Kyrgyzstan - General Information
Kyrgyzstan is situated in Central Asia, its neighboring countries are Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tadjikistan to the south and China to its East and South-East. The former Republic of the Soviet Union became independent in the year 1991 and since then is a democratic Presidential Republic. Bishkek, formerly called Frunze , is the capital with about 1 million inhabitants, the country as a whole has about 5 million inhabitants and an area of 198.500 km2.
Longitude
Bishkek - 74( East (Similar to New Delhi).
Latitude
Bishkek - 42 (North Similar to Istanbul, Madrid, New York.)
Elevation
Highest - 7437 m - Peak Pobeda
Lowest - 401 m - The Laikal district in the Ferghana Valley
Average - 2750 m
Bishkek - 750 m
93% of Kyrgyzstan higher than 1500 m above sea level, and 41% above 3000m.
Area
198,500 sq. km (76641 sq. miles)
Similar to England and roughly equal to the combined areas of Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands.
925 km East-West: 453 km North-South
The total length of Kyrgyzstan’s borders is 4508 km.
Neighbouring Countries
China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.
Population
5 million
density - 24 per sq. km
38% - urban, 62% - rural
51% - female, 49% - male
Approximately one sixth of the population lives in Bishkek.
The Kyrgyz make up just over 50% of the population - of the over 70 other nationalities the major ones are:
The Russians (17%), Uzbeks (13%), Ukrainians, Germans and Tartars.
40% of the population is under 14 years old and 8% of the population is over 60 years old
Shortly after Independence there was large-scale emigration of ethic Russians and Germans in response to the decline of industrial job opportunities and growing Kyrgyz nationalism.
Religion
Muslim (Sunni), and Russian Orthodox.
Languages
State - Kyrgyz. Official - Russian, (In common use especially in the capital and Northern region).
Life Expectancy
In 1995: Male: 63.9 - Female: 72.6
System of government:
Presidential democracy.
Head of State:
President Almazbek Atabaev.
Elected in July 2005 - after being appointed as Acting President following the "Tulip Revolution" of March 2005.
The president is elected directly every 5 years. There are no deputies.
Head of Government: O. Babanov
Nominated by the President and approved by the parliament.
Parliament:
The Kyrgyz Parliament ("Jogorku Kenesh") has a single chamber, of 75 members.
(Since Independence - the organization of the Jogorku Kenesh has been changed several times - sometime with a single chamer, and at others with two: the Legislative Assembly (Lower House, 60 members) and the Assembly of People's Representatives (Upper House, 45 members))
Elected by a popular vote every 5 years.
National symbols:
Flag, Emblem.
Administrative structure:
The Republic is divided into 8 administrative districts, the 7 regions ("oblasts"):
Chu Oblast,
Issyk-Kul Oblast,
Talas Oblast,
Naryn Oblast,
Osh Oblast,
Djalal-Abad Oblast,
Batken Oblast,
and the capital district of Bishkek.
The oblasts are in turn subdivided into 39 rayons (counties). Bishkek has 4 rajone. The rayons consist of a total of 429 local communities (Ail okmotu).
