Kyrgyzstan: Difference between revisions
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{{Coord|41|N|75|E|display=title}} |
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{{Infobox country |
{{Infobox country |
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|conventional_long_name = Kyrgyz Republic |
|conventional_long_name = Kyrgyz Republic |
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|native_name = {{unbulleted list |
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|native_name = Кыргыз Республикасы <br/> ''Kyrgyz Respublikasy'' |
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| {{native name|ky|{{lower|0.2em|Кыргыз Республикасы }}|italics=off}}<br/>{{smaller|''Kyrgyz Respublikasy''}} |
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|Кыргызкая Республика> |
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| {{native name|ru|{{lower|0.2em|Кыргызская Республика }}|italics=off}}<br/>{{smaller|''Kyrgyzskaya Respublika''}} |
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"Kyrgyzskaya Respublika" |
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}} |
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|common_name = Kyrgyzstan |
|common_name = Kyrgyzstan |
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|image_flag = Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg |
|image_flag = Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg |
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|symbol_type = Emblem |
|symbol_type = Emblem |
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|image_map = Kyrgyzstan (orthographic projection).svg |
|image_map = Kyrgyzstan (orthographic projection).svg |
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|map_caption = {{map caption |location_color= green}} |
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|national_anthem = <br/>Кыргыз Республикасынын Мамлекеттик Гимни <br>''[[National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic|Kyrgyz Respublikasynyn Mamlekettik Gimni]]''<br/>{{small|''National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic''}}<br/><center>[[File:National Anthem of Kyrgyzstan.ogg]]</center> |
|national_anthem = <br/>Кыргыз Республикасынын Мамлекеттик Гимни <br>''[[National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic|Kyrgyz Respublikasynyn Mamlekettik Gimni]]''<br/>{{small|''National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic''}}<br/><center>[[File:National Anthem of Kyrgyzstan.ogg]]</center> |
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|ethnic_groups = |
|ethnic_groups = |
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{{unbulleted list |
{{unbulleted list |
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| 72.6% [[Kyrgyzs|Kyrgyz]]<ref name= |
| 72.6% [[Kyrgyzs|Kyrgyz]]<ref name=census>{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.kg/stat.files/din.files/census/5010003.pdf |title=Ethnic composition of the population in Kyrgyzstan 1999–2014 |publisher=National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic |accessdate=14 April 2014 |language=ru |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706220049/http://www.stat.kg/stat.files/din.files/census/5010003.pdf |archivedate=6 July 2014 }}</ref> |
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| 14.4% [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] |
| 14.4% [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] |
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| 6.4% [[Russians|Russian]] |
| 6.4% [[Russians|Russian]] |
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| 5.5% others |
| 5.5% others |
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}} |
}} |
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|languages_type = [[Official language]]s<ref>{{cite web |
|languages_type = [[Official language]]s<ref>{{cite web |title=Constitution |publisher=[[Government of Kyrgyzstan]] |quote=<br/>Article 5<br/>1. The state language of the Kyrgyz Republic shall be the Kyrgyz language.<br/>2. In the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian language shall be used in the capacity of an official language.}}</ref> |
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|languages = {{unbulleted list |[[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]] {{small|(national)}} |[[Russian language|Russian]] {{small|(official)}}}} |
|languages = {{unbulleted list |[[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]] {{small|(national)}} |[[Russian language|Russian]] {{small|(official)}}}} |
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|demonym = {{ |
|demonym = {{hlist |[[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]]<ref name="factbook">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kg.html Kyrgysztan] in the CIA [[World Factbook]].</ref>}} |
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|religion = [[Islam]], [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]] |
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|capital = [[Bishkek]] |
|capital = [[Bishkek]] |
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|latd=42 |latm=52 |latNS=N |longd=74 |longm=36 |longEW=E |
|latd=42 |latm=52 |latNS=N |longd=74 |longm=36 |longEW=E |
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|largest_city = capital |
|largest_city = capital |
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|government_type = [[Unitary]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary republic]] |
|government_type = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary republic]] |
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|leader_title1 = [[President of Kyrgyzstan|President]] |
|leader_title1 = [[President of Kyrgyzstan|President]] |
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|leader_name1 = {{nowrap|[[Almazbek Atambayev]]}} |
|leader_name1 = {{nowrap|[[Almazbek Atambayev]]}} |
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|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan|Prime Minister]] |
|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan|Prime Minister]] |
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|leader_name2 = [[ |
|leader_name2 = [[Temir Sariyev]] |
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|legislature = [[Supreme Council (Kyrgyzstan)|Supreme Council]] |
|legislature = [[Supreme Council (Kyrgyzstan)|Supreme Council]] |
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|area_km2 = 199,951 |
|area_km2 = 199,951 |
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|area_sq_mi = 77,181 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]--> |
|area_sq_mi = 77,181 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]--> |
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|area_magnitude = 1 E11 |
|area_magnitude = 1 E11 |
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|area_rank = |
|area_rank = 87th |
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|percent_water = 3.6 |
|percent_water = 3.6 |
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|population_estimate = 6,000,000<ref name=number>{{cite web | url=http://www.eng.24.kg/community/178195-news24.html| title=Long-awaited six millionth resident born in Kyrgyzstan | publisher=24.kg News Agency | accessdate=26 November 2015|language=en}}</ref> |
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|population_estimate = 5,776,500 |
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|population_estimate_year = |
|population_estimate_year = 2015 |
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|population_estimate_rank = |
|population_estimate_rank = 110th |
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|population_census = 5,362,800 |
|population_census = 5,362,800 |
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|population_census_year = 2009 |
|population_census_year = 2009 |
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|GDP_nominal_year = 2011 |
|GDP_nominal_year = 2011 |
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|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $1,070<ref name=imf2/> |
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $1,070<ref name=imf2/> |
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|HDI_year = |
|HDI_year = 2014 <!--Please use the year to which the HDI data refers, not the publication year--> |
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|HDI = 0.655 <!--number only, between 0 and 1--> |
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|HDI = 0.622 |
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|HDI_ref = <ref name="HDI">{{cite web |url=http:// |
|HDI_ref = <ref name="HDI">{{cite web |url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr_2015_statistical_annex.pdf |title=2015 Human Development Report |date=2015 |accessdate=15 December 2015 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme }}</ref> |
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|HDI_rank = |
|HDI_rank = 120th |
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|HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady--> |
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|HDI_category = <span style="color:#fc0;white-space:nowrap;">medium</span> |
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|Gini = 30.3 |
|Gini = 30.3 |
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|Gini_year = 2003 |
|Gini_year = 2003 |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Kyrgyzstan''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ɜr|ɡ|ɪ|ˈ|s|t|ɑː|n}} {{respell|kur-gi|STAHN|'}};<ref>Or {{IPAc-en|k|ɪr|ɡ|ɪ|ˈ|s|t|ɑː|n}} {{respell|kir-gi|STAHN|'}}, or with the stress on the first syllable. See J. C. Wells, ''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary'', 3rd ed. (Harlow, England: Pearson Education Ltd., 2008).</ref> |
'''Kyrgyzstan''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ɜr|ɡ|ɪ|ˈ|s|t|ɑː|n}} {{respell|kur-gi|STAHN|'}};<ref>Or {{IPAc-en|k|ɪr|ɡ|ɪ|ˈ|s|t|ɑː|n}} {{respell|kir-gi|STAHN|'}}, or with the stress on the first syllable. See J. C. Wells, ''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary'', 3rd ed. (Harlow, England: Pearson Education Ltd., 2008).</ref> {{lang-ky|Кыргызстан}} ''Kyrgyzstan'' ({{IPA-ky|qɯrʁɯsˈstɑn}}); {{lang-ru|Киргизия}} or Кыргызстан), officially the '''Kyrgyz Republic''' ({{lang-ky|Кыргыз Республикасы}} ''Kyrgyz Respublikasy''; {{lang-ru|Кыргызская Республика}} ''Kyrgyzskaya Respublika''), formerly known as '''Kirghizia''', is a country located in [[Central Asia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16187957 |title=BBC News – Kyrgyzstan profile – Leaders |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=14 December 2011 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> [[Landlocked]] and [[mountain]]ous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by [[Kazakhstan]] to the north, [[Uzbekistan]] to the west, [[Tajikistan]] to the south west and [[China]] to the east. Its [[Capital city|capital]] and [[List of cities in Kyrgyzstan|largest city]] is [[Bishkek]]. |
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Kyrgyzstan's history spans over 2,000 years, encompassing a variety of cultures and empires. Although geographically isolated by its highly mountainous terrain – which has helped preserve its ancient culture – Kyrgyzstan has historically been at the crossroads of several great civilizations, namely as part of the [[Silk Road]] and other commercial and cultural routes. Though long inhabited by a succession of independent tribes and clans, Kyrgyzstan has periodically come under foreign domination and attained sovereignty as a nation-state only after the breakup of the [[Soviet Union]] in 1991. |
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Despite Kyrgyzstan's struggle for political stabilization among ethnic conflicts,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/18682522 |title=Investigating Kyrgyzstan's ethnic violence: Bloody business |publisher=The Economist |date=12 May 2011 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/63678 |title=Foreigners in Kyrgyzstan: ‘Will We Be Banned, Too?’ |publisher=EurasiaNet.org |date=15 June 2011 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> revolts,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/news/kyrgyzstan-private-army-guards-797/ |title=Kyrgyz private armies incite "permanent revolution" — RT |publisher=Rt.com |date=17 March 2012 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> economic troubles,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/Kyrgyzstan/economy |title=Kyrgyzstan: Economy globalEDGE: Your source for Global Business Knowledge |publisher=Globaledge.msu.edu |date=20 December 1998 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/index/country/kyrgyzrepublic |title=Kyrgyz Republic Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI, Corruption |publisher=Heritage.org |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> transitional governments,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16185772 |title=BBC News – Kyrgyzstan profile – Timeline |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=10 October 2012 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> and [[political party]] conflicts,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/2813 |title=Kyrgyz Unrest |publisher=EurasiaNet.org |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> it maintains a [[Unitary state|unitary]] [[parliamentary republic]]. |
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Since independence, Kyrgyzstan has officially been a [[Unitary state|unitary]] [[parliamentary republic]], although it continues to endure ethnic conflicts,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/18682522 |title=Investigating Kyrgyzstan's ethnic violence: Bloody business |publisher=The Economist |date=12 May 2011 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/63678 |title=Foreigners in Kyrgyzstan: 'Will We Be Banned, Too?' |publisher=EurasiaNet.org |date=15 June 2011 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> revolts,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/news/kyrgyzstan-private-army-guards-797/ |title=Kyrgyz private armies incite "permanent revolution" — RT |publisher=Rt.com |date=17 March 2012 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> economic troubles,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/Kyrgyzstan/economy |title=Kyrgyzstan: Economy globalEDGE: Your source for Global Business Knowledge |publisher=Globaledge.msu.edu |date=20 December 1998 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/index/country/kyrgyzrepublic |title=Kyrgyz Republic Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI, Corruption |publisher=Heritage.org |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> transitional governments<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16185772 |title=BBC News – Kyrgyzstan profile – Timeline |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=10 October 2012 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> and [[political party]] conflicts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/2813 |title=Kyrgyz Unrest |publisher=EurasiaNet.org |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref> Kyrgyzstan is a member of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]], the [[Eurasian Economic Union]], the [[Collective Security Treaty Organization]], the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]], the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]], the [[Turkic Council]], the [[TÜRKSOY]] community and the [[United Nations]]. |
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Two times a [[Coloured Revolution]] took place here, in 2004 and 2010. |
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Ethnic [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]] make up the majority of the country's 5.7 million people, followed by significant minorities of [[Uzbeks]] and [[Russians]]. The official language, [[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]], is closely related to the other [[Turkic languages]], although [[Russian language|Russian]] remains widely spoken, a legacy of a century-long policy of [[Russification]]. The majority of the population (64 percent) are [[nondenominational Muslims]].<ref>"Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity. Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013</ref> In addition to its Turkic origins, Kyrgyz culture bears elements of [[Persia]]n, [[Mongolia]]n and Russian influence. |
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The official language, [[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]], is closely related to the other [[Turkic languages]], on the other hand the country is under a strong cultural influence from Russia, being rather Russified. |
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Kyrgyzstan is a member of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]], the [[Eurasian Economic Community]], the [[Collective Security Treaty Organization]], the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]], the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]], the [[Turkic Council]], the [[TÜRKSOY]] community and the [[United Nations]]. |
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Kyrgyzstan has stated its desire to join the [[Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia]]. |
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==Etymology== |
==Etymology== |
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"[[Kyrgyz (disambiguation)|Kyrgyz]]" is believed to have been derived from the Turkic word for "forty", in reference to the forty clans of [[Epic of Manas|Manas]], a legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the [[Uyghur Khaganate|Uyghurs]]. Literally |
"[[Kyrgyz (disambiguation)|Kyrgyz]]" is believed to have been derived from the Turkic word for "forty", in reference to the forty clans of [[Epic of Manas|Manas]], a legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the [[Uyghur Khaganate|Uyghurs]]. Literally, Kyrgyz means ''We are forty''. At the time, in the early 9th century AD, the Uyghurs dominated much of Central Asia (including Kyrgyzstan), Mongolia, and parts of Russia and China.<ref>[http://www.sras.org/news2.phtml?m=483 Forty tribes and the 40-ray sun on the flag of Kyrgyzstan], SRAS–The School of Russian and Asian Studies</ref> |
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The 40-ray sun on the [[flag of Kyrgyzstan]] is a reference to those same forty tribes and the graphical element in the sun's center depicts the wooden crown of a [[yurt]] – a portable dwelling traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. |
The 40-ray sun on the [[flag of Kyrgyzstan]] is a reference to those same forty tribes and the graphical element in the sun's center depicts the wooden crown, called tunduk, of a [[yurt]] – a portable dwelling traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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===Antiquity=== |
===Antiquity=== |
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[[File:GökturksAD551-572.png|thumb| |
[[File:GökturksAD551-572.png|thumb|350px|The [[Turkic Khaganate]].]] |
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According to David C. King, |
According to David C. King, [[Scythians]] were early settlers in present-day Kyrgyzstan.<ref>{{cite book |title=Kyrgyzstan |year=2005 |publisher= Marshall Cavendish| url=https://books.google.com/?id=UlVVmaoW260C |isbn=0-7614-2013-4 |page= 144 |author= King, David C}}</ref> |
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The [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]] state reached its greatest expansion after defeating the [[Uyghur Empire|Uyghur]] Khaganate in 840 A.D.<ref name="Kyrgyzstan timeline">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1296570.stm |title=Kyrgyzstan timeline |publisher=BBC News |date=12 June 2010}}</ref> From the 10th century the Kyrgyz migrated as far as the [[Tian Shan]] range and maintained their dominance over this territory for about 200 years. |
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===Advent of Islam=== |
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As early as the 7th century, Turkic traders introduced Islam to Central Asia, including what is now Kyrgyzstan, through doing business with Arabic people.<ref name="Kyrgyzstan timeline">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1296570.stm |title=Kyrgyzstan timeline |publisher=BBC News |date=12 June 2010}}</ref> The [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]] state reached its greatest expansion after defeating the [[Uyghur Empire|Uyghur]] Khaganate in 840 A.D.<ref name="Kyrgyzstan timeline"/> Then the Kyrgyz quickly moved as far as the [[Tian Shan]] range and maintained their dominance over this territory for about 200 years. |
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In the twelfth century |
In the twelfth century the Kyrgyz dominion had shrunk to the [[Altay Mountains|Altay]] Range and [[Sayan Mountains]] as a result of the [[Mongols before Genghis Khan|Mongol expansion]]. With the rise of the [[Mongol Empire]] in the thirteenth century, the Kyrgyz migrated south. The Kyrgyz peacefully became a part of [[Mongol Empire]] in 1207. |
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[[Chinese people|Chinese]] and Muslim sources of the 7th–12th centuries AD describe the early Kyrgyz as red-haired with white skin and blue eyes, which is indicative of ancient |
[[Chinese people|Chinese]] and Muslim sources of the 7th–12th centuries AD describe the early Kyrgyz as red-haired with white skin and blue eyes, which is indicative of ancient [[Kurgan hypothesis|Indo-European tribes]] like the [[Slavic peoples]].<ref>[http://s155239215.onlinehome.us/turkic/20Roots/ZakievGenesis/ZakievGenesis302-357-2En.htm Mirfatyh Zakiev, ''Origins of the Turks and Tatars''], Part Two, Third Chapter, sections 109–100, 2002. Retrieved on 15 May 2009</ref><ref name=Bartold>[[Vasily Bartold|V.V. Bartold]], ''The Kyrgyz: A Historical Essay'', Frunze, 1927. Reprinted in V.V. Bartold, ''Collected Works'', Volume II, Part 1, Izd. Vostochnoi Literatury, Moscow, 1963, p. 480 {{ru icon}}</ref> The descent of the Kyrgyz from the autochthonous [[Siberia]]n population is confirmed on the other hand by the recent genetic studies.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Wells | first1 = R. S. | last2 = Yuldasheva | first2 = N. | last3 = Ruzibakiev | first3 = R. | last4 = Underhill | first4 = P. A. | last5 = Evseeva | first5 = I. | last6 = Blue-Smith | first6 = J. | last7 = Jin | first7 = L. | last8 = Su | first8 = B. | last9 = Pitchappan | first9 = R. | doi = 10.1073/pnas.171305098 | last10 = Shanmugalakshmi | first10 = S. | last11 = Balakrishnan | first11 = K. | last12 = Read | first12 = M. | last13 = Pearson | first13 = N. M. | last14 = Zerjal | first14 = T. | last15 = Webster | first15 = M. T. | last16 = Zholoshvili | first16 = I. | last17 = Jamarjashvili | first17 = E. | last18 = Gambarov | first18 = S. | last19 = Nikbin | first19 = B. | last20 = Dostiev | first20 = A. | last21 = Aknazarov | first21 = O. | last22 = Zalloua | first22 = P. | last23 = Tsoy | first23 = I. | last24 = Kitaev | first24 = M. | last25 = Mirrakhimov | first25 = M. | last26 = Chariev | first26 = A. | last27 = Bodmer | first27 = W. F. | title = The Eurasian Heartland: A continental perspective on Y-chromosome diversity | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume = 98 | issue = 18 | pages = 10244–10249| year = 2001 | pmid = 11526236| pmc = 56946}}</ref> Because of the processes of migration, conquest, intermarriage, and assimilation, many of the Kyrgyz peoples that now inhabit Central and Southwest Asia are of mixed origins, often stemming from fragments of many different tribes, though they now speak closely related languages.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kyrgyzstan |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/326091/Kyrgyzstan |year=2010 |accessdate=14 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Zerjal | first1 = T. | last2 = Wells | first2 = R. S. | last3 = Yuldasheva | first3 = N. | last4 = Ruzibakiev | first4 = R. | last5 = Tyler-Smith | first5 = C. | title = A Genetic Landscape Reshaped by Recent Events: Y-Chromosomal Insights into Central Asia | doi = 10.1086/342096 | journal = The American Journal of Human Genetics | volume = 71 | issue = 3 | pages = 466–82 | year = 2002 | pmid = 12145751| pmc = 419996}}</ref> |
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[[Issyk Kul Lake]] was a stopover on the [[Silk Road]], a land route for traders, merchants and other travelers from the Far East to Europe. |
[[Issyk Kul Lake]] was a stopover on the [[Silk Road]], a land route for traders, merchants and other travelers from the Far East to Europe. |
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<gallery> |
<gallery> |
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File:Caravansary on Silk Road in Kyrgyzstan.jpg|Silk road caravansary utilized during the [[Islamic Golden Age]] |
