax: [996] (312) 551-264

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. Growth was held down to 2.1% in 1998 largely because of the spillover from Russia's economic difficulties but moved ahead to 3.6% in 1999 and an estimated 5.7% in 2000. The government has adopted a series of measures to combat such persistent problems as excessive external debt inflation and inadequate revenue collection.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.7% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 39%
Industry: 22%
Services: 39% (1999 est.)

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

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

Unemployment rate: 6% (1998 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 51% (1997 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.7%
Highest 10: 31.7% (1997)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $207.4 million
Expenditures: $238.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 18.7% (2000 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: $482 million (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: cotton wool meat tobacco; gold mercury uranium hydropower; machinery; shoes
Partners: Germany 33% Russia 16% Kazakhstan 10% Uzbekistan 10% China 6% (1999)

Imports: $579 million (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: oil and gas machinery and equipment foodstuffs
Partners: Russia 18% Kazakhstan 12% US 9% Germany 8% Uzbekistan 8% China (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.4 billion (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: soms per US dollar - 48.701 (January 2001) 47.704 (2000) 39.008 (1999) 20.838 (1998) 17.362 (1997) 12.810 (1996)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 12.981 billion kWh (1999)
By source fossil fuel: 6.67%
By source hydro: 93.33%
By source nuclear: 0%
By source other: 0% (1999)

Electricity consumption: 10.236 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity exports: 2.02 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity imports: 184 million kWh (1999)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system
General assessment: poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfied applications for household telephones
Domestic: principally microwave radio relay; one cellular provider, probably limited to Bishkek region
International: connections with other CIS countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line

Broadcast media

Internet country code: .kg

Internet users: 10,000 (2000)

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: 50 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 46
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 32 (2000 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 4
Over 3047 m: 1
2438 to 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 46
2438 to 3047 m: 3
15-24 to 2437 m: 5
914 to 1523 m: 6
Under 914 m: 32 (2000 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: natural gas 200 km

Railways
Total: 370 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
Broad gauge: 370 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

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 insurgents from Uzbekistan Tajikistan and Afghanistan

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs