Official Name: Kyrgyz Republic
Short Name: Kyrgyzstan
Capital: Bishkek
Area: 198, 500 sq. km
Population: 4,685,230
Anthem: High Mountains, valleys and fields Written by Sadikova and Kulueva
Religions: Muslim 75 percent, Russian Orthodox 20 percent, Others 5 percent.
Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) is the official language and Russian is a language for inter-ethnic communication.
Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864 and formally incorporated into the Russian empire in 1876. Various ethnic groups were then settled in Kyrgyzstan. Some of them are Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Russians, Ukrainians and Germans, and a small number of Uighur, Dungan (Chinese Muslims) and Koreans. In 1918 the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) was established within the Russian Federation and included Kyrgyzhia. In 1924, the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast (region) was created. In 1925, the region was renamed as the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR). On 5 December 1996, the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic was established as a full union republic of USSR. In 1985, the republic's Supreme Soviet recognised Kyrgyz as the official language and Russian as the language for communication. Elections were held for the 350 member Kyrgyz Supreme Soviet in February 1990. Absamat Masaliyev of the Kyrgyz Communist Party (KCP) was elected as the Chairman. In December 1990, the Supreme Soviet voted to change the name of the republic from Kyrgyz Supreme Socialist Republic to Republic of Kyrgyzstan. In February 1991, the name of Kyrgyz capital, Frunze was changed to the pre-1926 Bishkek. On 31 August 1991, the Kyrgyz Supreme Soviet declared independence from the former Soviet Union and Askar Akayev was re-elected as the President of Kyrgyzstan on 12 October 1991. In December 1991, Kyrgyzstan became a signatory to the Almaty Declaration, signed by 11 former Soviet republics, that formally established the Commonwealth of Independent States. The new constitution of independent Kyrgyzstan was formally brought into effect on 5 May 1993. The Kyrgyz legislature also voted to accord Russian the constitutional status of a language for inter-ethnic communication. The country's official name was changed to Kyrgyz Republic. Kyrgyzstan also introduced its own currency, the Som in 1993 which led to deterioration in relations with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan that suspended all trade and closed the border fearing an influx of the previous currency, Rouble. Relations improved after talks between the leaders of the three countries and in January 1994, Kyrgyzstan joined the economic zone newly established by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In May 1998, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan formally constituted the Central Asian Economic Union later renamed as the Central Asian Economic Community in July 1998.
Government Type: Presidential type of Government and a Bicameral Parliament.
State Head: President
State Head Name: Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Government Head Name: Igor Chudinov (nominated December 24, 2007)
Kyrgyzstan has a strong Presidential form of government wherein the President is elected for a five year term by popular vote. The Prime Minister is nomiated by the majority party in the legislature and endorsed by the President.
Tension is reported to exist between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities over access to land and housing. This has led to an exodus of skilled non Kyrgyz labour such as Russians etc. There are also reports of incursions by guerrillas who are said to be members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). These terrorists use Kyrgyzstan as a transit point and undertake acts of terror in the region.
Kyrgyzstan has a territorial dispute with Tajikistan on its southwestern boundary in the Isfara Valley area. Another source of conflict is the infiltration of Islamic insurgents from Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. These insurgents have undertaken acts of terrorism in Kyrgyzstan during 1999 and 2000. The issue of Ferghana valley with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan is another source of external tension.
| Economy of Kyrgyzstan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Currency | 1 Kyrgyzstani som (KGS) = 100 tyiyn | |
| HDI (2007) | 0.696 (medium) (116th) | |
| GDP | $10.490 billion (2006 est.) | |
| GDP growth | 6% (2004 est.) | |
| GDP per capita | $1,700 (2004 est.) | |
| Inflation | 3.2% (2004 est.) | |
| Public finances | ||
| External debt | $1.97 billion (2004 est.) | |
| Revenues | $431.3 million (2004 est.) | |
| Expenses | $445.4 million (2004 est.) | |
| Economic aid | $50 million from the US (2001) | |
Kyrgyzstan is a predominantly agricultural economy. 40 per cent of its population is below the poverty line and the annual GDP growth rate is around 3.4 per cent. Its external debt is around US$ 1.1 billion. Cotton, wool, and meat are the main agricultural products and constitute a large part of exports. Other items of export are gold, mercury, uranium, and electricity. Hydroelectricity is another source of domestic energy production and export. Kyrgyzstan does not have significant oil and gas resources and therefore imports from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan has small machinery, textile, food processing and cement industry. Among the Central Asian states, Kyrgyzstan has been one of the first to carry out market reforms and stabilisation policies which brought down inflation rates from 88 percent in 1994 to around 18 percent in 2000 and 3.7 per cent in 2001. The government has divested most of its holdings in public enterprises. However, foreign assistance is still an important source to run the economy but the government has adopted a series of economic measures to reduce external debt, inflation and increase growth and economic independence.
CIA The World Factbook: KyrgyzstanThe website gives data and information about Kyrgyzstan.
Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic to the USA and ChinaThe embassy website has information on the history and economy of Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan OnlineThe website provides daily news about Kyrgyzstan and links to other sites.