Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz RepublicKyrgyz Respublikasy
republicIndependence 31 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Kyrgyzstan as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 134 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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. The political opposition organized demonstrations in Bishkek in April, May, and November 2006 resulting in the adoption of a new constitution that transferred some of the president's powers to parliament and the government. In December 2006, the Kyrgyzstani parliament voted to adopt new amendments, restoring some of the presidential powers lost in the November 2006 constitutional change.
By late-September 2007, both previous versions of the constitution were declared illegal, and the country reverted to the AKAEV-era 2003 constitution, which was subsequently modified in a flawed referendum initiated by BAKIEV. The president then dissolved parliament, called for early elections, and gained control of the new parliament through his newly-created political party, Ak Jol, in December 2007 elections. Current concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises, negative trends in democracy and political freedoms, endemic corruption, improving interethnic relations, electricity generation, rising food prices, and combating terrorism.
Geography
Central Asia, west of China
20 fieldsLand useshare of 199,951 sq km
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
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 10.08 cu km/yr (3%/3%/94%)
- per capita:
- 1,916 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
- landlocked;
- entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range;
- 94% of the country is 1,000 m above sea level, with an average elevation of 2,750 m;
- many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(1999 census)
Government
Republic; President Kurmanbek BAKIEV (since 14 August 2005); Prime Minister Daniyar USENOV (since 21 October 2009)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Supreme Council, 90 seats, elected 16 December 2007one dot, one seat
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
Capital
- name:
- Bishkek
- geographic coordinates:
- 42 52 N, 74 36 E
- time difference:
- UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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)
Constitution
approved by referendum in November 2006
note: under the old constitution adopted on 5 May 1993, an amendment proposed by President Askar AKAEV and passed in a national referendum on 2 February 2003 significantly expanded the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature;
during large-scale demonstrations in November 2006, President BAKIEV and the opposition negotiated a new constitution granting greater powers to the parliament and the government; amendments added on 30 December 2006 redistributed some power back to the president, but both November and December 2006 versions were annulled in September 2007, and a new version was approved by referendum on 21 October 2007; the BAKIEV-initiated referendum was criticized by Western observers for voting irregularities, particularly ballot stuffing
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Kurmanbek BAKIEV (since 14 August 2005)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Daniyar USENOV (since 21 October 2009); First Deputy Prime Minister Akylbek JAPAROV (since 22 October 2009)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president; ministers in charge of defense and security, appointed solely by the president
- elections:
- Kurmanbek BAKIEV reelected by popular vote for a five-year term;
- election last held 23 July 2009 (next scheduled for 2014);
- prime minister nominated by the parliamentary party holding more than 50% of the seats;
- if no such party exists, the president selects the party that will nominate a prime minister
- election results:
- Kurmanbek BAKIEV elected president; percent of vote - Kurmanbek BAKIEV 76.1%, Almaz ATAMBAYEV 8.4%, Temir SARIYEV 6.7%, other candidates 8.8%
Legislative branch
unicameral Supreme Council or Jorgorku Kengesh (90 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 16 December 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
- election results:
- Supreme Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Ak Jol 71, Social Democratic Party 11, KCP 8
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court;
- Constitutional Court (judges of both the Supreme and Constitutional Courts are appointed for 10-year terms by the Jorgorku Kengesh on the recommendation of the president; their mandatory retirement age is 70 years);
- Higher Court of Arbitration;
- Local Courts (judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council on Legal Affairs for a probationary period of five years, then 10 years)
Political parties and leaders
- Ak Jol (Good Luck) [Avtandil ARABAEV, Elmira IBRAIMOVA, Vladimir NIFADYEV, co-chairs];
- Ak Shumkar (Gerfalcon) [Temir SARIYEV];
- Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Emil ALIEV];
- Asaba (Banner National Revival Party) [Sovetbek JAMALDINOV]];
- Ata-Meken (Fatherland) [Omurbek TEKEBAEV];
- Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Viktor TCHETRNOMORETS];
- Erkindik (Freedom) Party [Topchubek TURGUNALIEV];
- For Justice Movement [Alikbek JEKSHENKULOV];
- Green Party [Erkin BULEKBAEV];
- Moya Strana (My Country Party of Action) [Medet SADYRKULOV];
- Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Iskhak MASALIEV];
