The Kyrgyz Republic

National name: Kyrgyz Respublikasy

President: Kurmanbek Bakiev (2005)

Prime Minister: Felix Kulov (2005)

Land area: 73,861 sq mi (191,300 sq km); total area: 76,641 sq mi (198,500 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 5,213,898; (Kyrgyz, 52.4%; Russian, 18%; Uzbek, 12.9%; Ukrainian, 2.5%; German, 2.4%; other, 11.8%) (growth rate: 1.3%); birth rate: 22.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 34.5/1000; life expectancy: 68.5; density per sq mi: 68

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Bishkek (formerly Frunze), 824,900

Other large city: Osh 225,600

Monetary unit: Som

Languages: Kyrgyz, Russian (both official)

Ethnicity/race: Kyrgyz 64.9%, Uzbek 13.8%, Russian 12.5%, Dungan 1.1%, Ukrainian 1%, Uygur 1%, other 5.7% (1999)

Religions: Islam 75%; Russian Orthodox 20%; other 5%

Literacy rate: 97% (1989 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $9.033 billion; per capita $1,800. Real growth rate: 2%. Inflation: 4.2%. Unemployment: 18% (2004 est.). Arable land: 7%. Agriculture: tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool. Labor force: 2.7 million (2000); agriculture 55%, industry 15%, services 30% (2000 est.). Industries: small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth metals. 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. Exports: $759 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, hydropower; machinery; shoes. Imports: $937.4 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs. Major trading partners: UAE, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Turkey (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 351,000 (1997); mobile cellular: n.a. Radio broadcast stations: AM 12 (plus 10 repeater stations), FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998). Radios: 520,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: n.a. (repeater stations throughout the country relay programs from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey) (1997). Televisions: 210,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): n.a. Internet users: 51,600 (2001).

Transportation: Railways: 420 km (2002). Highways: total: 18,500 km; paved: 16,854 km (including 140 km of expressways); unpaved: 1,646 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 600 km (1990). Ports and harbors: Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye). Airports: 68 (2002).

International disputes: Kyrgyzstan's constitutional court has ruled that 1,270 sq km ceded to China in a 2000 delimitation agreement were legally transferred; delimitation with Kazakhstan is largely complete with only minor disputed areas; disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with Tajikistan; serious disputes with Uzbekistan around Uzbek enclaves mar progress on delimitation efforts.

 

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