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, interethnic relations, and combating 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

party to:

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

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

0-14 years:

34.4% (male 838,224; female 821,230)

15-64 years:

59.4% (male 1,403,328; female 1,459,914)

65 years and over:

6.2% (male 113,861; female 185,609) (2002 est.)

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.61 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Kyrgyzstani(s)

adjective:

Kyrgyzstani

conventional long form:

Kyrgyz Republic

conventional short form:

Kyrgyzstan

local short form:

none

former:

Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form:

Kyrgyz Respublikasy

• 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)

chief of state:

President Askar AKAYEV (since 28 October 1990)

head of government:

• Prime Minister Nikolay TANAYEV (since 22 May 2002);
• note - Prime Minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV resigned on 22 May 2002 when five demonstrators were killed in clashes with the police

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

election results:

• Askar AKAYEV reelected president;
• percent of vote - Askar AKAYEV 74%, Omurbek TEKEBAYEV 14%, other candidates 12%;
• note - election marred by serious irregularities

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

• 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 or Fatherland [Omurbek 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];
• 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 DYRYLDAYEV];
• National Unity Democratic Movement;
• Union of Entrepreneurs

chief of mission:

Ambassador Bakyt ABDRISAYEV

FAX:

[1] (202) 338-5139

consulate(s):

New York

telephone:

[1] (202) 338-5141

chancery:

1732 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission:

Ambassador John M. O'KEEFE

embassy:

171 Prospect Mira, 720016 Bishkek

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[996] (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217

FAX:

[996] (312) 551-264

• 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 the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt

lowest 10%:

3%

highest 10%:

32% (1997) (1997)

• 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

total:

370 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines

broad gauge:

370 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

total:

30,300 km (including 140 km of expressways)

paved:

22,600 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads)

unpaved:

7,700 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)

• territorial dispute with Tajikistan on southwestern boundary in Isfara Valley area;
• dispute over access to Sokh and other Uzbek enclaves in Kyrgyzstan mars progress on boundary delimitation;
• disputes over provision of water and hydroelectric power to Kazakhstan;
• periodic target of Islamic insurgents from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan

• 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