Map of Kyrgyzstan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions most of the territory of present-day Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to the Russian Empire 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. Former Prime Minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV overwhelmingly won the presidential election in the summer of 2005. Over the next few years he manipulated the parliament to accrue new powers for the presidency. In July 2009 after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics BAKIEV won reelection in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed. In April 2010 violent protests in Bishkek led to the collapse of the BAKIEV regime and his eventual flight to Minsk Belarus. His successor Roza OTUNBAEVA served as transitional president until Almazbek ATAMBAEV was inaugurated in December 2011 marking the first peaceful transfer of presidential power in independent Kyrgyzstan's history. Continuing concerns include: the trajectory of democratization endemic corruption poor interethnic relations border security vulnerabilities and potential terrorist threats.


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Location: Central Asia west of China south of Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N 75 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 199,951 km²
Land: 191,801 km²
Water: 8,150 km²
Rank: 87
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries
Total: 4,573 km
Border countries: (4) China 1063 km; Kazakhstan 1212 km; Tajikistan 984 km; Uzbekistan 1314 km

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 the Tien Shan mountain range and associated valleys and basins encompass the entire country

Elevation
Mean elevation: 2,988 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Kara-Daryya 132 m: highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 55.4%
Forest: 5.1%
Other: 39.5%

Irrigated land: 10,233 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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
Distribution: the vast majority of Kyrgyzstanis live in rural areas; densest population settlement is to the north in and around Bishkek followed by Osh in the west; the least densely populated area is the east southeast in the Tien Shan mountains: 5,727,553 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 115
Growth rate: 1.09% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 109
Below poverty line: 33.7% (2011 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Kyrgyzstani
Adjective: Kyrgyzstani

Ethnic groups: Kyrgyz 70.9% Uzbek 14.3% Russian 7.7% Dungan 1.1% other 5.9% (includes Uyghur Tajik Turk Kazakh Tatar Ukrainian Korean German) (2009 est.)

Languages: Kyrgyz (official) 71.4% Uzbek 14.4% Russian (official) 9% other 5.2% (2009 est.)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.12%
15-24 years: 17.47%
25-54 years: 39.68%
55-64 years: 7.59%
65 years and over: 5.13% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55.3%
Youth dependency ratio: 48.8%
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.6%
Potential support ratio: 15.2%

Median age
Total: 26.2 years
Male: 25.2 years
Female: 27.3 years
Rank: 148

Population growth rate: 1.09% (2016 est.)
Rank: 109

Birth rate: 22.6 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 72

Death rate: 6.6 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 144

Net migration rate: -5.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 194

Population distribution: the vast majority of Kyrgyzstanis live in rural areas; densest population settlement is to the north in and around Bishkek followed by Osh in the west; the least densely populated area is the east southeast in the Tien Shan mountains

Urbanization
Urban population: 35.7% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.58% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: BISHKEK (capital) 865,000 (2015)

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 Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male/female
55-64 years: 0.77 male/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male/female
Total population: 0.96 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.3 (2013 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 26.8 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 30.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 22.4 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 67

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.7 years
Male: 66.5 years
Female: 75.1 years
Rank: 156

Total fertility rate: 2.64 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 74

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 36.3% (2012)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.97 physicians/1000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density: 4.8 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.22% (2015 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 92
People living with hivaids: 8,100 (2015 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 95
Deaths: 200 (2015 est.)
Deaths rank: 95

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 13.3% (2014)
Rank: 118

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.8% (2014)
Rank: 101

Education expenditures: 6.8% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 25

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.5%
Male: 99.6%
Female: 99.4%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 13 years

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: Kyrgyzstan
Former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
Etymology: a combination of the Turkic words 'kyrg' and '-yz' (tribes) with the Persian suffix '-stan' (country) creating the meaning 'Land of the forty tribes'; the name refers to the forty clans united by the legendary Kyrgyz hero MANAS

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Bishkek
Geographic coordinates: 42 52 N 74 36 E
Time difference: UTC+6

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (oblustar singular - oblus) and 2 cities* (shaarlar singular - shaar); Batken Oblusu Bishkek Shaary* Chuy Oblusu (Bishkek) Jalal-Abad Oblusu Naryn Oblusu Osh Oblusu Osh Shaary* Talas Oblusu Ysyk-Kol Oblusu (Karakol)
Note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 31 August (1991)

Constitution: previous 1993; latest adopted 27 June 2010 effective 2 July 2010; note - the current constitution prohibits any change until 2020 (2016)

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Kyrgyzstan
Dual citizenship recognized: yes but only if a mutual treaty on dual citizenship is in force
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Almazbek ATAMBAEV
Head of government: Prime Minister Sooronbay JEENBEKOV
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers proposed by the prime minister appointed by the president; defense and security committee chairs appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 6-year term; election last held on 30 October 2011 ; prime minister nominated by the majority party or majority coalition in the Supreme Council appointed by the president
Election results: Almazbek ATAMBAEV elected president; percent of vote - Almazbek ATAMBAEV 63.2% Adakhan MADUMAROV (All Kyrgyzstan) 14.7% Kamchybek TASHIEV (Homeland) 14.3% other 7.8%; Sooronbay JEENBEKOV elected prime minister; Supreme Council vote - 115 to 0