File:Caravansary on Silk Road in Kyrgyzstan.jpg|[[Silk road]] caravansary utilized during the [[Islamic Golden Age]] |
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File:Перекочевка киргизов.jpg|Kyrgyz nomads, 1869–1870, by Vasily Vereshchagin |
File:Перекочевка киргизов.jpg|Kyrgyz nomads, 1869–1870, by [[Vasily Vereshchagin]] |
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File:Киргизские кибитки на реке Чу.jpg|Kyrgyz yurt, 1869–1870, by [[Vasily Vereshchagin]] |
File:Киргизские кибитки на реке Чу.jpg|Kyrgyz yurt, 1869–1870, by [[Vasily Vereshchagin]] |
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File:Kyrgyz 1813.JPG|[[Kyrgyz people]] |
File:Kyrgyz 1813.JPG|[[Kyrgyz people]] |
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File:Prokudin-Gorskii-18.jpg|A Nomadic Kyrgyz family on the Golodnaya Steppe in Uzbekistan, 1911, Prokudin-Gorskii |
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</gallery> |
</gallery> |
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The early years of [[glasnost]] had little effect on the political climate in Kyrgyzstan. However, the Republic's press was permitted to adopt a more liberal stance and to establish a new publication, ''Literaturny Kirghizstan'', by the Union of Writers. Unofficial political groups were forbidden, but several groups that emerged in 1989 to deal with the acute housing crisis were permitted to function. |
The early years of [[glasnost]] had little effect on the political climate in Kyrgyzstan. However, the Republic's press was permitted to adopt a more liberal stance and to establish a new publication, ''Literaturny Kirghizstan'', by the Union of Writers. Unofficial political groups were forbidden, but several groups that emerged in 1989 to deal with the acute housing crisis were permitted to function. |
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According to the last Soviet census in 1989, ethnic Kyrgyz made up only 22% of the residents of the northern city of [[Bishkek|Frunze]] (now Bishkek), while more than 60% were Russians, Ukrainians, and people from other [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] nations (only 36 percent of Bishkek residents surveyed said Russian was their first language).<ref>{{cite web|last=Djumataeva |first=Venera |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/Kyrgyz_Protests_in_1989_Verged_On_Ethnic_Conflict/1901704.html |title=1989 Kyrgyz Protests Verged On Ethnic Conflict |publisher=Rferl.org | |
According to the last Soviet census in 1989, ethnic Kyrgyz made up only 22% of the residents of the northern city of [[Bishkek|Frunze]] (now Bishkek), while more than 60% were Russians, Ukrainians, and people from other [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] nations (only 36 percent of Bishkek residents surveyed said Russian was their first language).<ref>{{cite web|last=Djumataeva |first=Venera |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/Kyrgyz_Protests_in_1989_Verged_On_Ethnic_Conflict/1901704.html |title=1989 Kyrgyz Protests Verged On Ethnic Conflict |publisher=Rferl.org |date=11 December 2009}}</ref> |
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[[File:Stamps of Kyrgyzstan, 2011-12.jpg|thumb|150px|Soviet cosmonaut [[Yuri Gagarin]] on a modern Kyrgyzstan stamp]] |
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In June 1990, ethnic tensions between [[Uzbeks]] and Kyrgyz surfaced in the [[Osh Oblast]] (southern Kyrgyzstan), where Uzbeks form a majority of the population.<ref name="conflict">{{cite news |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=33728 |title=KYRGYZSTAN: Economic disparities driving inter-ethnic conflict |publisher=[[IRIN]] Asia |date=15 February 2006}}</ref> Attempts to appropriate Uzbek collective farms for housing development triggered the [[Osh riots (1990)|Osh Riots]]. A state of emergency and curfew were introduced<ref>"[http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav012506.shtml Ethnic Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan Voice Complaints Over Discrimination, Corruption]". EurasiaNet.org. 24 January 2006.</ref> and [[Askar Akayev]], the youngest of five sons born into a family of collective farm workers (in northern Kyrgyzstan), was elected President in October of that same year. |
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In June 1990, ethnic tensions between [[Uzbeks]] and Kyrgyz surfaced in the [[Osh Oblast]] (southern Kyrgyzstan), where Uzbeks form a minority of the population.<ref name="conflict">{{cite news |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=33728 |title=KYRGYZSTAN: Economic disparities driving inter-ethnic conflict |publisher=[[IRIN]] Asia |date=15 February 2006}}</ref> Attempts to appropriate Uzbek collective farms for housing development triggered the [[Osh riots (1990)|Osh Riots]]. A state of emergency and curfew were introduced<ref>"[http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav012506.shtml Ethnic Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan Voice Complaints Over Discrimination, Corruption]". EurasiaNet.org. 24 January 2006.</ref> and [[Askar Akayev]], the youngest of five sons born into a family of collective farm workers (in northern Kyrgyzstan), was elected President in October of that same year. |
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By then, the [[Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyzstan Democratic Movement]] (KDM) had developed into a significant political force with support in Parliament. In December 1990, the Supreme Soviet voted to change the republic's name to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. (In 1993, it became the Kyrgyz Republic.) The following January, Akayev introduced new government structures and appointed a new government composed mainly of younger, reform-oriented politicians. In February 1991, the name of the capital, Frunze, was changed back to its pre-revolutionary name of Bishkek. |
By then, the [[Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyzstan Democratic Movement]] (KDM) had developed into a significant political force with support in Parliament. In December 1990, the Supreme Soviet voted to change the republic's name to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. (In 1993, it became the Kyrgyz Republic.) The following January, Akayev introduced new government structures and appointed a new government composed mainly of younger, reform-oriented politicians. In February 1991, the name of the capital, Frunze, was changed back to its pre-revolutionary name of Bishkek. |
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In 2005, a popular uprising known as the "[[Tulip Revolution]]", took place after the parliamentary elections in March 2005, forced President [[Askar Akayev]]'s resignation on 4 April 2005. Opposition leaders formed a coalition, and a new government was formed under President [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]] and Prime Minister [[Feliks Kulov]]. The nation's capital was looted during the protests. |
In 2005, a popular uprising known as the "[[Tulip Revolution]]", took place after the parliamentary elections in March 2005, forced President [[Askar Akayev]]'s resignation on 4 April 2005. Opposition leaders formed a coalition, and a new government was formed under President [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]] and Prime Minister [[Feliks Kulov]]. The nation's capital was looted during the protests. |
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Political stability appeared to be elusive, however, as various groups and factions allegedly linked to [[organized crime]] jockeyed for power. Three of the 75 members of Parliament elected in March 2005 were assassinated, and another member was assassinated on 10 May 2006 shortly after winning his murdered brother's seat in a by-election. All four are reputed to have been directly involved in major illegal business ventures. |
Political stability appeared to be elusive, however, as various groups and factions allegedly linked to [[organized crime]] jockeyed for power. Three of the 75 members of Parliament elected in March 2005 were assassinated, and another member was assassinated on 10 May 2006 shortly after winning his murdered brother's seat in a by-election. All four are reputed to have been directly involved in major illegal business ventures.{{According to whom|date=December 2014}} |
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On 6 April 2010, [[2010 Kyrgyzstan revolution|civil unrest broke out]] in the town of [[Talas, Kyrgyzstan|Talas]] after a demonstration against government corruption and increased living expenses. The protests became violent, spreading to Bishkek by the following day. Protesters attacked President Bakiyev's offices, as well as state-run radio and television stations. There were conflicting reports that Interior Minister [[Moldomusa Kongatiyev]] had been beaten. On 7 April 2010, President Bakiyev imposed a state of emergency. Police and special services arrested many opposition leaders. In response, protesters took control of the internal security headquarters (former [[KGB]] headquarters) and a state television channel in the capital, Bishkek.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} Reports by Kyrgyzstan government officials indicated that at least 75 people were killed and 458 hospitalized in bloody clashes with police in the capital.<ref>{{cite news |author=Tkachenko, Maxim |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/08/kyrgyzstan.violence/index.html?iref=allsearch |title=Kyrgyz president says he won't resign |publisher=CNN |date= 9 April 2010 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> Reports say that at least 80 people died as a result of clashes with police. A transition government, led by former foreign minister [[Roza Otunbayeva]], by 8 April 2010 had taken control of [[Media of Kyrgyzstan|state media]] and government facilities in the capital, but Bakiyev had not resigned from office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/04/09/Expert-Kyrgysztan-could-face-civil-war/UPI-78531270835021/ |title=Expert: Kyrgysztan could face civil war |publisher=UPI.com |date=9 April 2010 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=AFP |url=http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100410-209496.html |title=Ousted Kyrgyz president is offered 'safe passage' |publisher=asiaone |date=10 April 2010 |accessdate=9 August 2013}}</ref> |
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[[File:Central Asia Ethnic en.svg|thumb|right|Ethnolinguistic map of Central Asia in 1992]] |
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On 6 April 2010, [[2010 Kyrgyzstan revolution|civil unrest broke out]] in the town of [[Talas, Kyrgyzstan|Talas]] after a demonstration against government corruption and increased living expenses. The protests became violent, spreading to Bishkek by the following day. Protesters attacked President Bakiyev's offices, as well as state-run radio and television stations. There were conflicting reports that Interior Minister [[Moldomusa Kongatiyev]] had been beaten. On 7 April 2010, President Bakiyev imposed a state of emergency. Police and special services arrested many opposition leaders. In response, protesters took control of the internal security headquarters (former [[KGB]] headquarters) and a state television channel in the capital, Bishkek.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} Reports by Kyrgyzstan government officials indicated that at least 75 people were killed and 458 hospitalized in bloody clashes with police in the capital.<ref>{{cite news |author=Tkachenko, Maxim |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/08/kyrgyzstan.violence/index.html?iref=allsearch |title=Kyrgyz president says he won't resign |publisher=CNN |date= 9 April 2010 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> Reports say that at least 80 people died as a result of clashes with police.<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_KYRGYZSTAN_PROTEST?SITE=NCGRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ]{{dead link|date=December 2013}}</ref> A transition government, led by former foreign minister [[Roza Otunbayeva]], by 8 April 2010 had taken control of [[Media of Kyrgyzstan|state media]] and government facilities in the capital, but Bakiyev had not resigned from office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/04/09/Expert-Kyrgysztan-could-face-civil-war/UPI-78531270835021/ |title=Expert: Kyrgysztan could face civil war |publisher=UPI.com |date=9 April 2010 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=AFP |url=http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100410-209496.html |title=Ousted Kyrgyz president is offered 'safe passage' |publisher=asiaone |date=10 April 2010 |accessdate=9 August 2013}}</ref> |
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President Bakiyev returned to his home in [[Jalal-Abad]] and stated his terms of resignation at a press conference on 13 April 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8617729.stm |title=Kyrgyz President Bakiyev 'will resign if safe' |publisher=BBC News |date=13 April 2010 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> On 15 April 2010, Bakiyev left the country and flew to neighboring [[Kazakhstan]], along with his wife and two children. The country's provisional leaders announced that Bakiyev signed a formal letter of resignation prior to his departure.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/15/kyrgystan.gunfire/index.html?hpt=T2 |title=Ousted Kyrgyz president quits, leaves country |publisher=CNN |date= 16 April 2010}}</ref> |
President Bakiyev returned to his home in [[Jalal-Abad]] and stated his terms of resignation at a press conference on 13 April 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8617729.stm |title=Kyrgyz President Bakiyev 'will resign if safe' |publisher=BBC News |date=13 April 2010 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> On 15 April 2010, Bakiyev left the country and flew to neighboring [[Kazakhstan]], along with his wife and two children. The country's provisional leaders announced that Bakiyev signed a formal letter of resignation prior to his departure.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/15/kyrgystan.gunfire/index.html?hpt=T2 |title=Ousted Kyrgyz president quits, leaves country |publisher=CNN |date= 16 April 2010}}</ref> |
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Prime Minister [[Daniar Usenov]] accused Russia of supporting the protests; this accusation was denied by Russian Prime Minister, [[Vladimir Putin]]. Opposition members also called for the closing of the US-controlled [[Manas Air Base]].<ref>{{cite web|url= |
Prime Minister [[Daniar Usenov]] accused Russia of supporting the protests; this accusation was denied by Russian Prime Minister, [[Vladimir Putin]]. Opposition members also called for the closing of the US-controlled [[Manas Air Base]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=10305761 |title=Kyrgyz Opposition Controls Government Building |author=Leonard, Peter |publisher=The Associated Press via ABC News |date=7 April 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411210401/http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=10305761 |archivedate=11 April 2010 }}</ref> Russia's President [[Dmitry Medvedev]] ordered measures to ensure the safety of Russian nationals and tighten security around Russian sites in Kyrgyzstan to protect them against possible attacks. |
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[[2010 South Kyrgyzstan |
The [[2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes]] occurred between the two main ethnic groups—the Uzbeks and Kyrgyz—in [[Osh]], the second largest city in the country, on 11 June 2010. The clashes incited fears that the country could be heading towards a civil war.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10296635.stm|title=There are clashes in the Kyrgyzstan again |publisher=BBC |date= 11 June 2010 |accessdate=11 June 2010}}</ref><ref>Shuster, Simon. (1 August 2010) [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2007709,00.html "Signs of Uzbek Persecution Rising in Kyrgyzstan"]. Time.com. Retrieved on 6 December 2013.</ref> |
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[[File:Sassamir Valley (3968060227).jpg|thumb|Nomads in Kyrgyzstan]] |
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Finding it difficult to control the situation, Otunbayeva, the interim leader, sent a letter to the Russian president, Dimitry Medvedev, asking him to send Russian troops to help the country control the situation. Medvedev's Press Attaché, [[Natalya Timakova]], said in a reply to the letter, "It is an internal conflict and for now Russia does not see the conditions for taking part in its resolution". The clashes caused a shortage of food and other essential commodities with more than 200 killed and 1,685 people hurt, {{As of|2010|06|12|lc=on}}. The Russian government, however, said it would be sending humanitarian aid to the troubled nation.<ref name="By2010">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10300348.stm|title=Kyrgyz president asks for Russian help|publisher=BBC |date= 12 June 2010|accessdate=12 June 2010}}</ref> |
Finding it difficult to control the situation, Otunbayeva, the interim leader, sent a letter to the Russian president, Dimitry Medvedev, asking him to send Russian troops to help the country control the situation. Medvedev's Press Attaché, [[Natalya Timakova]], said in a reply to the letter, "It is an internal conflict and for now Russia does not see the conditions for taking part in its resolution". The clashes caused a shortage of food and other essential commodities with more than 200 killed and 1,685 people hurt, {{As of|2010|06|12|lc=on}}. The Russian government, however, said it would be sending humanitarian aid to the troubled nation.<ref name="By2010">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10300348.stm|title=Kyrgyz president asks for Russian help|publisher=BBC |date= 12 June 2010|accessdate=12 June 2010}}</ref> |
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The riots spread to neighboring areas, and the government declared a state of emergency in the entire southern [[Jalal-Abad]] region. To control the situation, the interim government gave special shoot-to-kill powers to the security forces. The Russian government decided to send a battalion to the country to protect Russian facilities.<ref name="By the BBC">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10304165.stm|title=Situation worsens in Kyrgyzstan|publisher=bbc.co.uk |date= 13 June 2010|accessdate=13 June 2010}}</ref> |
The riots spread to neighboring areas, and the government declared a state of emergency in the entire southern [[Jalal-Abad]] region. To control the situation, the interim government gave special shoot-to-kill powers to the security forces. The Russian government decided to send a battalion to the country to protect Russian facilities.<ref name="By the BBC">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10304165.stm|title=Situation worsens in Kyrgyzstan|publisher=bbc.co.uk |date= 13 June 2010|accessdate=13 June 2010}}</ref> |
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[[File:Kyrgyz family Sary-Mogol.jpg|thumb|Kyrgyz family in the village of Sary-Mogol, [[Osh Region]]]] |
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Otunbayeva accused the family of Bakiyev of "instigating the riots".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/russia-turns-down-kyrgyz-call-for-help-as-toll-rises/633045/0|title=Ousted Kyrgyz President's family blamed| publisher=Associated Press via The Indian Express| date= 12 June 2010|accessdate=13 June 2010}}</ref> AFP reported "a veil of smoke covering the whole city". Authorities in neighboring [[Uzbekistan]] said at least 30,000 Uzbeks had crossed the border to escape the riots.<ref name="By the BBC"/> Osh became relatively calm on 14 June 2010, but Jalal-Abad witnessed sporadic incidents of arson. The entire region was still under a state of emergency as Uzbeks were reluctant to leave their houses for fear of attacks by the mobs. The [[United Nations]] decided to send an envoy to assess the situation.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10307406.stm|title=Osh gets relatively calmer but Jalalabad flares up |publisher=BBC |date= 14 June 2010 |accessdate=14 June 2010}}</ref> |
Otunbayeva accused the family of Bakiyev of "instigating the riots".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/russia-turns-down-kyrgyz-call-for-help-as-toll-rises/633045/0|title=Ousted Kyrgyz President's family blamed| publisher=Associated Press via The Indian Express| date= 12 June 2010|accessdate=13 June 2010}}</ref> AFP reported "a veil of smoke covering the whole city". Authorities in neighboring [[Uzbekistan]] said at least 30,000 Uzbeks had crossed the border to escape the riots.<ref name="By the BBC"/> Osh became relatively calm on 14 June 2010, but Jalal-Abad witnessed sporadic incidents of arson. The entire region was still under a state of emergency as Uzbeks were reluctant to leave their houses for fear of attacks by the mobs. The [[United Nations]] decided to send an envoy to assess the situation.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10307406.stm|title=Osh gets relatively calmer but Jalalabad flares up |publisher=BBC |date= 14 June 2010 |accessdate=14 June 2010}}</ref> |
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Ethnic violence waned, according to the Kyrgyz government, by 15 June 2010 and Kyrgyz president Roza Otunbayeva held a news conference that day and declared that there was no need for Russia to send in troops to quell the violence. There were at least 170 people left dead by 15 June 2010 but Pascale Meige Wagner of the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] said the [official] death toll was an underestimate. The UN High Commissioner told reporters in [[Geneva]] that evidence suggested that the violence seemed to have been staged up. |
Ethnic violence waned, according to the Kyrgyz government, by 15 June 2010 and Kyrgyz president Roza Otunbayeva held a news conference that day and declared that there was no need for Russia to send in troops to quell the violence. There were at least 170 people left dead by 15 June 2010 but Pascale Meige Wagner of the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] said the [official] death toll was an underestimate. The UN High Commissioner told reporters in [[Geneva]] that evidence suggested that the violence seemed to have been staged up. |
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Ethnic Uzbeks threatened to blow up an oil depot in Osh if they failed to get guarantees of protection. The United Nations said it believed that the attacks were "orchestrated, targeted and well-planned". Kyrgyz officials told the media that a person suspected to be behind the violence in Jalal-Abad had been detained.<ref name="http">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10325589.stm|title=UN and Russian aid arrives |publisher=BBC |date= 16 June 2010 |accessdate=16 June 2010}}</ref> |
Ethnic Uzbeks threatened to blow up an oil depot in Osh if they failed to get guarantees of protection. The United Nations said it believed that the attacks were "orchestrated, targeted and well-planned". Kyrgyz officials told the media that a person suspected to be behind the violence in Jalal-Abad had been detained.<ref name="http">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10325589.stm|title=UN and Russian aid arrives |publisher=BBC |date= 16 June 2010 |accessdate=16 June 2010}}</ref> |
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[[File:HA delivers to a local kindergarten.jpg|thumb|Children of Kyrgyzstan]] |
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On 2 August 2010, a Kyrgyz government commission began investigating the causes of the clashes. Members of the National Commission, led by former parliament speaker Abdygany Erkebaev, met with people from the predominantly ethnic Uzbek villages of Mady, Shark, and Kyzyl-Kyshtak in the Kara-Suu district of Osh Oblast. This National Commission, including representatives of many ethnic groups, was established by a presidential decree. |
On 2 August 2010, a Kyrgyz government commission began investigating the causes of the clashes. Members of the National Commission, led by former parliament speaker Abdygany Erkebaev, met with people from the predominantly ethnic Uzbek villages of Mady, Shark, and Kyzyl-Kyshtak in the Kara-Suu district of Osh Oblast. This National Commission, including representatives of many ethnic groups, was established by a presidential decree. |
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The commission's report, released in January 2011, concluded that the events in southern Kyrgyzstan constituted a “planned, large-scale provocation, oriented towards the splitting of Kyrgyzstan and disrupting the unity of its people.” Responsibility for this provocation was seen as lying with “nationalistically-minded leaders of the Uzbek community”. |
