Kyrgyzstan

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.

• dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan;
• subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley);
• temperate in northern foothill zone

• 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

• 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

• 7 oblastlar (singular - oblast) and 1 city* (singular - 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)

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

• bicameral Supreme Council or Zhogorku 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) 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

• 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

• 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

• Council of Free Trade Unions;
• Kyrgyz Committee on Human Rights [Ramazan DYRYIDAYEV];
• National Unity Democratic Movement;
• Union of Entrepreneurs

• 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

• cotton, wool, meat, tobacco;
• gold, mercury, uranium, hydropower;
• machinery;
• shoes

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

• territorial dispute with Tajikistan on southwestern boundary in Isfara Valley area;
• periodic target of Islamic insurgents from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan

• limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption;
• limited government eradication program;
• increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia and Western Europe from Southwest Asia