Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz RepublicKyrgyz Respublikasy
republicIndependence 31 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Kyrgyzstan as the 2012 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 157 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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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. 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, nationwide protests led to the resignation and expulsion of BAKIEV. 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
Central Asia, west of China, south of Kazakhstan
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 and Society
30 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2012 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(1999 census)
Government
Republic; President Almazbek ATAMBAEV (since 1 December 2011); Prime Minister Jantoro SATYBALDIEV (since 5 September 2012)
21 fieldsSupreme Council, 120 seats, elected 10 October 2010one 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)
Legal system
civil law system which includes features of French civil law and Russian Federation laws
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Almazbek ATAMBAEV (since 1 December 2011)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Jantoro SATYBALDIEV (since 5 September 2012);
- First Deputy Prime Minister - Joomart OTORBAEV (since 5 September 2012);
- Deputy Prime Ministers - Tayyrbek SARPASHEV and Kamila TALIEVA (since 5 September 2012)
- cabinet:
- ; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- 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
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
- election last held on 30 October 2011 (next scheduled for 2017);
- 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:
- Almazbek ATAMBAEV elected president;
- percent of vote - Almazbek ATAMBAEV 63.2%, Adakhan MADUMAROV 14.7%, Kamchybek TASHIEV 14.3%, other 7.8%;
- Jantoro SATYBALDIEV elected prime minister;
- parliamentary vote - 111-2
Legislative branch
unicameral Supreme Council or Jogorku Kengesh (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 10 October 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
- election results:
- Supreme Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Ata-Jurt 28, SDPK 26, Ar-Namys 25, Respublika 23, Ata-Meken 18
Judicial branch
- 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)
Political parties and leaders
- Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Feliks KULOV];
- Ata-Jurt (Homeland) [Kamchybek TASHIEV, Akhmat KELDIBEKOV];
- Ata-Meken (Fatherland) [Omurbek TEKEBAEV];
- Butun Kyrgyzstan (All Kyrgyzstan) [Adakhan MADUMAROV];
- Respublika [Omurbek BABANOV];
- Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) [Almazbek ATAMBAEV]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Adilet (Justice) Legal Clinic [Cholpon JAKUPOVA];
- Citizens Against Corruption [Tolekan ISMAILOVA];
- Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society [Dinara OSHURAKHUNOVA];
- Kylym Shamy (Torch of the Century) [Aziza ABDIRASULOVA];
- Precedent Partnership Group [Nurbek TOKTAKUNOV];
- Societal Analysis Public Association [Rita KARASARTOVA];
- Union of True Muslims [Nurlan MOTUEV]
International organization participation
ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (compliant country), FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- 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
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Pamela SPRATLEN
- 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 a "tunduk" - the crown of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt;
- red symbolizes bravery and valor, the sun evinces peace and wealth
National anthem
- 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
Economy
Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a dominant agricultural sector.
38 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Economy - overview
Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a dominant agricultural sector. 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.
The economy depends heavily on gold exports - mainly from output at the Kumtor gold mine - and on remittances from Kyrgyzstani migrant workers priimarily in Russia. 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.
In 2005, the BAKIEV government and international financial institutions initiated a comprehensive medium-term poverty reduction and economic growth strategy. 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.
GDP grew about 8% annually in 2007-08, partly due to higher gold prices internationally, but slowed to 2.9% in 2009. The overthrow of President BAKIEV in April 2010 and subsequent ethnic clashes left hundreds dead and damaged infrastructure. Shrinking trade and agricultural production, as well as political instability, caused GDP to contract 0.5% in 2010.
The fiscal deficit widened to 11% of GDP, reflecting significant increases in crisis-related spending, including both rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and bank recapitalization. The economy grew 5.7% in 2011, but slowed to around 1% in 2012, primarily because of decreased production from Kumtor;
the budget deficit has been reduced to under 8% of GDP. Progress in reconstruction, fighting corruption, restructuring domestic industry, and attracting foreign aid and investment are key to future growth.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
33.4 (2007) · 29 (2001) country comparison to the world: 95
Central bank discount rate
13.73% (22 December 2011 est.) · 2.5% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Commercial bank prime lending rate
28.5% (31 December 2012 est.) · 34.07% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Stock of narrow money
$1.33 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $1.363 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Stock of broad money
$1.952 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $1.654 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Stock of domestic credit
$897.1 million (31 December 2012 est.) · $759.5 million (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Agriculture - products
tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool
Current account balance
-$546.3 million (2012 est.) · -$252.4 million (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Exports - commodities
- gold, cotton, wool, garments, meat, tobacco;
- mercury, uranium, hydropower;
- machinery;
- shoes
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.164 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $1.835 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Debt - external
$3.666 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $3.602 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$1.669 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $1.409 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$1.5 million (31 December 2012 est.) · $1.5 million (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Exchange rates
soms (KGS) per US dollar - 47.33 (2012 est.) · 46.144 (2011 est.) · 45.964 (2010 est.) · 42.905 (2009) · 36.108 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 3.64 million kW(2009 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
4.131 million Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Communications
7 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 was about 115 per 100 persons in 2011
- 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
Broadcast media
- state-run TV 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 (2007)
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Ground Forces, Air Force (includes Air Defense Forces) (2010)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
- 18-27 years of age for compulsory male military service in the armed forces or Interior Ministry;
- service obligation - 1 year, with optional fee-based 3-year service in the callup mobilization reserve;
- women may volunteer at age 19;
- 16-17 years of age for military cadets, who cannot take part in military operations (2010)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,456,881
- females age 16-49:
- 1,470,317 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
3 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 over enclaves and other areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 5,660 (Uzbekistan) (2011)
- IDPs:
- 172,000 (June 2010 violence in southern Kyrgyzstan between the Kyrgyz majority and the Uzbek minority) (2012)
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 2012. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/kyrgyzstan/2012.