The commission's report, released in January 2011, concluded that the events in southern Kyrgyzstan constituted a “planned, large-scale provocation, oriented towards the splitting of Kyrgyzstan and disrupting the unity of its people.” Responsibility for this provocation was seen as lying with “nationalistically-minded leaders of the Uzbek community”. |
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In the aftermath of the turmoil, on 5 August 2010, Kyrgyz forces arrested party leader Urmat Baryktabasov on suspicion of plotting an overthrow of the government, after troops allegedly fired blank rounds into a crowd trying to join mass demonstrations near the Parliament in the capital Bishkek. Acting President Roza Otunbayeva said security forces seized firearms and grenades from him and 26 supporters.<ref>Siegel, Matt and Namatabayeva, Tolkun (5 August 2010) [ |
In the aftermath of the turmoil, on 5 August 2010, Kyrgyz forces arrested party leader Urmat Baryktabasov on suspicion of plotting an overthrow of the government, after troops allegedly fired blank rounds into a crowd trying to join mass demonstrations near the Parliament in the capital Bishkek. Acting President Roza Otunbayeva said security forces seized firearms and grenades from him and 26 supporters.<ref>Siegel, Matt and Namatabayeva, Tolkun (5 August 2010) [https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5itwmskCKICJVZOpvt3Gbs76Z2H9g Attempted coup rocks tense Kyrgyzstan]. AFP.</ref> |
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==Politics== |
==Politics== |
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{{Main|Politics of Kyrgyzstan}} |
{{Main|Politics of Kyrgyzstan}} |
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[[File:Akayev-Bush.jpg|thumb|President [[Askar Akayev]] (1990–2005) with U.S. president [[George W. Bush]], 22 September 2002]] |
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[[File:Kurmanbek Bakijev & Donald Rumsfeld 2005-July-26.jpg|thumb|[[Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan|PM]] and President [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]] (2005–2010) on a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary [[Donald Rumsfeld]], 26 July 2005]] |
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[[File:Meeting Vladimir Putin and Almazbek Atambayev 2015-03-16 01.jpeg|thumb|President [[Almazbek Atambayev]] (2011–) and Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]], 16 March 2015]] |
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The [[1993–2010 Constitution of Kyrgyzstan|1993 constitution]] defines the form of government as a democratic unicameral republic. The executive branch includes a Supreme Chancellor and Vice Chair. The parliament currently is unicameral. The judicial branch comprises a Supreme Court, local courts and a Chief Prosecutor. |
The [[1993–2010 Constitution of Kyrgyzstan|1993 constitution]] defines the form of government as a democratic unicameral republic. The executive branch includes a Supreme Chancellor and Vice Chair. The parliament currently is unicameral. The judicial branch comprises a Supreme Court, local courts and a Chief Prosecutor. |
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[[File:Atambayev.jpg|thumb|right|[[Almazbek Atambayev]], the president since December 2011.]] |
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In March 2002, in the southern district of [[Aksy]], five people protesting the arbitrary arrest of an opposition politician were shot dead by police, sparking nationwide protests. President [[Askar Akayev]] initiated a constitutional reform process which initially included the participation of a broad range of government, civil and social representatives in an open dialogue, leading to a February 2003 referendum marred by voting irregularities. |
In March 2002, in the southern district of [[Aksy]], five people protesting the arbitrary arrest of an opposition politician were shot dead by police, sparking nationwide protests. President [[Askar Akayev]] initiated a constitutional reform process which initially included the participation of a broad range of government, civil and social representatives in an open dialogue, leading to a February 2003 referendum marred by voting irregularities. |
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The amendments to the constitution approved by the referendum resulted in stronger control by the president and weakened the parliament and the Constitutional Court. Parliamentary elections for a new, 75-seat unicameral legislature were held on 27 February and 13 March 2005, but were widely viewed as corrupt. The subsequent protests led to a bloodless [[coup]] on 24 March 2005, after which Akayev |
The amendments to the constitution approved by the referendum resulted in stronger control by the president and weakened the parliament and the Constitutional Court. Parliamentary elections for a new, 75-seat unicameral legislature were held on 27 February and 13 March 2005, but were widely viewed as corrupt. The subsequent protests led to a bloodless [[coup]] on 24 March 2005, after which Akayev with his family fled the country and was replaced by acting president [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]] (see: [[Tulip Revolution]]). |
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On 10 July 2005, acting president Bakiyev won the [[Kyrgyz presidential election, 2005|presidential election]] in a landslide, with 88.9% of the vote, and was inaugurated on 14 August. However, initial public support for the new administration substantially declined in subsequent months as a result of its apparent inability to solve the corruption problems that have plagued the country since its independence from the Soviet Union, along with the murders of several members of parliament. Large-scale protests against president Bakiyev took place in Bishkek in April and November 2006, with opposition leaders accusing the president of failing to live up to his election promises to reform the country's constitution and transfer many of his presidential powers to parliament.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6124428.stm | title = Clashes erupt in Kyrgyz capital|accessdate = 21 November 2007 |publisher = BBC Online | date=7 November 2006}}</ref> |
On 10 July 2005, acting president Bakiyev won the [[Kyrgyz presidential election, 2005|presidential election]] in a landslide, with 88.9% of the vote, and was inaugurated on 14 August. However, initial public support for the new administration substantially declined in subsequent months as a result of its apparent inability to solve the corruption problems that have plagued the country since its independence from the Soviet Union, along with the murders of several members of parliament. Large-scale protests against president Bakiyev took place in Bishkek in April and November 2006, with opposition leaders accusing the president of failing to live up to his election promises to reform the country's constitution and transfer many of his presidential powers to parliament.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6124428.stm | title = Clashes erupt in Kyrgyz capital|accessdate = 21 November 2007 |publisher = BBC Online | date=7 November 2006}}</ref> |
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In December 2008, the state-owned broadcaster UTRK announced that it would require prior submission of [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] programmes, which UTRK are required to retransmit according to a 2005 agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?page=search&docid=494b629e1e&skip=0&query=radio%20liberty%20kyrgyzstan |title=Refworld | Demand for prior approval of RFE/RL programmes called "intolerable" |publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |date=17 December 2008 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> UTRK had stopped retransmitting RFE/RL programming on October 2008, a week after it failed to broadcast an RFE/RL programme called 'Inconvenient Questions' which covered the October elections, claiming to have lost the missing material. President Bakiyev had criticised this programme in September 2008, while UTRK told RFE/RL that its programming was too negative. [[Reporters Without Borders]], which ranks Kyrgyzstan 111th equal out of 173 countries on its [[Press Freedom Index]], strongly criticised the decision. |
In December 2008, the state-owned broadcaster UTRK announced that it would require prior submission of [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] programmes, which UTRK are required to retransmit according to a 2005 agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?page=search&docid=494b629e1e&skip=0&query=radio%20liberty%20kyrgyzstan |title=Refworld | Demand for prior approval of RFE/RL programmes called "intolerable" |publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |date=17 December 2008 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> UTRK had stopped retransmitting RFE/RL programming on October 2008, a week after it failed to broadcast an RFE/RL programme called 'Inconvenient Questions' which covered the October elections, claiming to have lost the missing material. President Bakiyev had criticised this programme in September 2008, while UTRK told RFE/RL that its programming was too negative. [[Reporters Without Borders]], which ranks Kyrgyzstan 111th equal out of 173 countries on its [[Press Freedom Index]], strongly criticised the decision. |
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On 3 February 2009, President [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]] announced the imminent closure of the [[Manas Air Base]], the only US military base remaining in Central Asia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7868586.stm |title=Proposal to close the Manas Air Base |publisher=BBC News |date=4 February 2009 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> The closure was approved by Parliament on 19 February 2009 by 78–1 for the government-backed bill.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,496167,00.html Kyrgyz Parliament Approves U.S. base closure] |
On 3 February 2009, President [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]] announced the imminent closure of the [[Manas Air Base]], the only US military base remaining in Central Asia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7868586.stm |title=Proposal to close the Manas Air Base |publisher=BBC News |date=4 February 2009 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> The closure was approved by Parliament on 19 February 2009 by 78–1 for the government-backed bill.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,496167,00.html Kyrgyz Parliament Approves U.S. base closure]. Associated Press. 19 February 2009</ref> However, after much behind-the-scenes negotiation between Kyrgyz, Russian and American diplomats, the decision was reversed in June 2009. The Americans were allowed to remain under a new contract, whereby rent would increase from $17.4 million to $60 million annually.<ref>Schwirtz, Michael and Levy, Clifford J. (23 June 2009) [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/world/asia/24base.html?scp=24&sq=manas&st=cse In Reversal, Kyrgyzstan Won't Close a U.S. Base]. New York Times</ref> |
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Kyrgyzstan is among the twenty countries in the world with the highest perceived level of corruption: the 2008 [[Corruption Perception Index]] for Kyrgyzstan is 1.8 on a scale of 0 (most corrupt) to 10 (least corrupt).<ref>{{cite web |
Kyrgyzstan is among the twenty countries in the world with the highest perceived level of corruption: the 2008 [[Corruption Perception Index]] for Kyrgyzstan is 1.8 on a scale of 0 (most corrupt) to 10 (least corrupt).<ref>{{cite web|title=2008 Corruption Perception Index |publisher=Transparency International |accessdate=14 March 2009 |url=http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2008/cpi2008/cpi_2008_table |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311002755/http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2008/cpi2008/cpi_2008_table |archivedate=11 March 2009 }}</ref> |
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In 2010 another revolution erupted in the country (see: [[2010 Kyrgyzstani revolution|April uprising]]). President Kurmanbek Bakiyev together with his relatives – e.g. son [[Maxim Bakiyev|Maksim]]<ref>[http://enews.fergananews.com/articles/2788 "Maksim Bakiyev tracked not only in Bishkek, but also in the States?"]. ''Ferghana Information agency'', Moscow. 16 October 2012.</ref> and brother [[Janish Bakiyev|Janish]] – were forced to flee to Kazakhstan and then to sought asylum in [[Belarus]]. [[Roza Otunbayeva]], who was appointed interim president, announced that she did not intend to run for the [[Kyrgyz presidential election, 2011|Presidential elections in 2011]]. The election was held in November and won by [[Almazbek Atambayev]], leader of the [[Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan|Social Democratic Party]] and the then-Prime Minister. Atambayev was sworn in as the President on 1 December 2011 and [[Omurbek Babanov]] was appointed the new Prime Minister on the same day and was confirmed on 23 December 2011. |
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===Human rights=== |
===Human rights=== |
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{{Main|Human rights in Kyrgyzstan}} |
{{Main|Human rights in Kyrgyzstan}} |
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In a move that alarmed human rights groups, dozens of prominent Uzbek religious and community leaders were arrested by security forces following the [[2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots]], including journalist and human rights activist [[Azimzhan Askarov]].<ref name="Kramer">{{cite news |title=Uzbeks Accused of Inciting Violence in Kyrgyzstan |author=Kramer, Andrew E. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/02/world/asia/02kyrgyzstan.html?scp=1&sq=askarov&st=cse |newspaper=''[[The New York Times]]'' |date=1 July 2010 |accessdate=16 April 2011}}</ref> A law banning women under the age of twenty-three from traveling abroad without a parent or guardian, with the purpose of "increased morality and preservation of the gene pool" passed in the Kyrgyz parliament in June 2013.<ref>[http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67113 Kyrgyzstan Passes Controversial Girl Travel Ban]. EurasiaNet.org (13 June 2013). Retrieved on 2 October 2014.</ref> American diplomats expressed concern in October 2014 when Kyrgyzstan lawmakers passed a law that imposes jail terms on gay-rights activists and others, including journalists, who create “a positive attitude toward non-traditional sexual relations.”<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/16/kyrgyzstan-moves-towards-adoption-russia-anti-gay-law|title=Kyrgyzstan moves towards adoption of Russia's anti-gay law|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=17 October 2014}}</ref> |
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{{Expand section|date=December 2012}} |
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In a move that alarmed human rights groups, dozens of prominent Uzbek religious and community leaders were arrested by security forces following the [[2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots]], including journalist and human rights activist [[Azimzhan Askarov]].<ref name="Kramer">{{cite news |title=Uzbeks Accused of Inciting Violence in Kyrgyzstan |author=Kramer, Andrew E. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/02/world/asia/02kyrgyzstan.html?scp=1&sq=askarov&st=cse |newspaper=''[[The New York Times]]'' |date=1 July 2010 |accessdate=16 April 2011}}</ref> A draft resolution is currently up before parliament which would ban women under the age of twenty-three from travelling abroad without a parent or guardian.<ref>[http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66762 Kyrgyzstan: Journalist Blasts Blame-the-Victim Travel Ban for Young Women]. EurasiaNet.org (30 March 2013). Retrieved on 6 December 2013.</ref> |
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===Military=== |
===Military=== |
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[[File:Multinational forces participate in Regional Cooperation 12 Exercise -06.JPG|thumbnail|right|Kyrgyzstan soldiers conducting mine sweeping exercises.]] |
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{{Main|Military of Kyrgyzstan}} |
{{Main|Military of Kyrgyzstan}} |
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{{Expand section|date=December 2012}} |
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The armed forces of Kyrgyzstan were formed after the collapse of the |
The armed forces of Kyrgyzstan were formed after the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]] and consist of the [[Kyrgyzstan Ground Forces|land forces]], [[Kyrgyzstan Air Forces|air and air defense forces]], [[Kyrgyzstan Internal Troops|internal troops]], [[Kyrgyzstan National Guard|national guard]], and the [[Kyrgyzstan Frontier Force|border guard]]. The military works with the [[US Armed Forces]], which leased a facility named the [[Transit Center at Manas]] at Manas International airport near Bishkek until June 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stripes.com/news/first-troops-move-through-new-us-transit-point-in-romania-1.265698 |title=First troops move through new US transit point in Romania |last1=Vandiver |first1=John |date=5 February 2014 |website=www.stripes.com |publisher=Stars and Stripes |accessdate=5 February 2014}}</ref> In recent years, the armed forces have begun developing better relations with [[Russia]] including signing modernization deals worth $1.1bn and partaking in more exercises with Russian troops.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/russia-tightens-control-over-kyrgyzstan|title=Russia tightens control over Kyrgyzstan|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=18 September 2014|author=Ott, Stephanie }}</ref> The [[Agency of National Security]] works with the military and serves similar purposes to its Soviet predecessor, the [[KGB]]. It oversees an elite counterterrorism special forces unit known as "Alfa", the same name used by other former Soviet countries, including [[Russia]] and [[Uzbekistan]]. The police are commanded by the Ministry of the Interior, along with the border guard. |
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===Administrative divisions=== |
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==Provinces and districts== |
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{{Main| |
{{Main|Regions of Kyrgyzstan|Districts of Kyrgyzstan}} |
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Kyrgyzstan is divided into seven [[ |
Kyrgyzstan is divided into seven [[region]]s (sing. ''[[oblast]]'' (область), pl. ''oblasttar'' (областтар)) administered by appointed governors. The capital, [[Bishkek]], and the second largest city [[Osh]] are administratively [[independent city|independent cities]] (''shaar'') with a status equal to a region. |
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{{Kyrgyzstan |
{{Kyrgyzstan Regions Image Map}} |
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The |
The regions, and independent cities, are as follows: |
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# [[Bishkek|City of Bishkek]] |
# [[Bishkek|City of Bishkek]] |
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# [[Batken |
# [[Batken Region|Batken]] |
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# [[Chuy |
# [[Chuy Region|Chuy]] |
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# [[Jalal-Abad |
# [[Jalal-Abad Region|Jalal-Abad]] |
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# [[Naryn |
# [[Naryn Region|Naryn]] |
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# [[Osh |
# [[Osh Region|Osh]] |
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# [[Talas |
# [[Talas Region|Talas]] |
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# [[Issyk Kul |
# [[Issyk Kul Region|Issyk-Kul]] |
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# [[Osh|City of Osh]] |
# [[Osh|City of Osh]] |
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Each |
Each region comprises a number of districts (''[[raion]]s''), administered by government-appointed officials (''akim''). Rural communities (''ayıl ökmötü''), consisting of up to 20 small settlements, have their own elected [[mayor]]s and [[Local Government|councils]]. |
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==Geography== |
==Geography== |
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[[File:Kyrgyzstan.png|thumb| |
[[File:Kyrgyzstan.png|thumb|350px|A map of Kyrgyzstan.]] |
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[[File:Kyrgyzstan |
[[File:Kyrgyzstan topography.pdf|thumb|350px|Kyrgyzstan's topography.]] |
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[[File:Kyrgyzstan |
[[File:Kyrgyzstan map of Köppen climate classification.svg|thumb|Kyrgyzstan map of Köppen climate classification.]] |
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[[File: |
[[File:Karakol Valley.jpg|thumb|The [[Tian Shan]] mountain range in Kyrgyzstan.]] |
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[[File:Bringing the sheep home, on the southern shore of Issy-Kol. (3968109583).jpg|thumb|On the southern shore of Issyk Kul lake, [[Issyk Kul Region]].]] |
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{{Main|Geography of Kyrgyzstan}} |
{{Main|Geography of Kyrgyzstan}} |
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Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in [[Central Asia]], bordering [[Kazakhstan]], China, [[Tajikistan]] and [[Uzbekistan]]. It lies between latitudes [[39th parallel north|39°]] and [[44th parallel north|44° N]], and longitudes [[69th meridian east|69°]] and [[81st meridian east|81° E]]. It is |
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in [[Central Asia]], bordering [[Kazakhstan]], China, [[Tajikistan]] and [[Uzbekistan]]. It lies between latitudes [[39th parallel north|39°]] and [[44th parallel north|44° N]], and longitudes [[69th meridian east|69°]] and [[81st meridian east|81° E]]. It is farther from the sea than any other individual country, and all its rivers flow into [[endorheic basin|closed drainage systems which do not reach the sea]]. The mountainous region of the [[Tian Shan]] covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia", as a result),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/GC26Ag03.html | title = The Tulip Revolution takes root | first = Pepe | last = Escobar| date = 26 March 2005 |publisher = Asia Times Online}}</ref> with the remainder made up of valleys and basins. |
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[[Issyk-Kul Lake]] in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after [[Titicaca]]. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. |
[[Issyk-Kul Lake]], or Ysyk-Köl in [[Kyrgyz Language|Kyrgyz]], in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after [[Titicaca]]. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. Peak [[Jengish Chokusu]], at {{convert|7439|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, is the highest point and is considered by geologists to be the northernmost peak over {{convert|7000|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in the world. Heavy snowfall in winter leads to spring floods which often cause serious damage downstream. The runoff from the mountains is also used for [[hydro-electricity]]. |
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Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of metals including [[gold]] and [[rare earth element|rare earth metals]]. Due to the country's predominantly mountainous terrain, less than 8% of the land is cultivated, and this is concentrated in the northern lowlands and the fringes of the Fergana Valley. |
Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of metals including [[gold]] and [[rare earth element|rare earth metals]]. Due to the country's predominantly mountainous terrain, less than 8% of the land is cultivated, and this is concentrated in the northern lowlands and the fringes of the [[Fergana Valley]]. |
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[[Bishkek]] in the north is the capital and largest city, with approximately 900,000 inhabitants (as of 2005). The second city is the ancient town of [[Osh]], located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. The principal river is the [[Kara Darya]], which flows west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Across the border in Uzbekistan it meets another major Kyrgyz river, the [[Naryn River|Naryn]]. |
