Introduction

 

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. Nation-wide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAYEV, who had run the country since 1990. Subsequent presidential elections in July of 2005 were won overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV. Current concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of democracy and political freedoms, interethnic relations, and combating terrorism.

 

Geography

 

Location: Central Asia, west of China

 

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 75 00 E

 

Map references: Asia

 

Area: total: 198,500 sq km; land: 191,300 sq km; water: 7,200 sq km

 

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

 

Land boundaries: total: 3,878 km; border countries: 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); temperate in northern foothill zone Valley

 

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

 

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m; 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: 7.3%; permanent crops: 0.35%; other: 92.35%; note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut forest (2001)

 

Irrigated land: 10,740 sq km (1998 est.)

 

Natural hazards: NA

 

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

 

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

 

Geography - note: landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes

 

People

 

Population: 5,146,281 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.6% (male 827,751/female 796,029); 15-64 years: 62.3% (male 1,571,476/female 1,632,506); 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 123,992/female 194,527) (2005 est.)

 

Median age: total: 23.39 years; male: 22.52 years; female: 24.27 years (2005 est.)

 

Population growth rate: 1.29% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: 22.48 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 7.13 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: -2.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female; total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 35.64 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 40.97 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 30.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.16 years; male: 64.16 years; female: 72.38 years (2005 est.)

 

Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,900 (2003 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

 

Nationality: noun: Kyrgyzstani(s); adjective: Kyrgyzstani

 

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

 

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

 

Languages: Kyrgyz (official), Russian (official)

 

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 97%; male: 99%; female: 96% (1989 est.)

 

Government

 

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

 

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 2 February 2003 significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature

 

Legal system: based on civil law system

 

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

 

Executive branch: chief of state: President Kurmanbek BAKIYEV (since 14 August 2005); note - former President Askar AKAYEV resigned effective 11 April 2005 following widespread protests that forced him to flee the country on 24 March 2005; head of government: Prime Minister Feliks KULOV (since 15 August 2005); cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 10 July 2005 (next scheduled for NA 2010); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV elected president; percent of vote - Kurmanbek BAKIYEV 88.6%, Tursunbai BAKIR-UULU 3.9%, other candidates 7.5%

 

Legislative branch: bicameral Supreme Council or Jorgorku 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); note - in accordance with a 2003 referendum, the Parliament is slated to become unicameral with 75 deputies after the 27 February 2005 elections; elections: Assembly of People's Representatives - last held 20 February and 12 March 2000; Legislative Assembly - last held 20 February and 12 March 2000; elections for the new unicameral body or Jorgorku Kenesh were held 27 February 2005, but the vast majority of positions remained undecided and were to be contested in a runoff election scheduled for 13 March 2005; election irregularities caused widespread protests that resulted in the president being forced to flee the country; new legislative elections have not yet been rescheduled; election results: Assembly of People's Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats 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

 

Economy

 

Economy - overview: Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy. 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, and natural gas and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been fairly progressive in carrying out market reforms, such as an improved regulatory system and land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first CIS country to be accepted into the World Trade Organization. With fits and starts, inflation has been lowered to an estimated 7% in 2001, 2.1% in 2002, 4% in 2003, and 3.2% in 2004. 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. Kyrgyzstan has distinguished itself by adopting relatively liberal economic policies. The drop in output at the Kumtor gold mine sparked a 0.5% decline in GDP in 2002, but GDP growth bounced back to 6% in 2003 and 2004. The government has made steady strides in controlling its substantial fiscal deficit and aims to reduce the deficit to 3% of GDP in 2004. The government and the international financial institutions have been engaged in a comprehensive medium-term poverty reduction and economic growth strategy. Further restructuring of domestic industry and success in attracting foreign investment are keys to future growth.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.495 billion (2004 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2004 est.)

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2004 est.)

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38.5%; industry: 22.8%; services: 38.7% (2004 est.)

 

Labor force: 2.7 million (2000)

 

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 55%, industry 15%, services 30% (2000 est.)

 

Unemployment rate: 18% (2004 est.)

 

Population below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.)

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.9%; highest 10%: 23.3% (2001)

 

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 29 (2001)

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2% (2004 est.)

 

Investment (gross fixed): 17% of GDP (2004 est.)

 

Budget: revenues: $431.3 million; expenditures: $445.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 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: 6% (2000 est.)

 

Electricity - production: 11.72 billion kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - consumption: 10.21 billion kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - exports: 1.062 billion kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - imports: 375 million kWh (2002)

 

Oil - production: 2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - consumption: 20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - exports: NA

 

Oil - imports: NA

 

Natural gas - production: 16 million cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - consumption: 2.016 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - imports: 2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Current account balance: $-87.92 million (2004 est.)

 

Exports: $646.7 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Exports - commodities: cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, hydropower; machinery; shoes

 

Exports - partners: UAE 23.8%, Switzerland 16.9%, Russia 16.9%, Kazakhstan 10.1%, China 9.8% (2004)

 

Imports: $775.1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Imports - commodities: oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

 

Imports - partners: Russia 23.1%, China 22.9%, Kazakhstan 19.3%, Turkey 7.2%, Germany 4.5%, Uzbekistan 4.4%, US 4.2% (2004)

 

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $498.7 million (2004 est.)

 

Debt - external: $1.97 billion (2004 est.)

 

Economic aid - recipient: $50 million from the US (2001)

 

Currency (code):

 

Exchange rates: soms per US dollar - 42.65 (2004), 43.648 (2003), 46.937 (2002), 48.378 (2001), 47.704 (2000)

 

Fiscal year: calendar year

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 394,800 (2002)

 

Telephones - mobile cellular: 53,100 (2002)

 

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: 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 - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line

 

Radio broadcast stations: AM 12 (plus 10 repeater stations), FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)