- Party of Justice and Progress [Muratbek IMANALIEV];
- Party of Peasants [Esengul ISAKOV];
- Republican Party of Labor and Unity [Tabaldy OROZALIEV];
- Revolutionary Committee [Azimbek BEKNAZAROV];
- Sanjira (Tree of Life) [Ednan KARABAEV];
- Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan [Almaz ATAMBAEV];
- Svoboda Vybora (Free Choice) Party [Vyacheslav LISOVSKIY];
- Turan Party [Kanybek IMANALIYEV];
- Uluu Birimdik (Solidarity) Party [Emilbek KAPTAGAEV];
- Union of Democratic Forces [Osmon ARTYKBAEV];
- United Kyrgyzstan [Amangeldi MURALIEV]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Adilet Legal Clinic [Cholpon JAKUPOVA];
- Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society [Dinara OSHURAKHUNOVA];
- Interbilim [Asiya SASYKBAEVA]
International organization participation
ADB, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, MINURCAT, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Zamira SYDYKOVA
- chancery:
- 2360 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 449-9822
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 386-7550
- consulate(s):
- New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Tatiana C. GFOELLER
- embassy:
- 171 Prospect Mira, Bishkek 720016
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [996] (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217
- FAX:
- [996] (312) 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 the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt
Economy
Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy.
49 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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, natural gas, and electricity.
Following independence, Kyrgyzstan was progressive in carrying out market reforms such as an improved regulatory system and land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) country to be accepted into the World Trade Organization. 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. The economy is heavily weighted toward gold export and a drop in output at the main Kumtor gold mine sparked a 0.5% decline in GDP in 2002 and a 0.6% decline in 2005.
The government made steady strides in controlling its substantial fiscal deficit, nearly closing the gap between revenues and expenditures in 2006, before boosting expenditures more than 20% in 2007-08. The government and international financial institutions have been engaged in a comprehensive medium-term poverty reduction and economic growth strategy.
In 2005, Bishkek agreed to pursue much-needed tax reform and, in 2006, became eligible for the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. Progress fighting corruption, further restructuring of domestic industry, and success in attracting foreign investment are keys to future growth.
GDP grew more than 6% annually in 2007-08, partly due to higher gold prices internationally, but growth is likely to decline from that level in 2009, due to declining demand and lower commodity prices in the wake of the international financial crisis.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
30.3 (2003) · 29 (2001) country comparison to the world: 113
Commercial bank prime lending rate
19.86% (31 December 2008) · 25.32% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 10
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
Natural gas - proved reserves
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Current account balance
-$680 million (2008 est.) · -$267.9 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Exports - commodities
- cotton, wool, meat, tobacco;
- gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, hydropower;
- machinery;
- shoes
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.225 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $1.177 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Debt - external
$3.467 billion (31 December 2008) · $3.162 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 115
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$16.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Exchange rates
soms (KGS) per US dollar - 36.108 (2008 est.), 37.746 (2007), 40.149 (2006), 41.012 (2005), 42.65 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- telecommunications infrastructure is being upgraded;
- loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) 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 exceeded 60 per 100 persons in 2008
- 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 (1 Intersputnik, 1 Intelsat);
- connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line (2008)
Television broadcast stations
8 (2 countrywide and 6 regional stations; state-owned); note - there are about 20 private TV stations, most of which rebroadcast other channels (2007)
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Roadways
- total:
- 18,500 km
country comparison to the world: 116
- paved:
- 16,909 km (includes 140 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 1,591 km (2003)
Military
Ground Forces, Air Force (includes Air Defense Forces), National Guard (2009)
6 fieldsManpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,398,878
- females age 16-49:
- 1,419,374 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - 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 around enclaves and other areas
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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Kyrgyzstan.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/kyrgyzstan/2009.