[[Bishkek]] in the north is the capital and largest city, with approximately 900,000 inhabitants (as of 2005). The second city is the ancient town of [[Osh]], located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. The principal river is the [[Kara Darya]], which flows west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Across the border in Uzbekistan it meets another major Kyrgyz river, the [[Naryn River|Naryn]]. |
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The confluence forms the [[Syr Darya]], which originally flowed into the [[Aral Sea]]. {{As of|2010}}, it no longer reaches the sea, as its water is withdrawn upstream to irrigate cotton fields in [[Tajikistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], and southern [[Kazakhstan]]. The [[Chu River]] also briefly flows through Kyrgyzstan before entering Kazakhstan. |
The confluence forms the [[Syr Darya]], which originally flowed into the [[Aral Sea]]. {{As of|2010}}, it no longer reaches the sea, as its water is withdrawn upstream to irrigate cotton fields in [[Tajikistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], and southern [[Kazakhstan]]. The [[Chu River]] also briefly flows through Kyrgyzstan before entering Kazakhstan. |
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===Ecology=== |
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===Climate=== |
===Climate=== |
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===Enclaves and exclaves=== |
===Enclaves and exclaves=== |
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There is one [[Enclave and exclave|exclave]], the tiny village of [[Barak, Kyrgyzstan|Barak]]<ref>[http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav060603.shtml# The exclave of Barak, Kyrgyzstan in Uzbekistan]. Retrieved on 2 May 2009</ref> (population 627), in the [[Fergana Valley]]. The village is surrounded by [[Uzbekistan|Uzbek]] territory. It is located on the road from [[Osh]] (Kyrgyzstan) to Khodjaabad (Uzbekistan) about {{convert|4|km|0|abbr=off}} north-west from the Kyrgyz–Uzbek border in the direction of [[Andijan]].<ref>[http://geosite.jankrogh.com/kyrgyzstan.htm Map showing the location of the Kyrgyz exclave Barak]. Retrieved on 2 May 2009</ref> Barak is administratively part of [[Kara-Suu District]] in Kyrgyzstan's [[Osh |
There is one [[Enclave and exclave|exclave]], the tiny village of [[Barak, Kyrgyzstan|Barak]]<ref>[http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav060603.shtml# The exclave of Barak, Kyrgyzstan in Uzbekistan]. Retrieved on 2 May 2009</ref> (population 627), in the [[Fergana Valley]]. The village is surrounded by [[Uzbekistan|Uzbek]] territory. It is located on the road from [[Osh]] (Kyrgyzstan) to Khodjaabad (Uzbekistan) about {{convert|4|km|0|abbr=off}} north-west from the Kyrgyz–Uzbek border in the direction of [[Andijan]].<ref>[http://geosite.jankrogh.com/kyrgyzstan.htm Map showing the location of the Kyrgyz exclave Barak]. Retrieved on 2 May 2009</ref> Barak is administratively part of [[Kara-Suu District]] in Kyrgyzstan's [[Osh Region]]. |
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There are four Uzbek [[enclave and exclave|enclaves]] within Kyrgyzstan. Two of them are the towns of [[Sokh]] (area {{convert|325|km2|abbr=on}} and a population of 42,800 in 1993, although some estimates go as high as 70,000; 99% are [[Tajik people|Tajiks]], the remainder [[Uzbeks]]) and [[Shohimardon|Shakhimardan]] (also known as Shahimardan, Shohimardon, or Shah-i-Mardan, area {{convert|90|km2|abbr=on}} and a population of 5,100 in 1993; 91% are Uzbeks, the remainder [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]]); the other two are the tiny territories of Chong-Kara (roughly {{convert|3|km|0|abbr=on}} long by {{convert|1|km|1|abbr=on}} wide) and Jangy-ayyl (a dot of land barely {{convert|2|-|3|km|0|abbr=on}} across). Chong-Kara is on the [[Sokh river]], between the Uzbek border and the Sokh enclave. Jangy-ayyl is about {{convert|60|km}} east of [[Batken]], in a northward projection of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border near [[Khalmion]]. |
There are four Uzbek [[enclave and exclave|enclaves]] within Kyrgyzstan. Two of them are the towns of [[Sokh District|Sokh]] (area {{convert|325|km2|abbr=on}} and a population of 42,800 in 1993, although some estimates go as high as 70,000; 99% are [[Tajik people|Tajiks]], the remainder [[Uzbeks]]) and [[Shohimardon|Shakhimardan]] (also known as Shahimardan, Shohimardon, or Shah-i-Mardan, area {{convert|90|km2|abbr=on}} and a population of 5,100 in 1993; 91% are Uzbeks, the remainder [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]]); the other two are the tiny territories of Chong-Kara (roughly {{convert|3|km|0|abbr=on}} long by {{convert|1|km|1|abbr=on}} wide) and Jangy-ayyl (a dot of land barely {{convert|2|-|3|km|0|abbr=on}} across). Chong-Kara is on the [[Sokh river]], between the Uzbek border and the Sokh enclave. Jangy-ayyl is about {{convert|60|km}} east of [[Batken]], in a northward projection of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border near [[Khalmion]]. |
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There also are two enclaves belonging to [[Tajikistan]]: [[Vorukh]] (exclave area between {{convert|95|-|130|km2|abbr=on}}, population estimated between 23,000 and 29,000, 95% Tajiks and 5% Kyrgyz, distributed among 17 villages), located {{convert|45|km}} south of [[Isfara]] on the right bank of the Karafshin river, and a small settlement near the Kyrgyz railway station of [[Kairagach]]. |
There also are two enclaves belonging to [[Tajikistan]]: [[Vorukh]] (exclave area between {{convert|95|-|130|km2|abbr=on}}, population estimated between 23,000 and 29,000, 95% Tajiks and 5% Kyrgyz, distributed among 17 villages), located {{convert|45|km}} south of [[Isfara]] on the right bank of the Karafshin river, and a small settlement near the Kyrgyz railway station of [[Kairagach]]. |
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==Economy== |
==Economy== |
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{{Main|Economy of Kyrgyzstan}} |
{{Main|Economy of Kyrgyzstan}} |
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[[File:BishkekBuildings.jpg|thumb|Old and new [[Bishkek]] buildings]] |
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[[File:Kyrgyzstan Export Treemap.jpg|thumb|350px|A proportional representation of Kyrgyzstan 's exports.]] |
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[[File:BishkekBuildings.jpg|thumb|300px|Old and new [[Bishkek]] buildings]] |
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The [[National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic]] serves as the [[Central bank]] of Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan was the second poorest country in the former [[Soviet Union]], and is today the second poorest country in [[Central Asia]]. According to the CIA World Factbook, in 2011, a third of the country's population lived below the poverty line.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2046.html CIA World Factbook. "Percentage of population below the poverty line by country"]. Cia.gov. Retrieved on 6 December 2013.</ref> According to [[UNDP]], the level of poverty will continue to grow: in 2009 31% of the population lived below the poverty level while in 2011 this figure rose to 37%.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Level of Poverty in Kyrgyzstan Will Continue to Grow|url=http://www.satrapia.com/news/article/the-level-of-poverty-in-kyrgyzstan-will-continue-to-grow/|newspaper=The Gazette of Central Asia|date=24 December 2012|publisher=Satrapia}}</ref> |
The [[National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic]] serves as the [[Central bank]] of Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan was the second poorest country in the former [[Soviet Union]], and is today the second poorest country in [[Central Asia]]. According to the CIA World Factbook, in 2011, a third of the country's population lived below the poverty line.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2046.html CIA World Factbook. "Percentage of population below the poverty line by country"]. Cia.gov. Retrieved on 6 December 2013.</ref> According to [[UNDP]], the level of poverty will continue to grow: in 2009 31% of the population lived below the poverty level while in 2011 this figure rose to 37%.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Level of Poverty in Kyrgyzstan Will Continue to Grow|url=http://www.satrapia.com/news/article/the-level-of-poverty-in-kyrgyzstan-will-continue-to-grow/|newspaper=The Gazette of Central Asia|date=24 December 2012|publisher=Satrapia}}</ref> |
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Despite the backing of major Western lenders, including the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF), the [[World Bank]] and the [[Asian Development Bank]], Kyrgyzstan has had economic difficulties following independence. Initially, these were a result of the breakup of the Soviet trading bloc and resulting loss of markets, which impeded the republic's transition to a demand economy. |
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The government has reduced expenditures, ended most price subsidies and introduced a [[value-added tax]]. Overall, the government appears committed to the transition to a [[market economy]]. Through economic stabilization and reform, the government seeks to establish a pattern of long-term consistent growth. Reforms led to Kyrgyzstan's accession to the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) on 20 December 1998. |
The government has reduced expenditures, ended most price subsidies and introduced a [[value-added tax]]. Overall, the government appears committed to the transition to a [[market economy]]. Through economic stabilization and reform, the government seeks to establish a pattern of long-term consistent growth. Reforms led to Kyrgyzstan's accession to the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) on 20 December 1998. |
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[[Agriculture]] is an important sector of the economy in Kyrgyzstan (see [[agriculture in Kyrgyzstan]]). By the early 1990s, the private agricultural sector provided between one-third and one-half of some harvests. In 2002, agriculture accounted for 35.6% of GDP and about half of employment. Kyrgyzstan's terrain is mountainous, which accommodates [[livestock]] raising, the largest agricultural activity, so the resulting [[wool]], [[meat]] and [[dairy product]]s are major commodities. Main crops include [[wheat]], [[sugar beets]], [[potatoes]], [[cotton]], [[tobacco]], [[vegetables]], and [[fruit]]. As the prices of imported [[agrichemicals]] and [[petroleum]] are so high, much farming is being done by hand and by horse, as it was generations ago. Agricultural processing is a key component of the industrial economy as well as one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment. |
[[Agriculture]] is an important sector of the economy in Kyrgyzstan (see [[agriculture in Kyrgyzstan]]). By the early 1990s, the private agricultural sector provided between one-third and one-half of some harvests. In 2002, agriculture accounted for 35.6% of GDP and about half of employment. Kyrgyzstan's terrain is mountainous, which accommodates [[livestock]] raising, the largest agricultural activity, so the resulting [[wool]], [[meat]] and [[dairy product]]s are major commodities. Main crops include [[wheat]], [[sugar beets]], [[potatoes]], [[cotton]], [[tobacco]], [[vegetables]], and [[fruit]]. As the prices of imported [[agrichemicals]] and [[petroleum]] are so high, much farming is being done by hand and by horse, as it was generations ago. Agricultural processing is a key component of the industrial economy as well as one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment. |
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[[File:E7919-Dordoy-Bazaar-clothing.jpg|thumb| |
[[File:E7919-Dordoy-Bazaar-clothing.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Dordoy Bazaar]].]] |
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Kyrgyzstan is rich in mineral resources but has negligible [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]] reserves; it imports petroleum and gas. Among its mineral reserves are substantial deposits of [[coal]], [[gold]], [[uranium]], [[antimony]], and other valuable metals. [[Metallurgy]] is an important industry, and the government hopes to attract foreign investment in this field. The government has actively encouraged foreign involvement in extracting and processing gold from the [[Kumtor Gold Mine]] and other regions. The country's plentiful water resources and mountainous terrain enable it to produce and export large quantities of [[hydroelectric energy]]. |
Kyrgyzstan is rich in mineral resources but has negligible [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]] reserves; it imports petroleum and gas. Among its mineral reserves are substantial deposits of [[coal]], [[gold]], [[uranium]], [[antimony]], and other valuable metals. [[Metallurgy]] is an important industry, and the government hopes to attract foreign investment in this field. The government has actively encouraged foreign involvement in extracting and processing gold from the [[Kumtor Gold Mine]] and other regions. The country's plentiful water resources and mountainous terrain enable it to produce and export large quantities of [[hydroelectric energy]]. |
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The principal exports are nonferrous metals and minerals, woollen goods and other agricultural products, electric energy and certain engineering goods. Imports include petroleum and natural gas, ferrous metals, chemicals, most machinery, wood and paper products, some foods and some construction materials. Its leading trade partners include Germany, Russia, China, [[Kazakhstan]], and [[Uzbekistan]]. |
The principal exports are nonferrous metals and minerals, woollen goods and other agricultural products, electric energy and certain engineering goods. Imports include petroleum and natural gas, ferrous metals, chemicals, most machinery, wood and paper products, some foods and some construction materials. Its leading trade partners include Germany, Russia, China, [[Kazakhstan]], and [[Uzbekistan]]. |
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In regards to telecommunication infrastructure, Kyrgyz Republic ranks last in Central Asia in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI) – an indicator for determining the development level of a country’s information and communication technologies. Kyrgyz Republic ranked number 118 overall in the 2014 NRI ranking, unchanged from 2013 (see [[Networked Readiness Index]]). |
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==Demographics== |
==Demographics== |
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[[File:Pyramide Kirghizistan.PNG|thumb| |
[[File:Pyramide Kirghizistan.PNG|thumb|350px|A [[population pyramid]] showing Kyrgyzstan's age distribution (2005).]] |
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{{Main|Demographics of |
{{Main|Demographics of Kyrgyzstan}} |
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Kyrgyzstan's population is estimated at 5.6 million in 2013.<ref name=census/> Of those, 34.4% are under the age of 15 and 6.2% are over 65. The country is [[rural]]: only about one-third of population live in urban areas. The average [[population density]] is 25 people per km². |
Kyrgyzstan's population is estimated at 5.6 million in 2013.<ref name=census/> Of those, 34.4% are under the age of 15 and 6.2% are over 65. The country is [[rural]]: only about one-third of the population live in urban areas. The average [[population density]] is 25 people per km². |
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The nation's largest [[ethnic group]] are the [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]], a [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] people, who comprise 72% of the population (2013 estimate). Other ethnic groups include [[Russians]] (9.0%) concentrated in the north and [[Uzbeks]] (14.5%) living in the south. Small but noticeable minorities include [[Dungans]] (1.9%), [[Uyghur people|Uyghurs]] (1.1%), [[Tājik people|Tajiks]] (1.1%), [[Kazakhs]] (0.7%), and [[Ukrainians]] (0.5%) and other smaller ethnic minorities (1.7%). Kyrgyzstan has over 80 distinct ethnic groups in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/10_Things_You_Need_To_Know_About_The_Ethnic_Unrest_In_Kyrgyzstan/2071323.html |title=10 Things You Need To Know About The Ethnic Unrest In Kyrgyzstan |publisher=RFERL |date=14 June 2010}}</ref> |
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=== Ethnic groups === |
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The Kyrgyz have historically been semi-[[nomad]]ic herders, living in round tents called [[yurt]]s and tending [[sheep]], [[horse]]s and [[yak]]s. This nomadic tradition continues to function seasonally (see [[transhumance]]) as herding families return to the high mountain pasture (or ''jailoo'') in the summer. The sedentary Uzbeks and Tajiks traditionally have farmed lower-lying irrigated land in the [[Fergana valley]].<ref>"[http://countrystudies.us/kyrgyzstan/13.htm Kyrgyzstan – population]". [[Library of Congress Country Studies]].</ref> |
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The nation's largest [[ethnic group]] are the [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]], a [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] people, who comprise 72% of the population (2013 estimate). Other ethnic groups include [[Russians]] (9.0%) concentrated in the north and [[Uzbeks]] (14.5%) living in the south. Small but noticeable minorities include [[Dungans]] (1.9%), [[Uyghur people|Uyghurs]] (1.1%), [[Tājik people|Tajiks]] (1.1%), [[Kazakhs]] (0.7%), and [[Ukrainians]] (0.5%) and other smaller ethnic minorities (1.7%). The country has over 80 ethnic groups.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/10_Things_You_Need_To_Know_About_The_Ethnic_Unrest_In_Kyrgyzstan/2071323.html |title=10 Things You Need To Know About The Ethnic Unrest In Kyrgyzstan |publisher=RFERL |date=14 June 2010}}</ref> |
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The Kyrgyz have historically been semi-[[nomad]]ic herders, living in round tents called [[yurt]]s and tending [[sheep]], [[horse]]s and [[yak]]s. This nomadic tradition continues to function seasonally (see [[transhumance]]) as herding families return to the high mountain pasture (or ''jailoo'') in the summer. The sedentary Uzbeks and Tajiks traditionally have farmed lower-lying irrigated land in the [[Fergana valley]].<ref>"[http://countrystudies.us/kyrgyzstan/13.htm Kyrgyzstan – population]". [[Library of Congress Country Studies]]. {{PD-notice}}</ref> |
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Kyrgyzstan has undergone a pronounced change in its ethnic composition since independence.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=28550 |title=KYRGYZSTAN: Focus on post-Akayev Russian exodus |publisher=[[IRIN]] Asia |date=19 April 2005}}</ref> The percentage of ethnic Kyrgyz has increased from around 50% in 1979 to over 70% in 2013, while the percentage of European ethnic groups (Russians, Ukrainians and Germans) as well as Tatars dropped from 35% to about 10%.<ref name=census /><ref name=ethnic>{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.kg/stat.files/din.files/census/5010003.pdf |title=Ethnic composition of the population in Kyrgyzstan 1999–2007 |format=PDF |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> The percentage of ethnic Russians dropped from 29.2% in 1970 to 21.5% in 1989.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=YLeAxHLmgR8C&pg=PA15 |title=Migrant resettlement in the Russian federation: reconstructing 'homes' and 'homelands' |author=Flynn, Moya |year=1994 |page=15 |isbn=1-84331-117-8}}</ref> Since 1991, huge numbers of [[Germans in Kyrgyzstan|Germans]], who in 1989 numbered 101,000 persons, have been emigrating to Germany.<ref>{{cite book|author=Kokaisl, Petr and Kokaislova, Pavla |title=The Kyrgyz – Children of Manas. Кыргыздар – Манастын балдары|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XRXVbGwPgqIC&pg=PA132|year=2009|publisher=NOSTALGIE Praha|isbn=978-80-254-6365-9|page=132}}</ref> Between 1991 and 2002, more than 600,000 people emigrated from Kyrgyzstan and the ethnic minority population declined from 47 to 33 percent.<ref name="conflict"/> |
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{{Largest cities of Kyrgyz Republic}} |
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Kyrgyzstan has undergone a pronounced change in its ethnic composition since independence.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=28550 |title=KYRGYZSTAN: Focus on post-Akayev Russian exodus |publisher=[[IRIN]] Asia |date=19 April 2005}}</ref><ref name="spo">{{cite journal |last1=Spoorenberg |first1=Thomas |year=2013 |title=Fertility changes in Central Asia since 1980|journal=Asian Population Studies |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=50–77 |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17441730.2012.752238#.VW9dTc_BzRY |doi=10.1080/17441730.2012.752238}}</ref><ref name="spoo">{{cite journal |last1=Spoorenberg |first1=Thomas |year=2015 |title=Explaining recent fertility increase in Central Asia |journal=Asian Population Studies |publisher=Routledge |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17441730.2015.1027275 |doi=10.1080/17441730.2015.1027275 }}</ref> The percentage of ethnic Kyrgyz has increased from around 50% in 1979 to over 70% in 2013, while the percentage of European ethnic groups (Russians, Ukrainians and Germans) as well as Tatars dropped from 35% to about 10%.<ref name=census /> The percentage of ethnic Russians dropped from 29.2% in 1970 to 21.5% in 1989.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/?id=YLeAxHLmgR8C&pg=PA15 |title=Migrant resettlement in the Russian federation: reconstructing 'homes' and 'homelands' |author=Flynn, Moya |year=1994 |page=15 |isbn=1-84331-117-8}}</ref> Since 1991, huge numbers of [[Germans in Kyrgyzstan|Germans]], who in 1989 numbered 101,000 persons, have been immigrating to Germany.<ref>{{cite book|author=Kokaisl, Petr and Kokaislova, Pavla |title=The Kyrgyz – Children of Manas. Кыргыздар – Манастын балдары|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XRXVbGwPgqIC&pg=PA132|year=2009|publisher=NOSTALGIE Praha|isbn=978-80-254-6365-9|page=132}}</ref> More than 600,000 people emigrated in the 1990s, many of them members of ethnic minorities.<ref name="conflict"/> |
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===Religion=== |
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{{See also|Islam in Kyrgyzstan|Christianity in Kyrgyzstan|Roman Catholicism in Kyrgyzstan|Buddhism in Kyrgyzstan|Jews in Kyrgyzstan}} |
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[[File:Karakol-Dungan-Mosque-Exterior-1.jpg|thumb|[[Karakol]] [[Dungan people|Dungan]] Mosque]] |
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[[Islam]] is the dominant religion of Kyrgyzstan: 80% of the population is Muslim while 17% follow [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]] and 3% other religions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2001/5598.htm |title=Kyrgyzstan |publisher=State.gov |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> A 2009 [[Pew Research Center]] report indicates a higher percentage of Muslims, with 86.3% of Kyrgyzstan's population adhering to Islam.<ref>[http://pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Topics/Demographics/Muslimpopulation.pdf MAPPING THE GLOBAL MUSLIM POPULATION]. A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population. [[Pew Research Center]]. October 2009</ref> The majority of Muslims are [[non-denominational Muslims]] at 64% while roughly 23% are [[Sunni]].<ref>Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2013.</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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During Soviet times, [[state atheism]] was encouraged. Today, however, Kyrgyzstan is a [[secular state]], although Islam has exerted a growing influence in politics.<ref name=isn>{{cite web|url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=18147 |title=ISN Security Watch – Islam exerts growing influence on Kyrgyz politics |publisher=Isn.ethz.ch |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> For instance, there has been an attempt to arrange for officials to travel on ''[[hajj]]'' (the pilgrimage to [[Mecca]]) under a tax-free arrangement.<ref name=isn/> Kyrgyzstan is an overwhelmingly [[Sunni Muslim]] nation and adheres to the [[Hanafi|Hanafi school]] of thought.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadiancontent.net/profiles/Kyrgyzstan.html |title=Kyrgyzstan – Quick facts, statistics and cultural notes |publisher=Canadiancontent.net |date=4 April 2005 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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|+ |
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'''Population of Kyrgyzstan according to ethnic group 1926–2014''' |
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While [[Islam in Kyrgyzstan]] is more of a cultural background than a devout daily practice for many, public figures have expressed support for restoring religious values. For example, [[human rights]] [[ombudsman]] Tursunbay Bakir-Ulu noted, "In this era of independence, it is not surprising that there has been a return to spiritual roots not only in Kyrgyzstan, but also in other post-communist republics. It would be immoral to develop a market-based society without an ethical dimension."<ref name=isn/> |
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|- style="background:#e0e0e0;" |
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[[File:Bishkek church 01.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Bishkek [[Orthodox Church]]]] |
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! rowspan="2" | Ethnic<br />group |
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Additionally, [[Bermet Akayeva]], the daughter of [[Askar Akayev]], the former President of Kyrgyzstan, stated during a July 2007 interview that Islam is increasingly taking root across the nation.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav071707a.shtml |title=EurasiaNet Civil Society – Kyrgyzstan: Time to Ponder a Federal System – Ex-President's Daughter |publisher=Eurasianet.org |date=17 July 2007 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> She emphasized that many [[mosque]]s have recently been built and that the Kyrgyz are increasingly devoting themselves to Islam, which she noted was "not a bad thing in itself. It keeps our society more moral, cleaner."<ref name=autogenerated1/> There is a contemporary [[Sufi]] order present which gives a somewhat different form of Islam than the orthodox Islam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everyculture.com/Russia-Eurasia-China/Kyrgyz-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html |title=Religion and expressive culture – Kyrgyz |publisher=Everyculture.com |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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! colspan="2" | census 1926<sup>1</sup> |
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! colspan="2" | census 1959<sup>3</sup> |
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[[File:GravesKyrgizstan.jpg|thumb|right|Traditional Islamic cemetery]] |
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! colspan="2" | census 1989<sup>6</sup> |
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The other faiths practiced in Kyrgyzstan include [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]] and [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church|Ukrainian Orthodox]] versions of [[Christianity]], practiced primarily by [[Russians]] and [[Ukrainians]] respectively. A small minority of ethnic Germans are also Christian, mostly [[Lutheran Church|Lutheran]] and [[Anabaptist]] as well as a [[Roman Catholic]] community of approximately 600.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zenit.org/article-28637?l=spanish |title=Kirguistán la Iglesia renace con 600 católicos |publisher=ZENIT |date=2 October 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://asia.msu.edu/centralasia/Kyrgyzstan/religion.html|archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20070702212941/http://asia.msu.edu/centralasia/Kyrgyzstan/religion.html|archivedate=2 July 2007|title=Religion in Kyrgyzstan |publisher=Asia.msu.edu |date=4 March 2010 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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! colspan="2" | census 1999<sup>7</sup> |
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! colspan="2" | census 2014<sup>7</sup> |
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A few [[Animism|Animistic]] traditions survive, as do influences from [[Buddhism]] such as the tying of [[prayer flag]]s onto sacred trees, though some view this practice rooted within [[Sufi]] Islam.<ref>''[[Shaikh]] Muhammad Bin Jamil Zeno'', [[Muhammad Bin Jamil Zeno]], 2006, pg. 264</ref> There are also a small number of [[Bukharian Jews]] living in Kyrgyzstan, but during the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]] most fled to other countries, mainly the United States and [[Israel]]. In addition, there is a small community of [[Ashkenazi Jews]], who fled to the country from eastern Europe during the [[Second World War]].{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} |
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|- style="background:#e0e0e0;" |
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! Number |
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On 6 November 2008, the Kyrgyzstan parliament unanimously passed a law increasing the minimum number of adherents for recognizing a religion from 10 to 200. It also outlawed "aggressive action aimed at [[proselytism]]", and banned religious activity in schools and all activity by unregistered organizations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.voanews.com/uspolicy/2008-11-20-voa3.cfm?CFID=188271229&CFTOKEN=71417934&jsessionid=88308e149b453d57c0db31644a6462815671 |title=Kyrgyzstan's Religious Law |publisher=Voanews.com |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> It was signed by President [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]] on 12 January 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav011609c.shtml |title=Human Rights Activists Condemn New Religion Law |publisher=Eurasianet.org |date=16 January 2009 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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! % |
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! Number |
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! % |
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! Number |
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! % |
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! Number |
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! % |
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! Number |
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! % |
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|- |
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| [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]] |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 661,171 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 66.6 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 836,831 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 40.5 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 2,229,663 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 52.4 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 3,128,147 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 64.9 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 4,193,850 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 72.6 |
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|- |
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| [[Uzbeks]] |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 110,463 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 11.1 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 218,640 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 10.6 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 550,096 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 12.9 |
|||
| style="text-align:right;"| 664,950 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 13.8 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 836,065 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 14.4 |
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|- |
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| [[Russians]] |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 116,436 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 11.7 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 623,562 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 30.2 |
|||
| style="text-align:right;"| 916,558 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 21.5 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 603,201 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 12.5 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 369,939 |
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| style="text-align:right;"| 6.4 |
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|- |
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| colspan="19" | <small><sup>1</sup> Source:.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_nac_26.php|title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.|publisher=|accessdate=14 February 2016}}</ref> <sup>3</sup> Source:.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_59.php|title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.|publisher=|accessdate=14 February 2016}}</ref> <sup>6</sup> Source:.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_89.php|title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.|publisher=|accessdate=14 February 2016}}</ref> <sup>7</sup> Source:.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.kg/stat.files/din.files/census/5010003.pdf |accessdate=25 March 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20120219092904/http://www.stat.kg/stat.files/din.files/census/5010003.pdf |archivedate=19 February 2012 }}</ref> </small> |
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==Languages== |
===Languages=== |
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Kyrgyzstan is one of two former Soviet republics in Central Asia to retain Russian as an [[official language]], [[Kazakhstan]] being the other. It added the [[Kyrgyz language]] to become an officially bilingual country in September 1991. |
Kyrgyzstan is one of two former Soviet republics in Central Asia to retain Russian as an [[official language]], [[Kazakhstan]] being the other. It added the [[Kyrgyz language]] to become an officially bilingual country in September 1991. |
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[[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]] is a [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] language of the [[Kipchak languages|Kipchak]] branch, closely related to [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], [[Karakalpak language|Karakalpak]], and [[Nogay language|Nogay Tatar]]. It was written in the [[Arabic alphabet]] until the twentieth century. [[Latin alphabet|Latin script]] was introduced and adopted in 1928, and was subsequently replaced by [[Cyrillic script#Kyrgyz|Cyrillic script]] in 1941. |
[[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]] is a [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] language of the [[Kipchak languages|Kipchak]] branch, closely related to [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], [[Karakalpak language|Karakalpak]], and [[Nogay language|Nogay Tatar]]. It was written in the [[Arabic alphabet]] until the twentieth century. [[Latin alphabet|Latin script]] was introduced and adopted in 1928, and was subsequently replaced by [[Cyrillic script#Kyrgyz|Cyrillic script]] in 1941. |
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According to the 2009 census,<ref>{{cite web|title=Перепись населения и жилищного фонда Кыргызской Республики (Population and Housing Census of the Kyrgyz Republic), 2009|url=http://212.42.101.100:8088/nacstat/node/23|publisher=NSC of Kyrgyzstan|accessdate=9 October 2012}}</ref> 4.1 million people spoke Kyrgyz as native or second language and 2.5 million spoke Russian as native or second language. Uzbek is the second most widely spoken native language, followed by Russian. Russian is the most widely spoken second language, followed by Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and English. |
According to the 2009 census,<ref>{{cite web|title=Перепись населения и жилищного фонда Кыргызской Республики (Population and Housing Census of the Kyrgyz Republic), 2009 |url=http://212.42.101.100:8088/nacstat/node/23 |publisher=NSC of Kyrgyzstan |accessdate=9 October 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121143551/http://212.42.101.100:8088/nacstat/node/23 |archivedate=21 January 2013 }}</ref> 4.1 million people spoke Kyrgyz as native or second language and 2.5 million spoke Russian as native or second language. Uzbek is the second most widely spoken native language, followed by Russian. Russian is the most widely spoken second language, followed by Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and English. |
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Many business and political affairs are carried out in Russian. Until recently, Kyrgyz remained a language spoken at home and was rarely used during meetings or other events. However, most parliamentary meetings today are conducted in Kyrgyz, with simultaneous interpretation available for those not speaking Kyrgyz. |
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{| class="wikitable sortable" |
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=== Population centres === |
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===Usage of languages=== |
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{{Main|List of cities in Kyrgyzstan}} |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2012}} |
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{{Largest cities of Kyrgyz Republic}} |
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Many business and political affairs are carried out in Russian. Until recently, Kyrgyz remained a language spoken at home and was rarely used during meetings or other events. However, most parliamentary meetings today are conducted in Kyrgyz, with simultaneous interpretation available for those not speaking Kyrgyz. |
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== |
===Religion=== |
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{{ |
{{Main|Religion in Kyrgyzstan}} |
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[[File:Karakol-Dungan-Mosque-Exterior-1.jpg|thumb|[[Karakol]] [[Dungan people|Dungan]] Mosque]] |
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[[Islam]] is the dominant religion of Kyrgyzstan: 80% of the population is Muslim while 17% follow [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]] and 3% other religions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2001/5598.htm |title=Kyrgyzstan |publisher=State.gov |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> A 2009 [[Pew Research Center]] report indicates a higher percentage of Muslims, with 86.3% of Kyrgyzstan's population adhering to Islam.<ref>[http://pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Topics/Demographics/Muslimpopulation.pdf MAPPING THE GLOBAL MUSLIM POPULATION]. A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population. [[Pew Research Center]]. October 2009</ref> The majority of Muslims are [[non-denominational Muslims]] at 64% while roughly 23% are [[Sunni]], adhering to the [[Hanafi|Hanafi school]] of thought.<ref>Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2013.</ref> There are a few [[Ahmadiyya]] Muslims, though unrecognised by the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.rferl.org/content/kyrgyz_officials_reject_muslim_sect/24438562.html&date=2012-01-06 | title=Kyrgyz Officials Reject Muslim Sect | accessdate=6 June 2014 | date=6 January 2012 | publisher=RFE/RL}}</ref> |
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During Soviet times, [[state atheism]] was encouraged. Today, however, Kyrgyzstan is a [[secular state]], although Islam has exerted a growing influence in politics.<ref name=isn>{{cite web|url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=18147 |title=ISN Security Watch – Islam exerts growing influence on Kyrgyz politics |publisher=Isn.ethz.ch |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> For instance, there has been an attempt to arrange for officials to travel on ''[[hajj]]'' (the pilgrimage to [[Mecca]]) under a tax-free arrangement. |
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[[File:Bandy 2012. KYR - JPN.JPG|thumb|right|Kyrgyzstan in red against Japan]] |
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[[Association football|Football]] is the most popular sport in Kyrgyzstan. The official governing body is the [[Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic]], which was founded in 1992, after the split of the [[Soviet Union]]. It administers the [[Kyrgyzstan national football team]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Kyrgyzstan|url=http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=kgz/index.html|publisher=FIFA|accessdate=3 May 2011}}</ref> |
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While [[Islam in Kyrgyzstan]] is more of a cultural background than a devout daily practice for many, public figures have expressed support for restoring religious values. For example, [[human rights]] [[ombudsman]] Tursunbay Bakir-Ulu noted, "In this era of independence, it is not surprising that there has been a return to spiritual roots not only in Kyrgyzstan, but also in other post-communist republics. It would be immoral to develop a market-based society without an ethical dimension."<ref name=isn/> |
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[[Wrestling]] is also a very popular sport in Kyrgyzstan. In the [[2008 Summer Olympic Games]], two athletes from Kyrgyzstan won medals in [[Greco-Roman wrestling]]: [[Kanatbek Begaliev]] (silver) and [[Ruslan Tiumenbaev]] (bronze).<ref>{{cite news|title=Kyrgyzstan Olympic Medals|url=http://content.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/medals.aspx?cc=KGZ|publisher=USATODAY|accessdate=3 May 2011|date=16 September 2008}}</ref> |
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[[File:Bishkek church 01.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Bishkek [[Orthodox Church]]]] |
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Additionally, [[Bermet Akayeva]], the daughter of [[Askar Akayev]], the former President of Kyrgyzstan, stated during a July 2007 interview that Islam is increasingly taking root across the nation.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav071707a.shtml |title=EurasiaNet Civil Society – Kyrgyzstan: Time to Ponder a Federal System – Ex-President's Daughter |publisher=Eurasianet.org |date=17 July 2007 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> She emphasized that many [[mosque]]s have recently been built and that the Kyrgyz are increasingly devoting themselves to Islam, which she noted was "not a bad thing in itself. It keeps our society more moral, cleaner."<ref name=autogenerated1/> There is a contemporary [[Sufi]] order present which gives a somewhat different form of Islam than the orthodox Islam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everyculture.com/Russia-Eurasia-China/Kyrgyz-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html |title=Religion and expressive culture – Kyrgyz |publisher=Everyculture.com |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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[[File:Mosque under construction in Kyrgyzstan.jpg|thumb|right|Mosque under construction in Kyrgyzstan]] |
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The other faiths practiced in Kyrgyzstan include [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]] and [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church|Ukrainian Orthodox]] versions of [[Christianity]], practiced primarily by [[Russians]] and [[Ukrainians]] respectively. A community of 5000 to 10000 Jehovah's Witnesses gather in both Kirghiz- and Russian-speaking congregations, as well as some Chinese- and Turkish-speaking groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/?contentLanguageFilter=en&pubFilter=yb15&sortBy=1 |title=2015 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, page 182 |publisher=Watchtower Bible & Tract Society |date=21 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/meetings/ |title=Congregation Meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses |publisher=Watchtower Bible & Tract Society |date=21 December 2015}}</ref> A small minority of ethnic Germans are also Christian, mostly [[Lutheran Church|Lutheran]] and [[Anabaptist]] as well as a [[Roman Catholic]] community of approximately 600.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zenit.org/article-28637?l=spanish |title=Kirguistán la Iglesia renace con 600 católicos |publisher=ZENIT |date=2 October 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://asia.msu.edu/centralasia/Kyrgyzstan/religion.html|archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20070702212941/http://asia.msu.edu/centralasia/Kyrgyzstan/religion.html|archivedate=2 July 2007|title=Religion in Kyrgyzstan |publisher=Asia.msu.edu |date=4 March 2010 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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A few [[Animism|Animistic]] traditions survive, as do influences from [[Buddhism]] such as the tying of [[prayer flag]]s onto sacred trees, though some view this practice rooted within [[Sufi]] Islam.<ref>''[[Shaikh]] Muhammad Bin Jamil Zeno'', [[Muhammad Bin Jamil Zeno]], 2006, pg. 264</ref> There are also a small number of [[Bukharian Jews]] living in Kyrgyzstan, but during the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]] most fled to other countries, mainly the United States and [[Israel]]. In addition, there is a small community of [[Ashkenazi Jews]], who fled to the country from eastern Europe during the [[Second World War]].{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} |
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On 6 November 2008, the Kyrgyzstan parliament unanimously passed a law increasing the minimum number of adherents for recognizing a religion from 10 to 200. It also outlawed "aggressive action aimed at [[proselytism]]", and banned religious activity in schools and all activity by unregistered organizations. It was signed by President [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]] on 12 January 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav011609c.shtml |title=Human Rights Activists Condemn New Religion Law |publisher=Eurasianet.org |date=16 January 2009 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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[[Ice hockey]] has not been as popular in Kyrgyzstan, until the first [[Kyrgyzstan Championship (ice hockey)|Ice Hockey Championship]] was organized in 2009. In 2011, the [[Kyrgyzstan men's national ice hockey team]] won [[2011 Asian Winter Games]] Premier Division dominating in all six games with six wins. It was the first major international event that Kyrgyzstan's ice hockey team took part in.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lundqvist|first=Henrik|title=Kyrgyzstan wins the Asian Winter Games Premier Division 2011|url=http://www.eurohockey.com/article/259-kyrgyzstan-wins-the-asian-winter-games-premier-division-2011.html|publisher=EuroHockey|accessdate=3 May 2011}}</ref> The Kyrgyzstan men's ice hockey team joined the [[IIHF]] on July 2011. |
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There have been several reported police raids against peaceful minority religious meetings,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2091 |title=KYRGYZSTAN: "His screams of terror and pain could be heard throughout the building" |publisher=Forum 18 News Service |date=21 December 2015}}</ref> reports of officials planting false evidence,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/63612 |title=Kyrgyzstan: Court Confuses Jehovah’s Witnesses for Islamic Radicals |publisher=eurasianet.org |date=3 June 2011}}</ref> but also some courts decisions in favour of religious minorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/kyrgyzstan/osh-news-jw-acquittal/ |title=Kyrgyzstan Court Upholds Acquittal of Two Women Convicted Under False Charges |publisher= Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society |date=3 June 2011}}</ref> |
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[[Bandy]] is becoming increasingly popular in the country.<ref>http://astana-almaty2011.kz/gis/menu/en/News_Center/article.aspx?flag=1&pagenum=1&id=1269</ref> The Kyrgyz national team took Kyrgyzstan's first medal at the [[Asian Winter Games]], when they captured the bronze.<ref>http://info.astana-almaty2011.kz/en/Comp.mvc/Info/MedalList/BAM400000</ref> They played in the [[Bandy World Championship 2012]],<ref>{{Wayback |date=20110206165023 |url=http://info.astana-almaty2011.kz/en/Participant.mvc/ParticipantInfo/620ce7bd-2c64-4e19-9f03-575e64377de0 |title=Participating countries of World Bandy Championship 2012 in Almaty }}. bandy2012.kz</ref> their first appearance in that tournament.<ref>[http://www.bandy.or.jp/_userdata/teampictureFeb2.jpg Team picture with Japan after their first meeting in the World Championships]. None. Retrieved on 6 December 2013.</ref> |
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==Culture== |
==Culture== |
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* ''[[Komuz]]'', a three-stringed lute |
* ''[[Komuz]]'', a three-stringed lute |
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* ''[[Tush kyiz]]'', large, elaborately embroidered wall hangings |
* ''[[Tush kyiz]]'', large, elaborately embroidered wall hangings |
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* ''Shirdak'', flat cushions made in shadow-pairs<ref>{{cite web|author=Aidar, Iliyas |url= |
* ''Shirdak'', flat cushions made in shadow-pairs<ref>{{cite web|author=Aidar, Iliyas |url=http://www.kyrgyzstyle.kg/production/shirdaks/index.htm |title=Kyrgyz Style – Production – Souvenirs |publisher=Kyrgyzstyle.kg |accessdate=2 May 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061111022300/http://www.kyrgyzstyle.kg/production/shirdaks/index.htm |archivedate=11 November 2006 }}</ref> |
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* Other [[textiles]], especially made from [[felt]] |
* Other [[textiles]], especially made from [[felt]] |
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* [[Falconry]] |
* [[Falconry]] |
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In addition to celebrating the [[New Year]] each 1 January, the Kyrgyz observe the traditional New Year festival [[Nowruz]] on the vernal equinox. This spring holiday is celebrated with feasts and festivities such as the horse game [[Buzkashi|Ulak Tartish]]. |
In addition to celebrating the [[New Year]] each 1 January, the Kyrgyz observe the traditional New Year festival [[Nowruz]] on the vernal equinox. This spring holiday is celebrated with feasts and festivities such as the horse game [[Buzkashi|Ulak Tartish]]. |
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Illegal, but still practiced, is the tradition of [[bride kidnapping]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/kyrgyzstan/thestory.html | title = Synopsis of ''"The Kidnapped Bride"'' | first = Petr | last = Lom| |
Illegal, but still practiced, is the tradition of [[bride kidnapping]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/kyrgyzstan/thestory.html | title = Synopsis of ''"The Kidnapped Bride"'' | first = Petr | last = Lom| date = March 2004 | publisher = Frontline/World}}</ref> |
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It is debatable whether bride kidnapping is actually traditional. Some of the confusion may stem from the fact that [[arranged marriage]]s were traditional, and one of the ways to escape an arranged marriage was to arrange a consensual "kidnapping."<ref> |
It is debatable whether bride kidnapping is actually traditional. Some of the confusion may stem from the fact that [[arranged marriage]]s were traditional, and one of the ways to escape an arranged marriage was to arrange a consensual "kidnapping."<ref>[http://pantheon.hrw.org/reports/2006/kyrgyzstan0906/ "Reconciled to Violence: State Failure to Stop Domestic Abuse and Abduction of Women in Kyrgyzstan"]. ''Human Rights Watch Report''. September 2006, Vol. 18, No.9.</ref> |
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===Flag=== |
===Flag=== |
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The 40-rayed yellow sun in the center of the flag |
The 40-rayed yellow sun in the center of the flag represent the 40 tribes that once made up the entirety of Kyrgyz culture before the intervention of Russia during the rise of the soviet union. The lines inside the sun represent the crown or tündük (Kyrgyz түндүк) of a yurt, a symbol replicated in many facets of Kyrgyz architecture. The red portion of the flag represents peace and openness of Kyrgyzstan. |
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[[File:Ishenbek and Berkut scout for prey. (3968888530).jpg|thumb|[[Hunting with eagles|Hunting with an eagle]]]] |
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===Horse riding=== |
===Horse riding=== |
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===Tourism=== |
===Tourism=== |
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One of the most popular tourist destination points in Kyrgyzstan is [[Issyk Kul Lake]]. Numerous hotels, vacation resorts, boarding houses and [[sanatorium]]s are located along its Northern shore. The most popular beach zones are in the city of [[Cholpon-Ata]] and the settlements nearby, such as Kara-Oi (Dolinka), Bosteri and Korumdy. The number of tourists visiting the lake was more than a million a year in 2006 and 2007. However, due to the economical and political instability in the region, the number has declined in recent years.<ref>{{cite web |
One of the most popular tourist destination points in Kyrgyzstan is [[Issyk Kul Lake]]. Numerous hotels, vacation resorts, boarding houses and [[sanatorium]]s are located along its Northern shore. The most popular beach zones are in the city of [[Cholpon-Ata]] and the settlements nearby, such as Kara-Oi (Dolinka), Bosteri and Korumdy. The number of tourists visiting the lake was more than a million a year in 2006 and 2007. However, due to the economical and political instability in the region, the number has declined in recent years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Issyk-Kul: Chasing short-term profit |url=http://www.neweurasia.net/business-and-economics/issyk-kul-chasing-short-term-profit/ |publisher=New Eurasia |accessdate=3 May 2011}}</ref> |
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For those interested in trekking and camping, every region offers attractions and challenges. Some of the most popular locations for camping are southern Osh, the area between Naryn City and the Torugart pass, and the mountains and glaciers surrounding Karakol in Issyk-Kul.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} Local guides and porters can be hired from many tour companies in Bishkek and in the |
For those interested in trekking and camping, every region offers attractions and challenges. Some of the most popular locations for camping are southern Osh, the area between Naryn City and the Torugart pass, and the mountains and glaciers surrounding Karakol in Issyk-Kul.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} Local guides and porters can be hired from many tour companies in Bishkek and in the regional capitals. |
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Skiing is still in its infancy as a tourism industry, but there is one fairly cheap and well-equipped base about a half-hour from Bishkek. The ski base of Toguz Bulak is {{convert|45|km|0|abbr=on}} from Bishkek, on the way to Issyk Ata valley. In the Karakol Valley National Park, outside Karakol, there is also a ski base with three T-bars and rental equipment available of good quality. |
Skiing is still in its infancy as a tourism industry, but there is one fairly cheap and well-equipped base about a half-hour from Bishkek. The ski base of Toguz Bulak is {{convert|45|km|0|abbr=on}} from Bishkek, on the way to Issyk Ata valley. In the Karakol Valley National Park, outside Karakol, there is also a ski base with three T-bars and rental equipment available of good quality. |
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===Sports=== |
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{{See also|Rugby union in Kyrgyzstan}} |
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[[File:Bandy 2012. KYR - JPN.JPG|thumb|right|Kyrgyzstan in red against Japan]] |
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[[Association football|Football]] is the most popular sport in Kyrgyzstan. The official governing body is the [[Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic]], which was founded in 1992, after the split of the [[Soviet Union]]. It administers the [[Kyrgyzstan national football team]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Kyrgyzstan|url=http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=kgz/index.html|publisher=FIFA|accessdate=3 May 2011}}</ref> |
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[[Wrestling]] is also a very popular sport in Kyrgyzstan. In the [[2008 Summer Olympic Games]], two athletes from Kyrgyzstan won medals in [[Greco-Roman wrestling]]: [[Kanatbek Begaliev]] (silver) and [[Ruslan Tiumenbaev]] (bronze).<ref>{{cite news|title=Kyrgyzstan Olympic Medals|url=http://content.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/medals.aspx?cc=KGZ|publisher=USATODAY|accessdate=3 May 2011|date=16 September 2008}}</ref> |
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[[Ice hockey]] has not been as popular in Kyrgyzstan, until the first [[Kyrgyzstan Championship (ice hockey)|Ice Hockey Championship]] was organized in 2009. In 2011, the [[Kyrgyzstan men's national ice hockey team]] won [[2011 Asian Winter Games]] Premier Division dominating in all six games with six wins. It was the first major international event that Kyrgyzstan's ice hockey team took part in.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lundqvist|first=Henrik|title=Kyrgyzstan wins the Asian Winter Games Premier Division 2011|url=http://www.eurohockey.com/article/259-kyrgyzstan-wins-the-asian-winter-games-premier-division-2011.html|publisher=EuroHockey|date=5 February 2011}}</ref> The Kyrgyzstan men's ice hockey team joined the [[IIHF]] in July 2011. |
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[[Bandy]] is becoming increasingly popular in the country. The Kyrgyz national team took Kyrgyzstan's first medal at the [[Asian Winter Games]], when they captured the bronze. They played in the [[Bandy World Championship 2012]], their first appearance in that tournament.<ref>[http://www.bandy.or.jp/_userdata/teampictureFeb2.jpg Team picture with Japan after their first meeting in the World Championships]. bandy.or.jp.</ref> |
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==Education== |
==Education== |
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* Bishkek Humanities University |
* Bishkek Humanities University |
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* [[International Atatürk-Alatoo University]] |
* [[International Atatürk-Alatoo University]] |
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* [[University of Economy and Enterprise]] |
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* [http://www.ksucta.kg/index.php?lang=en Kyrgyz State University of Construction, Transport and Architecture n.a. N. Isanov] |
* [http://www.ksucta.kg/index.php?lang=en Kyrgyz State University of Construction, Transport and Architecture n.a. N. Isanov] |
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* [[Kyrgyz National University]] |
* [[Kyrgyz National University]] |
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* [[Kyrgyz Technical University]] |
* [[Kyrgyz Technical University]] |
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* Kyrgyz State Pedagogical University, formerly Arabaev Kyrgyz State University |
* Kyrgyz State Pedagogical University, formerly Arabaev Kyrgyz State University |
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* [http://www.krsu.edu.kg Kyrgyz Russian Slavonic University] |
* [http://www.krsu.edu.kg Kyrgyz Russian Slavonic University] |
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* Kyrgyz-Russian State University |
* Kyrgyz-Russian State University |
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* [http://manas.edu.kg/ Kyrgyz-Turkish MANAS University]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://manas |
* [http://www.manas.edu.kg/ Kyrgyz-Turkish MANAS University]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manas.kg |title=Kyrgyz-Turkish MANAS University |publisher=Manas.kg |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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* Social University (previously Kyrgyz-Uzbek University) |
* Social University (previously Kyrgyz-Uzbek University) |
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* Moskov Institute Of Law And Enterprise |
* Moskov Institute Of Law And Enterprise |
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* [[Osh State University]] |
* [[Osh State University]] |
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* Osh Technological University |
* Osh Technological University |
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* Plato University of Management and Design |
* Plato University of Management and Design |
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* [http://ism.edu.kg/ International School of Medicine] |
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==Transport== |
==Transport== |
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===Airports=== |
===Airports=== |
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At the end of the Soviet period there were about 50 airports and airstrips in Kyrgyzstan, many of them built primarily to serve military purposes in this border region so close to China. Only a few of them remain in service today. The [[Kyrgyzstan Air Company]] provides air transport to China, Russia, and other local countries. |
At the end of the Soviet period there were about 50 airports and airstrips in Kyrgyzstan, many of them built primarily to serve military purposes in this border region so close to China. Only a few of them remain in service today. The [[Kyrgyzstan Air Company]] provides air transport to China, Russia, and other local countries. |
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* [[Manas International Airport]] near [[Bishkek]] is the main international airport, with services to Moscow, [[Tashkent]], [[Almaty]], Beijing, [[Urumqi]], [[Istanbul]], London, [[Baku]], [[Dubai]] (from 7 |
* [[Manas International Airport]] near [[Bishkek]] is the main international airport, with services to Moscow, [[Tashkent]], [[Almaty]], Beijing, [[Urumqi]], [[Istanbul]], London, [[Baku]], [[Dubai]] (from 7 February 2012). |
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* [[Osh Airport]] is the main air terminal in the south of the country, with daily connections to Bishkek. |
* [[Osh Airport]] is the main air terminal in the south of the country, with daily connections to Bishkek. |
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* [[Jalal-Abad Airport]] is linked to Bishkek by daily flights. The national flag carrier, Kyrgyzstan, operates flights on [[BAe-146]] aircraft. During the summer months, a weekly flight links Jalal-Abad with the Issyk-Kul Region. |
* [[Jalal-Abad Airport]] is linked to Bishkek by daily flights. The national flag carrier, Kyrgyzstan, operates flights on [[BAe-146]] aircraft. During the summer months, a weekly flight links Jalal-Abad with the Issyk-Kul Region. |
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===Banned airline status=== |
===Banned airline status=== |
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Kyrgyzstan appears on the European Union's [[List of air carriers banned in the European Union|list of prohibited countries for the certification of airlines]]. This means that no airline which is registered in Kyrgyzstan may operate services of any kind within the European Union, due to safety standards which fail to meet European regulations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:102:0003:0016:EN:PDF |title=List of banned E.U. air carriers |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> |
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===Railways=== |
===Railways=== |
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* [[Outline of Kyrgyzstan]] |
* [[Outline of Kyrgyzstan]] |
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* [[Index of Kyrgyzstan-related articles]] |
* [[Index of Kyrgyzstan-related articles]] |
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* [[ |
* [[Chinghiz Aitmatov]] |
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{{Clear}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
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[[File:Issyk Kul at sundown.jpg|thumb|right|[[Issyk Kul Lake]]]] |
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* ''Historical Dictionary of Kyrgyzstan'' by Rafis Abazov |
* ''Historical Dictionary of Kyrgyzstan'' by Rafis Abazov |
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* ''Kyrgyzstan: Central Asia's Island of Democracy?'' by John Anderson |
* ''Kyrgyzstan: Central Asia's Island of Democracy?'' by John Anderson |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Sister project links|voy=Kyrgyzstan|d=Q813}} |
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{{Commons category}} |
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{{Sister project links}} |
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; Government |
; Government |
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* [http://www.president.kg/ President of Kyrgyzstan] official site |
* [http://www.president.kg/ President of Kyrgyzstan] official site |
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* [http://www.gov.kg/ Government of Kyrgyzstan] official site |
* [http://www.gov.kg/ Government of Kyrgyzstan] official site |
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* [http://kenesh.kg/ Parliament of Kyrgyzstan] official site |
* [http://kenesh.kg/ Parliament of Kyrgyzstan] official site |
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* [http://www. |
* [http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/oeur/lxwekyr.htm Laws of the Kyrgyz Republic] |
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* [http://www.mvtp.kg/ Kyrgyzstan Ministry of External Trade and Industry] |
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* [http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/oeur/lxwekyr.htm] Laws of the Kyrgyz Republic |
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; General information |
; General information |
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* [http://www.thespektator.co.uk Kyrgyzstan's only English language culture and tourism magazine] |
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* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1296485.stm Country Profile] from [[BBC News]] |
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1296485.stm Country Profile] from [[BBC News]] |
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* {{CIA World Factbook link|kg|Kyrgyzstan}} |
* {{CIA World Factbook link|kg|Kyrgyzstan}} |
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* [http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/kyrgyzstan.htm Kyrgyzstan] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs'' |
* [http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/kyrgyzstan.htm Kyrgyzstan] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs'' |
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* {{dmoz|Regional/Asia/Kyrgyzstan}} |
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* {{Wikivoyage-inline}} |
* {{Wikivoyage-inline}} |
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* [http://www.livingscoop.com/watch.php?v=MTgy Issik-Kul Lake] |
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* [http://www.library.illinois.edu/spx/webct/nationalbib/kyrgyzintro.html Kyrgyz Publishing and Bibliography] |
* [http://www.library.illinois.edu/spx/webct/nationalbib/kyrgyzintro.html Kyrgyz Publishing and Bibliography] |
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* [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=KG Key Development Forecasts for Kyrgyzstan] from [[International Futures]] |
* [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=KG Key Development Forecasts for Kyrgyzstan] from [[International Futures]] |
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;Maps |
;Maps |
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* {{wikiatlas|Kyrgyzstan}} |
* {{wikiatlas|Kyrgyzstan}} |
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; Other |
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* [http://www.commonlanguageproject.net/?page_id=41#Kyrgyzstan Common Language Project Country Fact Sheet – Kyrgyzstan] |
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* [http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/kyrgyzstan/photos1.html On the Roof of the World] photo essay from [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] [[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]] |
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* [http://free-writer.ru/pages/kyrgyzstan.html Photos of life in Kyrgyzstan] |
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* [http://www.salon.com/news/kyrgyzstan/index.html?story=/news/feature/2010/04/09/guide_to_kyrgyzstan_uprising "If you want to Understand Kyrgyzstan, read this"] by ''[[Salon magazine]]'' |
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* [http://kevinmillerjr.com/category/kyrgyzstan/ Photos of Kyrgyzstan] |
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{{Kyrgyzstan topics}} |
{{Kyrgyzstan topics}} |
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{{Navboxes |
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|title = Geographic locale |
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|list = |
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{{Countries of Asia}} |
{{Countries of Asia}} |
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}} |
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{{Navboxes |
{{Navboxes |
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|title = International membership |
|title = International membership |
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|list = |
|list = |
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[[United Nations]] |
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[[Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe]] |
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[[World Trade Organization]] |
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}} |
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{{TAKM}} |
{{TAKM}} |
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{{Economic Cooperation Organization}} |
{{Economic Cooperation Organization}} |
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{{Shanghai Cooperation Organisation}} |
{{Shanghai Cooperation Organisation}} |
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{{TURKSOY}} |
{{TURKSOY}} |
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}} |
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{{Portal bar|Geography|Asia|Central Asia}} |
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{{portal bar|Geography|Kyrgyzstan|Asia|Central Asia}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:Kyrgyzstan| ]] |
[[Category:Kyrgyzstan| ]] |
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[[Category:States and territories established in 1991]] |
[[Category:States and territories established in 1991]] |
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[[Category:Member states of the United Nations]] |
[[Category:Member states of the United Nations]] |
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[[Category:Muslim-majority countries]] |
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{{Link GA|no}} |
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{{Link FA|bg}} |
Revision as of 05:27, 26 February 2016
Kyrgyz Republic | |
---|---|
Anthem: Кыргыз Республикасынын Мамлекеттик Гимни Kyrgyz Respublikasynyn Mamlekettik Gimni National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic | |
![]() Location of Kyrgyzstan (green) | |
Capital and largest city | Bishkek |
Official languages[1] | |
Ethnic groups | |
Religion | Islam, Russian Orthodoxy |
Demonym(s) | |
Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
Almazbek Atambayev | |
Temir Sariyev | |
Legislature | Supreme Council |
Independence from the Soviet Union | |
14 October 1924 | |
5 December 1936 | |
• Independence declared | 31 August 1991 |
• Recognized | 25 December 1991 |
Area | |
• Total | 199,951 km2 (77,202 sq mi) (87th) |
• Water (%) | 3.6 |
Population | |
• 2015 estimate | 6,000,000[4] (110th) |
• 2009 census | 5,362,800 |
• Density | 27.4/km2 (71.0/sq mi) (176th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |
• Total | $13.125 billion[5] |
• Per capita | $2,372[5] |
GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate |
• Total | $5.920 billion[5] |
• Per capita | $1,070[5] |
Gini (2003) | 30.3 medium inequality |
HDI (2014) | ![]() medium (120th) |
Currency | Som (KGS) |
Time zone | UTC+5 to +6 (KGT) |
Drives on | right |
Calling code | +996 |
ISO 3166 code | KG |
Internet TLD | .kg |
Kyrgyzstan (/kɜːrɡɪˈstɑːn/ kur-gi-STAHN;[7] Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz pronunciation: [qɯrʁɯsˈstɑn]); Russian: Киргизия or Кыргызстан), officially the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyz: Кыргыз Республикасы Kyrgyz Respublikasy; Russian: Кыргызская Республика Kyrgyzskaya Respublika), formerly known as Kirghizia, is a country located in Central Asia.[8] Landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south west and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.