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Supreme Council or Jogorku Kengesh
Elections: last held on 4 October 2015
Election results: Supreme Council - percent of vote by party - SDPK 27.4% Respublika-Ata-Jurt 20.1% Kyrgyzstan Party 12.9% Onuguu-Progress 9.3% Bir Bol 8.5% Ata-Meken 7.8% other 14%; seats by party - SDPK 38 Respublika-Ata-Jurt 28 Kyrgyzstan Party 18 Onuguu-Progress 13 Bir Bol 12 Ata-Meken 11

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court ; Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Supreme Council on the recommendation of the president; Supreme Court judges serve for 10 years Constitutional Court judges serve for 15 years; mandatory retirement at age 70 for judges of both courts
Subordinate courts: Higher Court of Arbitration; oblast and city courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB CICA CIS CSTO EAEC EAEU 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 UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNISFA UNMIL UNMISS UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kadyr TOKTOGULOV
In the us chancery: 2,360 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 449-9,822-23
In the us FAX: [1] 386-7,550
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sheila GWALTNEY
From the us embassy: 171 Prospect Mira Bishkek 720,016
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [996] 551-241 (517) 777-217
From the us FAX: [996] 551-264

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 colors: red yellow

National anthem
Name: 'Kyrgyz Respublikasynyn Mamlekettik Gimni'
Lyrics and music: Djamil SADYKOV and Eshmambet KULUEV/Nasyr DAVLESOV and Kalyi MOLDOBASANOV
Note: adopted 1992

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 146

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 83

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 183

Gross national saving:
Rank: 92

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 81.3%
Government consumption: 17.9%
Investment in fixed capital: 30.2%
Investment in inventories: 2.7%
Exports of goods and services: 36.3%
Imports of goods and services: -68.4%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.7%
Industry: 26%
Services: 56.3%

Agriculture products: 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: 0.9% (2015 est.)
Rank: 150

Labor force: 2.732 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 108
By occupation agriculture: 48%
By occupation industry: 12.5%
By occupation services: 39.5%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 92

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.8%
Highest 10: 27.8%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 103

Budget
Revenues: $1.987 billion
Expenditures: $2.085 billion
Surplus or deficit: -1.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 71

Taxes and other revenues: 29.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 81

Public debt: 68.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 190

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 15

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 10

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 154

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 166

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 164

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 119

Current account balance:
Rank: 110

Exports:
Rank: 143
Commodities: gold cotton wool garments meat; mercury uranium electricity; machinery; shoes
Partners: Switzerland 26% Uzbekistan 22.6% Kazakhstan 20.8% UAE 4.9% Turkey 4.5% Afghanistan 4.5% Russia 4.2% (2015)

Imports:
Rank: 133
Commodities: oil and gas machinery and equipment chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: China 56.4% Russia 17.1% Kazakhstan 9.9% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 119

Debt external:
Rank: 119

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 101

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 88

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100%
Production: 14 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 85
Consumption: 11 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 90
Exports: 72 million kWh (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 46
Imports: 300 million kWh (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 88
Installed generating capacity: 3.9 million kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 84
Generation sources fossil fuels: 21.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 193
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 119
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 78.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 16
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 186

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 1000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 92
Crude oil exports: 19.65 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 145
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 208
Crude oil proven reserves: 40 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 81

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 1571 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 108
Products consumption: 37,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 113
Products exports: 3,070 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 108
Products imports: 35,710 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 87

Natural gas
Production: 34 million m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 85
Consumption: 429 million m³ (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 100
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 126
Imports: 395 million m³ (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 66
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion m³ (1 January 2016 es)
Proven reserves rank: 93

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 9.4 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 105

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 408,037
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7
Fixed lines rank: 100
Mobile cellular total: 7.579 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 134
Mobile cellular rank: 101

Telephone system
General assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is being upgraded; loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development are being used to install a digital network digital radio-relay stations and fiber-optic links
Domestic: fixed-line penetration remains low and concentrated in urban areas; multiple mobile-cellular service providers with growing coverage; mobile-cellular subscribership up to about 130 per 100 persons in 2015
International: country code - 996; 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 - 2 ; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line (2015)

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
Users total: 1.713 million
Users percent of population: 30.2%
Users rank: 113

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary male military service in the Armed Forces or Interior Ministry; 1-year service obligation 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 (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 625,294
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 69,290 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: EX (2016)

Airports: 28 (2013)
Rank: 122
With paved runways total: 18
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With paved runways under 914 m: 3
With unpaved runways total: 10
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 480 km; oil 16 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 470 km
Broad gauge: 470 km 1.520-m gauge
Rank: 116

Roadways
Total: 34,000 km
Rank: 94

Waterways: 600 km (2010)
Rank: 78

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Lake port: Balykchy (Lake Ysyk-Kol)


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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
Stateless persons: 9,118 ; note - most stateless people were born in Kyrgyzstan have lived there many years or married Kyrgyz citizens; in 2009 Kyrgyzstan adopted a national action plan to speed up the exchange of old Soviet passports for Kyrgyz ones; stateless people are unable to register marriages and births to travel within the country or abroad to own property or to receive social benefits

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 of Europe; major consumer of opiates