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 most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAEV who had run the country since 1990. Subsequent presidential elections in July 2005 were won overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV. Over the next few years the new president manipulated the parliament to accrue new powers for himself. In July 2009 after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics BAKIEV won re-election in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed. In April 2010 nationwide protests led to the resignation and expulsion of BAKIEV. His successor Roza OTUNBAEVA served as transitional president until Almazbek ATAMBAEV was inaugurated in December 2011. Continuing concerns include: the trajectory of democratization endemic corruption poor interethnic relations and terrorism.


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Location: Central Asia west of China south of Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N 75 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 87
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 Mountains; 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: 10,196 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 46.5 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked; entirely mountainous dominated by the Tien Shan range; 94% of the country is 1000 m above sea level with an average elevation of 2,750 m; many tall peaks glaciers and high-altitude lakes


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Population: 5,496,737 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 111
Growth rate: 0.89% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 125
Below poverty line: 33.7% (2011 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Kyrgyz 64.9% Uzbek 13.8% Russian 12.5% Dungan 1.1% Ukrainian 1% Uighur 1% other 5.7% (1999 census)

Languages: Kyrgyz (official) 64.7% Uzbek 13.6% Russian (official) 12.5% Dungun 1% other 8.2% (1999 census)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.89% (2012 est.)
Rank: 125

Birth rate: 23.9 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 69

Death rate: 6.9 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 136

Net migration rate: -8.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 204

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
Rank: 68

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 151

Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 74

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.301 physicians/1000 population (2007)

Hospital bed density: 5.06 beds/1000 population (2007)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 82
People living with hivaids: 9,800 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 99
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 91

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.7% (2006)
Rank: 105

Education expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 31

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (oblastlar singular - oblasty) and 1 city* (shaar); Batken Oblasty 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 the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 31 August (1991)

Constitution: 27 June 2010

Legal system: civil law system which includes features of French civil law and Russian Federation laws

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council or Jogorku Kengesh (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (judges of both the Supreme and Constitutional Courts are appointed for 10-year terms by the Jogorku Kengesh on the recommendation of the president; their mandatory retirement age is 70 years); Higher Court of Arbitration; Local Courts (judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council on Legal Affairs for a probationary period of five years then 10 years)

Political parties and leaders: Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Feliks KULOV]; Ata-Jurt (Homeland) [Kamchybek TASHIEV Akhmat KELDIBEKOV]; Ata-Meken (Fatherland) [Omurbek TEKEBAEV]; Butun Kyrgyzstan (All Kyrgyzstan) [Adakhan MADUMAROV]; Respublika [Omurbek BABANOV]; Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) [Almazbek ATAMBAEV]

International organization participation: ADB CICA CIS CSTO EAEC EAPC EBRD ECO EITI (compliant country) FAO GCTU IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU MIGA NAM (observer) OIC OPCW OSCE PCA PFP SCO UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNISFA UNMIL UNMISS UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kyrgyz 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 a 'tunduk' - the crown of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt; red symbolizes bravery and valor the sun evinces peace and wealth

National symbols: gyrfalcon

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Kyrgyzstan is a poor mountainous country with a dominant agricultural sector. Cotton tobacco wool and meat are the main agricultural products although only tobacco and cotton are exported in any quantity. Industrial exports include gold mercury uranium natural gas and electricity. The economy depends heavily on gold exports - mainly from output at the Kumtor gold mine - and on remittances from Kyrgyzstani migrant workers priimarily in Russia. Following independence Kyrgyzstan was progressive in carrying out market reforms such as an improved regulatory system and land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) country to be accepted into the World Trade Organization. Much of the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops in production had been severe after the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991 but by mid-1995 production began to recover and exports began to increase. In 2005 the BAKIEV government and international financial institutions initiated a comprehensive medium-term poverty reduction and economic growth strategy. The government made steady strides in controlling its substantial fiscal deficit nearly closing the gap between revenues and expenditures in 2006 before boosting expenditures more than 20% in 2007-08. GDP grew about 8% annually in 2007-08 partly due to higher gold prices internationally but slowed to 2.9% in 2009. The overthrow of President BAKIEV in April 2010 and subsequent ethnic clashes left hundreds dead and damaged infrastructure. Shrinking trade and agricultural production as well as political instability caused GDP to contract 0.5% in 2010. The fiscal deficit widened to 11% of GDP reflecting significant increases in crisis-related spending including both rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and bank recapitalization. The economy grew 5.7% in 2011 but slowed to around 1% in 2012 primarily because of decreased production from Kumtor; the budget deficit has been reduced to under 8% of GDP. Progress in reconstruction fighting corruption restructuring domestic industry and attracting foreign aid and investment are key to future growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 145

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 164

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 183

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

Industrial production growth rate: 10% (2011 est.)
Rank: 14

Labor force: 2.344 million (2007)
Rank: 114

Unemployment rate: 18% (2004 est.)
Rank: 100

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 33.7% (2011 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 29 (2001)
Rank: 95

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -7.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 193

Taxes and other revenues: 28.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 112

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 16.6% (2011 est.)
Rank: 116

Central bank discount rate: 2.5% (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 109

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 34.07% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 4

Stock of narrow money: $1.363 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 140

Stock of broad money: $1.654 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 151

Stock of domestic credit: $759.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 162

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 115

Current account balance: -$252.4 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 99

Exports: $2.331 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 140
Commodities: gold cotton wool garments meat tobacco; mercury uranium hydropower; machinery; shoes
Partners: Uzbekistan 25.3% Russia 22.1% Kazakhstan 20.1% China 7.8% UAE 5.5% Afghanistan 5% Turkey 4.2% (2011)

Imports: $3.959 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 136
Commodities: oil and gas machinery and equipment chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: China 59.7% Russia 13.9% Kazakhstan 5.2% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.835 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 120

Debt external: $3.602 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 131

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $1.409 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 94

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $1.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 91

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 14.9 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 84
Consumption: 7.29 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 99
Exports: 2.62 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 41
Imports: 535 million kWh (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 71
Installed generating capacity: 3.64 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 83
Generation sources fossil fuels: 20.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 189
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 118
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 79.9% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 16
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 142

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 1000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 98
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 136
Crude oil imports: 2,387 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 81
Crude oil proven reserves: 40 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 83

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 2,607 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 112
Products consumption: 16,640 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 142
Products exports: 5,902 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 95
Products imports: 28,940 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 88

Natural gas
Production: 12.5 million m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 90
Consumption: 462.5 million m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 99
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 96
Imports: 450 million m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 68
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 92

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 4.131 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 129

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 502,000 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 99
Mobile cellular: 6.277 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 98

Telephone system

Broadcast media: state-run TV broadcaster operates 2 nationwide networks and 6 regional stations; roughly 20 private TV stations operating with most rebroadcasting other channels; state-run radio broadcaster operates 2 networks; about 20 private radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .kg
Hosts: 115,573 (2012)
Hosts rank: 81
Users: 2.195 million (2009)
Users rank: 74

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.5% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 162

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory male military service in the armed forces or Interior Ministry; service obligation - 1 year with optional fee-based 3-year service in the callup mobilization reserve; women may volunteer at age 19; 16-17 years of age for military cadets who cannot take part in military operations (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 28 (2012)
Rank: 120

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 480 km; oil 16 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 112

Roadways
Rank: 95

Waterways: 600 km (2010)
Rank: 80

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)


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Disputes international: Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstan; disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with Tajikistan; delimitation of 130 km of border with Uzbekistan is hampered by serious disputes over enclaves and other areas

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest o