Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz Republic
Capital: Bishkek
History
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, violent protests in Bishkek led to the collapse of the BAKIEV regime and his eventual fleeing to Minsk, Belarus. 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.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
199,951
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
3,051
km
|
| Border Countries |
China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,224 km, Tajikistan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km |
| Coastline |
0
km
|
| Terrain |
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation |
| Minimum Elevation |
132
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
7,439
m
|
| Climate |
dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan Mountains; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone |
| 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 |
| Arable Land |
6.38% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.37% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$2.29 billion |
| Export Items |
gold, cotton, wool, garments, meat, tobacco |
| Export Partners |
Uzbekistan 25.3%, Russia 22.1%, Kazakhstan 20.1%, China 7.8%, UAE 5.5%, Afghanistan 5%, Turkey 4.2% (2011) |
| Imports |
$4.27 billion |
| Import Items |
oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs |
| Import Partners |
China 59.7%, Russia 13.9%, Kazakhstan 5.2% (2011) |
People
| Population |
5,548,042 |
| Population Growth |
0.97% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Kyrgyz 64.9%, Uzbek 13.8%, Russian 12.5%, Dungan 1.1%, Ukrainian 1%, Uighur 1%, other 5.7% (1999 census) |
| Religion |
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5% |
| Life Expectancy |
69.75 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.96 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
1.3 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