Kyrgyzstan's history spans over 2,000 years, encompassing a variety of cultures and empires. Although geographically isolated by its highly mountainous terrain – which has helped preserve its ancient culture – Kyrgyzstan has historically been at the crossroads of several great civilizations, namely as part of the Silk Road and other commercial and cultural routes. Though long inhabited by a succession of independent tribes and clans, Kyrgyzstan has periodically come under foreign domination and attained sovereignty as a nation-state only after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Since independence, Kyrgyzstan has officially been a unitary parliamentary republic, although it continues to endure ethnic conflicts,[9][10] revolts,[11] economic troubles,[12][13] transitional governments[14] and political party conflicts.[15] Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Turkic Council, the TÜRKSOY community and the United Nations.
Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country's 5.7 million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians. The official language, Kyrgyz, is closely related to the other Turkic languages, although Russian remains widely spoken, a legacy of a century-long policy of Russification. The majority of the population (64 percent) are nondenominational Muslims.[16] In addition to its Turkic origins, Kyrgyz culture bears elements of Persian, Mongolian and Russian influence.
Etymology
"Kyrgyz" is believed to have been derived from the Turkic word for "forty", in reference to the forty clans of Manas, a legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the Uyghurs. Literally, Kyrgyz means We are forty. At the time, in the early 9th century AD, the Uyghurs dominated much of Central Asia (including Kyrgyzstan), Mongolia, and parts of Russia and China.[17]
The 40-ray sun on the flag of Kyrgyzstan is a reference to those same forty tribes and the graphical element in the sun's center depicts the wooden crown, called tunduk, of a yurt – a portable dwelling traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.
History
Antiquity
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According to David C. King, Scythians were early settlers in present-day Kyrgyzstan.[18]
The Kyrgyz state reached its greatest expansion after defeating the Uyghur Khaganate in 840 A.D.[19] From the 10th century the Kyrgyz migrated as far as the Tian Shan range and maintained their dominance over this territory for about 200 years.
In the twelfth century the Kyrgyz dominion had shrunk to the Altay Range and Sayan Mountains as a result of the Mongol expansion. With the rise of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century, the Kyrgyz migrated south. The Kyrgyz peacefully became a part of Mongol Empire in 1207.
Chinese and Muslim sources of the 7th–12th centuries AD describe the early Kyrgyz as red-haired with white skin and blue eyes, which is indicative of ancient Indo-European tribes like the Slavic peoples.[20][21] The descent of the Kyrgyz from the autochthonous Siberian population is confirmed on the other hand by the recent genetic studies.[22] Because of the processes of migration, conquest, intermarriage, and assimilation, many of the Kyrgyz peoples that now inhabit Central and Southwest Asia are of mixed origins, often stemming from fragments of many different tribes, though they now speak closely related languages.[23][24]
Issyk Kul Lake was a stopover on the Silk Road, a land route for traders, merchants and other travelers from the Far East to Europe.
Kyrgyz tribes were overrun in the 17th century by the Mongol Oirats, in the mid-18th century by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and in the early 19th century by the Uzbek Khanate of Kokand.[25]
In the late nineteenth century, the majority part of what is today Kyrgyzstan was ceded to Russia through two treaties between China (then Qing Dynasty) and Russia. The territory, then known in Russian as "Kirgizia", was formally incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1876. The Russian takeover was met with numerous revolts against Tsarist authority, and many of the Kyrgyz opted to move to the Pamir Mountains and Afghanistan.
In addition, the suppression of the 1916 rebellion against Russian rule in Central Asia caused many Kyrgyz later to migrate to China.[26] Since many ethnic groups in the region were (and still are) split between neighboring states at a time when borders were more porous and less regulated, it was common to move back and forth over the mountains, depending on where life was perceived as better; this might mean better rains for pasture or better government during oppression.
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Silk road caravansary utilized during the Islamic Golden Age
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Kyrgyz nomads, 1869–1870, by Vasily Vereshchagin
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Kyrgyz yurt, 1869–1870, by Vasily Vereshchagin
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A Nomadic Kyrgyz family on the Golodnaya Steppe in Uzbekistan, 1911, Prokudin-Gorskii
Soviet Kyrgyzstan
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Soviet power was initially established in the region in 1919, and the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast was created within the Russian SFSR (the phrase Kara-Kirghiz was used until the mid-1920s by the Russians to distinguish them from the Kazakhs, who were also referred to as Kirghiz). On 5 December 1936, the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic was established as a full republic of the Soviet Union.
During the 1920s, Kyrgyzstan developed considerably in cultural, educational and social life. Literacy was greatly improved, and a standard literary language was introduced by imposing Russian on the populace. Economic and social development also was notable. Many aspects of Kyrgyz national culture were retained despite the suppression of nationalist activity under Joseph Stalin, who controlled the Soviet Union from the late 1920s until 1953.
The early years of glasnost had little effect on the political climate in Kyrgyzstan. However, the Republic's press was permitted to adopt a more liberal stance and to establish a new publication, Literaturny Kirghizstan, by the Union of Writers. Unofficial political groups were forbidden, but several groups that emerged in 1989 to deal with the acute housing crisis were permitted to function.
According to the last Soviet census in 1989, ethnic Kyrgyz made up only 22% of the residents of the northern city of Frunze (now Bishkek), while more than 60% were Russians, Ukrainians, and people from other Slavic nations (only 36 percent of Bishkek residents surveyed said Russian was their first language).[27]
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In June 1990, ethnic tensions between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz surfaced in the Osh Oblast (southern Kyrgyzstan), where Uzbeks form a minority of the population.[28] Attempts to appropriate Uzbek collective farms for housing development triggered the Osh Riots. A state of emergency and curfew were introduced[29] and Askar Akayev, the youngest of five sons born into a family of collective farm workers (in northern Kyrgyzstan), was elected President in October of that same year.
By then, the Kyrgyzstan Democratic Movement (KDM) had developed into a significant political force with support in Parliament. In December 1990, the Supreme Soviet voted to change the republic's name to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. (In 1993, it became the Kyrgyz Republic.) The following January, Akayev introduced new government structures and appointed a new government composed mainly of younger, reform-oriented politicians. In February 1991, the name of the capital, Frunze, was changed back to its pre-revolutionary name of Bishkek.
Despite these political moves toward independence, economic realities seemed to work against secession from the Soviet Union. In a referendum on the preservation of the Soviet Union in March 1991, 88.7% of the voters approved the proposal to retain the Soviet Union as a "renewed federation". Nevertheless, secessionist forces pushed Kyrgyzstan's independence through in August of that same year.
On 19 August 1991, when the State Emergency Committee assumed power in Moscow, there was an attempt to depose Akayev in Kyrgyzstan. After the coup collapsed the following week, Akayev and Vice President German Kuznetsov announced their resignations from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and the entire bureau and secretariat resigned. This was followed by the Supreme Soviet vote declaring independence from the Soviet Union on 31 August 1991 as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
Independence
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In October 1991, Akayev ran unopposed and was elected president of the new independent Republic by direct ballot, receiving 95 percent of the votes cast. Together with the representatives of seven other Republics that same month, he signed the Treaty of the New Economic Community. Finally, on 21 December 1991, Kyrgyzstan joined with the other four Central Asian Republics to formally enter the new Commonwealth of Independent States. Kyrgyzstan gained full independence a few days later on 25 December 1991. The following day, on 26 December 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. In 1992, Kyrgyzstan joined the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). On 5 May 1993, the official name changed from the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to the Kyrgyz Republic.
In 2005, a popular uprising known as the "Tulip Revolution", took place after the parliamentary elections in March 2005, forced President Askar Akayev's resignation on 4 April 2005. Opposition leaders formed a coalition, and a new government was formed under President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Feliks Kulov. The nation's capital was looted during the protests.
Political stability appeared to be elusive, however, as various groups and factions allegedly linked to organized crime jockeyed for power. Three of the 75 members of Parliament elected in March 2005 were assassinated, and another member was assassinated on 10 May 2006 shortly after winning his murdered brother's seat in a by-election. All four are reputed to have been directly involved in major illegal business ventures.[according to whom?] On 6 April 2010, civil unrest broke out in the town of Talas after a demonstration against government corruption and increased living expenses. The protests became violent, spreading to Bishkek by the following day. Protesters attacked President Bakiyev's offices, as well as state-run radio and television stations. There were conflicting reports that Interior Minister Moldomusa Kongatiyev had been beaten. On 7 April 2010, President Bakiyev imposed a state of emergency. Police and special services arrested many opposition leaders. In response, protesters took control of the internal security headquarters (former KGB headquarters) and a state television channel in the capital, Bishkek.[citation needed] Reports by Kyrgyzstan government officials indicated that at least 75 people were killed and 458 hospitalized in bloody clashes with police in the capital.[30] Reports say that at least 80 people died as a result of clashes with police. A transition government, led by former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva, by 8 April 2010 had taken control of state media and government facilities in the capital, but Bakiyev had not resigned from office.[31][32]
President Bakiyev returned to his home in Jalal-Abad and stated his terms of resignation at a press conference on 13 April 2010.[33] On 15 April 2010, Bakiyev left the country and flew to neighboring Kazakhstan, along with his wife and two children. The country's provisional leaders announced that Bakiyev signed a formal letter of resignation prior to his departure.[34]
Prime Minister Daniar Usenov accused Russia of supporting the protests; this accusation was denied by Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin. Opposition members also called for the closing of the US-controlled Manas Air Base.[35] Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev ordered measures to ensure the safety of Russian nationals and tighten security around Russian sites in Kyrgyzstan to protect them against possible attacks.
The 2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes occurred between the two main ethnic groups—the Uzbeks and Kyrgyz—in Osh, the second largest city in the country, on 11 June 2010. The clashes incited fears that the country could be heading towards a civil war.[36][37]
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Finding it difficult to control the situation, Otunbayeva, the interim leader, sent a letter to the Russian president, Dimitry Medvedev, asking him to send Russian troops to help the country control the situation. Medvedev's Press Attaché, Natalya Timakova, said in a reply to the letter, "It is an internal conflict and for now Russia does not see the conditions for taking part in its resolution". The clashes caused a shortage of food and other essential commodities with more than 200 killed and 1,685 people hurt, as of 12 June 2010[update]. The Russian government, however, said it would be sending humanitarian aid to the troubled nation.[38]
According to local sources, there was a clash between two local gangs and it did not take long for the violence to spread to the rest of the city. There were also reports that the armed forces supported ethnic Kyrgyz gangs entering the city, but the government denied the allegations.[38]
The riots spread to neighboring areas, and the government declared a state of emergency in the entire southern Jalal-Abad region. To control the situation, the interim government gave special shoot-to-kill powers to the security forces. The Russian government decided to send a battalion to the country to protect Russian facilities.[39]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Kyrgyz_family_Sary-Mogol.jpg/220px-Kyrgyz_family_Sary-Mogol.jpg)
Otunbayeva accused the family of Bakiyev of "instigating the riots".[40] AFP reported "a veil of smoke covering the whole city". Authorities in neighboring Uzbekistan said at least 30,000 Uzbeks had crossed the border to escape the riots.[39] Osh became relatively calm on 14 June 2010, but Jalal-Abad witnessed sporadic incidents of arson. The entire region was still under a state of emergency as Uzbeks were reluctant to leave their houses for fear of attacks by the mobs. The United Nations decided to send an envoy to assess the situation.[41]
Temir Sariyev, deputy chief of the interim government, said there were local clashes and that it was not possible [for the government] to fully control the situation. He added that there were not sufficient security forces to contain the violence. Media agencies reported on 14 June 2010 that the Russian government was considering a request by the Kyrgyz government. An emergency meeting of Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) was held on the same day (14 June) to discuss the role it could play in helping to end the violence. Ethnic violence waned, according to the Kyrgyz government, by 15 June 2010 and Kyrgyz president Roza Otunbayeva held a news conference that day and declared that there was no need for Russia to send in troops to quell the violence. There were at least 170 people left dead by 15 June 2010 but Pascale Meige Wagner of the International Committee of the Red Cross said the [official] death toll was an underestimate. The UN High Commissioner told reporters in Geneva that evidence suggested that the violence seemed to have been staged up. Ethnic Uzbeks threatened to blow up an oil depot in Osh if they failed to get guarantees of protection. The United Nations said it believed that the attacks were "orchestrated, targeted and well-planned". Kyrgyz officials told the media that a person suspected to be behind the violence in Jalal-Abad had been detained.[42]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/HA_delivers_to_a_local_kindergarten.jpg/220px-HA_delivers_to_a_local_kindergarten.jpg)
On 2 August 2010, a Kyrgyz government commission began investigating the causes of the clashes. Members of the National Commission, led by former parliament speaker Abdygany Erkebaev, met with people from the predominantly ethnic Uzbek villages of Mady, Shark, and Kyzyl-Kyshtak in the Kara-Suu district of Osh Oblast. This National Commission, including representatives of many ethnic groups, was established by a presidential decree.
President Roza Otunbayeva also said in August 2010 that an international commission would also be formed to investigate the clashes.[43]
The commission's report, released in January 2011, concluded that the events in southern Kyrgyzstan constituted a “planned, large-scale provocation, oriented towards the splitting of Kyrgyzstan and disrupting the unity of its people.” Responsibility for this provocation was seen as lying with “nationalistically-minded leaders of the Uzbek community”. In the aftermath of the turmoil, on 5 August 2010, Kyrgyz forces arrested party leader Urmat Baryktabasov on suspicion of plotting an overthrow of the government, after troops allegedly fired blank rounds into a crowd trying to join mass demonstrations near the Parliament in the capital Bishkek. Acting President Roza Otunbayeva said security forces seized firearms and grenades from him and 26 supporters.[44]
Politics
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The 1993 constitution defines the form of government as a democratic unicameral republic. The executive branch includes a Supreme Chancellor and Vice Chair. The parliament currently is unicameral. The judicial branch comprises a Supreme Court, local courts and a Chief Prosecutor.
