Kyrgyzstan

• dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan Mountains;
• 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

total:

10.08 cu km/yr (3%/3%/94%)

per capita:

1,916 cu m/yr (2000)

• 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• 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

at birth:

1.053 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 (2010 est.)

noun:

Kyrgyzstani(s)

adjective:

Kyrgyzstani

conventional long form:

Kyrgyz Republic

conventional short form:

Kyrgyzstan

local long form:

Kyrgyz Respublikasy

local short form:

Kyrgyzstan

former:

Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

name:

Bishkek

geographic coordinates:

42 52 N, 74 36 E

time difference:

UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 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 Roza OTUNBAEVA (since 19 May 2010);
• note - OTUNBAEVA became acting president on 7 April 2010 following the early April 2010 riots that overthrew President Kurmanbek BAKIEV;
• she was appointed president through 31 December 2011 by a 19 May 2010 decree of the provisional government, which also prohibited her from running in the next presidential election;
• she was officially sworn in on 3 July 2010

head of government:

• Prime Minister Almazbek ATAMBAEV (since 17 December 2010);
• First Deputy Prime Minister - Omurbek BABANOV (since 17 December 2010);
• Deputy Prime Ministers - Shamil ATAKHANOV, Ibragim JUNUSOV, Jantoro SATYBALDIEV (since 17 December 2010)

cabinet:

• Cabinet of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president;
• ministers in charge of defense and security, are appointed solely by the president

; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• Kurmanbek BAKIEV reelected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• election last held on 23 July 2009 (next scheduled for 2011);
• 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 form a coalition majority and government

election results:

Kurmanbek BAKIEV elected president; percent of vote - Kurmanbek BAKIEV 76.1%, Almaz ATAMBAEV 8.4%, Temir SARIEV 6.7%, other candidates 8.8%

• Supreme Court;
• Constitutional Court (judges of both the Supreme and Constitutional Courts are appointed for 10-year terms by the Jogorku 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)

• Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Feliks KULOV];
• Ata-Jurt (Homeland) [Kamchybek TASHIEV, Akhmat KELDIBEKOV];
• Ata-Meken (Fatherland) [Omurbek TEKEBAEV];
• Butun Kyrgyzstan (All Kyrgyzstan) [Adakhan MADUMAROV, Miroslav NIYAZOV];
• Respublika [Omurbek BABANOV];
• Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) [Almazbek ATAMBAEV]

• Adilet Legal Clinic [Cholpon JAKUPOVA];
• Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society [Dinara OSHURAKHUNOVA];
• Interbilim [Asiya SASYKBAEVA]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mukhtar JUMALIEV

chancery:

2360 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 449-9822

FAX:

[1] (202) 386-7550

consulate(s):

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Tatiana 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

• 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 a "tunduk" - the crown of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt;
• red symbolizes bravery and valor, the sun evinces peace and wealth

name:

"Kyrgyz Respublikasynyn Mamlekettik Gimni" (National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic)

lyrics/music:

Djamil SADYKOV and Eshmambet KULUEV/Nasyr DAVLESOV and Kalyi MOLDOBASANOV

note: adopted 1992

agriculture:

48%

industry:

12.5%

services:

39.5% (2005 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.6%

highest 10%:

25.9% (2004)

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

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 80 per 100 persons in 2009

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

• state-run television broadcaster operates 2 nationwide networks and 6 regional stations;
• roughly 20 private TV stations operating with most rebroadcasting other channels;
• state-run radio broadcaster operates 2 networks;
• about 20 private radio stations operating (2007)

total:

470 km

country comparison to the world: 115

broad gauge:

470 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)

total:

18,500 km

country comparison to the world: 115

paved:

16,909 km (includes 140 km of expressways)

unpaved:

1,591 km (2003)

• 18 years of age for compulsory male military service in the armed forces or Interior Ministry;
• service obligation 1 year;
• women may volunteer at age 19;
• 16-17 years of age for military cadets, who cannot take part in military operations (2010)

males age 16-49:

1,439,750

females age 16-49:

1,455,806 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

1,101,709

females age 16-49:

1,243,904 (2010 est.)

male:

56,269

female:

54,004 (2010 est.)

• 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

• 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