In March 2002, in the southern district of Aksy, five people protesting the arbitrary arrest of an opposition politician were shot dead by police, sparking nationwide protests. President Askar Akayev initiated a constitutional reform process which initially included the participation of a broad range of government, civil and social representatives in an open dialogue, leading to a February 2003 referendum marred by voting irregularities.
The amendments to the constitution approved by the referendum resulted in stronger control by the president and weakened the parliament and the Constitutional Court. Parliamentary elections for a new, 75-seat unicameral legislature were held on 27 February and 13 March 2005, but were widely viewed as corrupt. The subsequent protests led to a bloodless coup on 24 March 2005, after which Akayev with his family fled the country and was replaced by acting president Kurmanbek Bakiyev (see: Tulip Revolution).
On 10 July 2005, acting president Bakiyev won the presidential election in a landslide, with 88.9% of the vote, and was inaugurated on 14 August. However, initial public support for the new administration substantially declined in subsequent months as a result of its apparent inability to solve the corruption problems that have plagued the country since its independence from the Soviet Union, along with the murders of several members of parliament. Large-scale protests against president Bakiyev took place in Bishkek in April and November 2006, with opposition leaders accusing the president of failing to live up to his election promises to reform the country's constitution and transfer many of his presidential powers to parliament.[45]
Kyrgyzstan is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a league of 56 participating states committed to peace, transparency, and the protection of human rights in Eurasia. As an OSCE participating State, Kyrgyzstan’s international commitments are subject to monitoring under the mandate of the U.S. Helsinki Commission.
In December 2008, the state-owned broadcaster UTRK announced that it would require prior submission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty programmes, which UTRK are required to retransmit according to a 2005 agreement.[46] UTRK had stopped retransmitting RFE/RL programming on October 2008, a week after it failed to broadcast an RFE/RL programme called 'Inconvenient Questions' which covered the October elections, claiming to have lost the missing material. President Bakiyev had criticised this programme in September 2008, while UTRK told RFE/RL that its programming was too negative. Reporters Without Borders, which ranks Kyrgyzstan 111th equal out of 173 countries on its Press Freedom Index, strongly criticised the decision.
On 3 February 2009, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced the imminent closure of the Manas Air Base, the only US military base remaining in Central Asia.[47] The closure was approved by Parliament on 19 February 2009 by 78–1 for the government-backed bill.[48] However, after much behind-the-scenes negotiation between Kyrgyz, Russian and American diplomats, the decision was reversed in June 2009. The Americans were allowed to remain under a new contract, whereby rent would increase from $17.4 million to $60 million annually.[49]
Kyrgyzstan is among the twenty countries in the world with the highest perceived level of corruption: the 2008 Corruption Perception Index for Kyrgyzstan is 1.8 on a scale of 0 (most corrupt) to 10 (least corrupt).[50]
In 2010 another revolution erupted in the country (see: April uprising). President Kurmanbek Bakiyev together with his relatives – e.g. son Maksim[51] and brother Janish – were forced to flee to Kazakhstan and then to sought asylum in Belarus. Roza Otunbayeva, who was appointed interim president, announced that she did not intend to run for the Presidential elections in 2011. The election was held in November and won by Almazbek Atambayev, leader of the Social Democratic Party and the then-Prime Minister. Atambayev was sworn in as the President on 1 December 2011 and Omurbek Babanov was appointed the new Prime Minister on the same day and was confirmed on 23 December 2011.
Human rights
In a move that alarmed human rights groups, dozens of prominent Uzbek religious and community leaders were arrested by security forces following the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots, including journalist and human rights activist Azimzhan Askarov.[52] A law banning women under the age of twenty-three from traveling abroad without a parent or guardian, with the purpose of "increased morality and preservation of the gene pool" passed in the Kyrgyz parliament in June 2013.[53] American diplomats expressed concern in October 2014 when Kyrgyzstan lawmakers passed a law that imposes jail terms on gay-rights activists and others, including journalists, who create “a positive attitude toward non-traditional sexual relations.”[54]
Military
The armed forces of Kyrgyzstan were formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and consist of the land forces, air and air defense forces, internal troops, national guard, and the border guard. The military works with the US Armed Forces, which leased a facility named the Transit Center at Manas at Manas International airport near Bishkek until June 2014.[55] In recent years, the armed forces have begun developing better relations with Russia including signing modernization deals worth $1.1bn and partaking in more exercises with Russian troops.[56] The Agency of National Security works with the military and serves similar purposes to its Soviet predecessor, the KGB. It oversees an elite counterterrorism special forces unit known as "Alfa", the same name used by other former Soviet countries, including Russia and Uzbekistan. The police are commanded by the Ministry of the Interior, along with the border guard.
Administrative divisions
Kyrgyzstan is divided into seven regions (sing. oblast (область), pl. oblasttar (областтар)) administered by appointed governors. The capital, Bishkek, and the second largest city Osh are administratively independent cities (shaar) with a status equal to a region.
![A clickable map of Kyrgyzstan exhibiting its provinces.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Kyrgyzstan_provinces_map.png/400px-Kyrgyzstan_provinces_map.png)
The regions, and independent cities, are as follows:
Each region comprises a number of districts (raions), administered by government-appointed officials (akim). Rural communities (ayıl ökmötü), consisting of up to 20 small settlements, have their own elected mayors and councils.
Geography
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Kyrgyzstan.png/350px-Kyrgyzstan.png)
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Karakol_Valley.jpg/220px-Karakol_Valley.jpg)
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Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It lies between latitudes 39° and 44° N, and longitudes 69° and 81° E. It is farther from the sea than any other individual country, and all its rivers flow into closed drainage systems which do not reach the sea. The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia", as a result),[57] with the remainder made up of valleys and basins.
Issyk-Kul Lake, or Ysyk-Köl in Kyrgyz, in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. Peak Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 m (24,406 ft), is the highest point and is considered by geologists to be the northernmost peak over 7,000 m (22,966 ft) in the world. Heavy snowfall in winter leads to spring floods which often cause serious damage downstream. The runoff from the mountains is also used for hydro-electricity.
Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of metals including gold and rare earth metals. Due to the country's predominantly mountainous terrain, less than 8% of the land is cultivated, and this is concentrated in the northern lowlands and the fringes of the Fergana Valley.
Bishkek in the north is the capital and largest city, with approximately 900,000 inhabitants (as of 2005). The second city is the ancient town of Osh, located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. The principal river is the Kara Darya, which flows west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Across the border in Uzbekistan it meets another major Kyrgyz river, the Naryn.
The confluence forms the Syr Darya, which originally flowed into the Aral Sea. As of 2010[update], it no longer reaches the sea, as its water is withdrawn upstream to irrigate cotton fields in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and southern Kazakhstan. The Chu River also briefly flows through Kyrgyzstan before entering Kazakhstan.
Ecology
Climate
The climate varies regionally. The south-western Fergana Valley is subtropical and extremely hot in summer, with temperatures reaching 40 °C (104 °F) The northern foothills are temperate and the Tian Shan varies from dry continental to polar climate, depending on elevation. In the coldest areas temperatures are sub-zero for around 40 days in winter, and even some desert areas experience constant snowfall in this period.
Enclaves and exclaves
There is one exclave, the tiny village of Barak[58] (population 627), in the Fergana Valley. The village is surrounded by Uzbek territory. It is located on the road from Osh (Kyrgyzstan) to Khodjaabad (Uzbekistan) about 4 kilometres (2 miles) north-west from the Kyrgyz–Uzbek border in the direction of Andijan.[59] Barak is administratively part of Kara-Suu District in Kyrgyzstan's Osh Region.
There are four Uzbek enclaves within Kyrgyzstan. Two of them are the towns of Sokh (area 325 km2 (125 sq mi) and a population of 42,800 in 1993, although some estimates go as high as 70,000; 99% are Tajiks, the remainder Uzbeks) and Shakhimardan (also known as Shahimardan, Shohimardon, or Shah-i-Mardan, area 90 km2 (35 sq mi) and a population of 5,100 in 1993; 91% are Uzbeks, the remainder Kyrgyz); the other two are the tiny territories of Chong-Kara (roughly 3 km (2 mi) long by 1 km (0.6 mi) wide) and Jangy-ayyl (a dot of land barely 2–3 km (1–2 mi) across). Chong-Kara is on the Sokh river, between the Uzbek border and the Sokh enclave. Jangy-ayyl is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of Batken, in a northward projection of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border near Khalmion.
There also are two enclaves belonging to Tajikistan: Vorukh (exclave area between 95–130 km2 (37–50 sq mi), population estimated between 23,000 and 29,000, 95% Tajiks and 5% Kyrgyz, distributed among 17 villages), located 45 kilometres (28 mi) south of Isfara on the right bank of the Karafshin river, and a small settlement near the Kyrgyz railway station of Kairagach.
Economy
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The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic serves as the Central bank of Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan was the second poorest country in the former Soviet Union, and is today the second poorest country in Central Asia. According to the CIA World Factbook, in 2011, a third of the country's population lived below the poverty line.[60] According to UNDP, the level of poverty will continue to grow: in 2009 31% of the population lived below the poverty level while in 2011 this figure rose to 37%.[61]
Despite the backing of major Western lenders, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, Kyrgyzstan has had economic difficulties following independence. Initially, these were a result of the breakup of the Soviet trading bloc and resulting loss of markets, which impeded the republic's transition to a demand economy.
The government has reduced expenditures, ended most price subsidies and introduced a value-added tax. Overall, the government appears committed to the transition to a market economy. Through economic stabilization and reform, the government seeks to establish a pattern of long-term consistent growth. Reforms led to Kyrgyzstan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 20 December 1998.
The Kyrgyz economy was severely affected by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting loss of its vast market. In 1990, some 98% of Kyrgyz exports went to other parts of the Soviet Union. Thus, the nation's economic performance in the early 1990s was worse than any other former Soviet republic except war-torn Armenia, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, as factories and state farms collapsed with the disappearance of their traditional markets in the former Soviet Union. While economic performance has improved considerably in the last few years, and particularly since 1998, difficulties remain in securing adequate fiscal revenues and providing an adequate social safety net. Remittances of around 800,000 Kyrgyz migrants working in Russia represent 40% of Kyrgyzstan's GDP.[62][63]
Agriculture is an important sector of the economy in Kyrgyzstan (see agriculture in Kyrgyzstan). By the early 1990s, the private agricultural sector provided between one-third and one-half of some harvests. In 2002, agriculture accounted for 35.6% of GDP and about half of employment. Kyrgyzstan's terrain is mountainous, which accommodates livestock raising, the largest agricultural activity, so the resulting wool, meat and dairy products are major commodities. Main crops include wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, vegetables, and fruit. As the prices of imported agrichemicals and petroleum are so high, much farming is being done by hand and by horse, as it was generations ago. Agricultural processing is a key component of the industrial economy as well as one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/E7919-Dordoy-Bazaar-clothing.jpg/300px-E7919-Dordoy-Bazaar-clothing.jpg)
Kyrgyzstan is rich in mineral resources but has negligible petroleum and natural gas reserves; it imports petroleum and gas. Among its mineral reserves are substantial deposits of coal, gold, uranium, antimony, and other valuable metals. Metallurgy is an important industry, and the government hopes to attract foreign investment in this field. The government has actively encouraged foreign involvement in extracting and processing gold from the Kumtor Gold Mine and other regions. The country's plentiful water resources and mountainous terrain enable it to produce and export large quantities of hydroelectric energy.
On a local level, the economy is primarily kiosk in nature. A large amount of local commerce occurs at bazaars and small village kiosks in country regions. A significant amount of trade is unregulated. There is also a scarcity of common everyday consumer items[specify] in remote villages. Thus a large number of homes are quite self-sufficient with respect to food production. There is a distinct differentiation between urban and rural economies.
The principal exports are nonferrous metals and minerals, woollen goods and other agricultural products, electric energy and certain engineering goods. Imports include petroleum and natural gas, ferrous metals, chemicals, most machinery, wood and paper products, some foods and some construction materials. Its leading trade partners include Germany, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
In regards to telecommunication infrastructure, Kyrgyz Republic ranks last in Central Asia in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI) – an indicator for determining the development level of a country’s information and communication technologies. Kyrgyz Republic ranked number 118 overall in the 2014 NRI ranking, unchanged from 2013 (see Networked Readiness Index).
Demographics
Kyrgyzstan's population is estimated at 5.6 million in 2013.[2] Of those, 34.4% are under the age of 15 and 6.2% are over 65. The country is rural: only about one-third of the population live in urban areas. The average population density is 25 people per km².
Ethnic groups
The nation's largest ethnic group are the Kyrgyz, a Turkic people, who comprise 72% of the population (2013 estimate). Other ethnic groups include Russians (9.0%) concentrated in the north and Uzbeks (14.5%) living in the south. Small but noticeable minorities include Dungans (1.9%), Uyghurs (1.1%), Tajiks (1.1%), Kazakhs (0.7%), and Ukrainians (0.5%) and other smaller ethnic minorities (1.7%). The country has over 80 ethnic groups.[64]
The Kyrgyz have historically been semi-nomadic herders, living in round tents called yurts and tending sheep, horses and yaks. This nomadic tradition continues to function seasonally (see transhumance) as herding families return to the high mountain pasture (or jailoo) in the summer. The sedentary Uzbeks and Tajiks traditionally have farmed lower-lying irrigated land in the Fergana valley.[65]
Kyrgyzstan has undergone a pronounced change in its ethnic composition since independence.[66][67][68] The percentage of ethnic Kyrgyz has increased from around 50% in 1979 to over 70% in 2013, while the percentage of European ethnic groups (Russians, Ukrainians and Germans) as well as Tatars dropped from 35% to about 10%.[2] The percentage of ethnic Russians dropped from 29.2% in 1970 to 21.5% in 1989.[69] Since 1991, huge numbers of Germans, who in 1989 numbered 101,000 persons, have been immigrating to Germany.[70] More than 600,000 people emigrated in the 1990s, many of them members of ethnic minorities.[28]
Ethnic group |
census 19261 | census 19593 | census 19896 | census 19997 | census 20147 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |||||||||
Kyrgyz | 661,171 | 66.6 | 836,831 | 40.5 | 2,229,663 | 52.4 | 3,128,147 | 64.9 | 4,193,850 | 72.6 | ||||||||
Uzbeks | 110,463 | 11.1 | 218,640 | 10.6 | 550,096 | 12.9 | 664,950 | 13.8 | 836,065 | 14.4 | ||||||||
Russians | 116,436 | 11.7 | 623,562 | 30.2 | 916,558 | 21.5 | 603,201 | 12.5 | 369,939 | 6.4 | ||||||||
1 Source:.[71] 3 Source:.[72] 6 Source:.[73] 7 Source:.[74] |
Languages
Kyrgyzstan is one of two former Soviet republics in Central Asia to retain Russian as an official language, Kazakhstan being the other. It added the Kyrgyz language to become an officially bilingual country in September 1991.
Kyrgyz is a Turkic language of the Kipchak branch, closely related to Kazakh, Karakalpak, and Nogay Tatar. It was written in the Arabic alphabet until the twentieth century. Latin script was introduced and adopted in 1928, and was subsequently replaced by Cyrillic script in 1941.
According to the 2009 census,[75] 4.1 million people spoke Kyrgyz as native or second language and 2.5 million spoke Russian as native or second language. Uzbek is the second most widely spoken native language, followed by Russian. Russian is the most widely spoken second language, followed by Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and English.
Many business and political affairs are carried out in Russian. Until recently, Kyrgyz remained a language spoken at home and was rarely used during meetings or other events. However, most parliamentary meetings today are conducted in Kyrgyz, with simultaneous interpretation available for those not speaking Kyrgyz.
Language name | Native speakers | Second-language speakers | Total speakers |
---|---|---|---|
Kyrgyz | 3,830,556 | 271,187 | 4,121,743 |
Russian | 482,243 | 2,109,393 | 2,591,636 |
Uzbek | 772,561 | 97,753 | 870,314 |
English | 28,416 | 28,416 | |
French | 641 | 641 | |
German | 10 | 10 | |
Other | 277,433 | 31,411 |
Population centres
Template:Largest cities of Kyrgyz Republic
Religion
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Karakol-Dungan-Mosque-Exterior-1.jpg/220px-Karakol-Dungan-Mosque-Exterior-1.jpg)
Islam is the dominant religion of Kyrgyzstan: 80% of the population is Muslim while 17% follow Russian Orthodoxy and 3% other religions.[76] A 2009 Pew Research Center report indicates a higher percentage of Muslims, with 86.3% of Kyrgyzstan's population adhering to Islam.[77] The majority of Muslims are non-denominational Muslims at 64% while roughly 23% are Sunni, adhering to the Hanafi school of thought.[78] There are a few Ahmadiyya Muslims, though unrecognised by the country.[79]
During Soviet times, state atheism was encouraged. Today, however, Kyrgyzstan is a secular state, although Islam has exerted a growing influence in politics.[80] For instance, there has been an attempt to arrange for officials to travel on hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca) under a tax-free arrangement.
While Islam in Kyrgyzstan is more of a cultural background than a devout daily practice for many, public figures have expressed support for restoring religious values. For example, human rights ombudsman Tursunbay Bakir-Ulu noted, "In this era of independence, it is not surprising that there has been a return to spiritual roots not only in Kyrgyzstan, but also in other post-communist republics. It would be immoral to develop a market-based society without an ethical dimension."[80]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Bishkek_church_01.jpg/170px-Bishkek_church_01.jpg)
Additionally, Bermet Akayeva, the daughter of Askar Akayev, the former President of Kyrgyzstan, stated during a July 2007 interview that Islam is increasingly taking root across the nation.[81] She emphasized that many mosques have recently been built and that the Kyrgyz are increasingly devoting themselves to Islam, which she noted was "not a bad thing in itself. It keeps our society more moral, cleaner."[81] There is a contemporary Sufi order present which gives a somewhat different form of Islam than the orthodox Islam.[82]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Mosque_under_construction_in_Kyrgyzstan.jpg/220px-Mosque_under_construction_in_Kyrgyzstan.jpg)
The other faiths practiced in Kyrgyzstan include Russian Orthodox and Ukrainian Orthodox versions of Christianity, practiced primarily by Russians and Ukrainians respectively. A community of 5000 to 10000 Jehovah's Witnesses gather in both Kirghiz- and Russian-speaking congregations, as well as some Chinese- and Turkish-speaking groups.[83][84] A small minority of ethnic Germans are also Christian, mostly Lutheran and Anabaptist as well as a Roman Catholic community of approximately 600.[85][86]
A few Animistic traditions survive, as do influences from Buddhism such as the tying of prayer flags onto sacred trees, though some view this practice rooted within Sufi Islam.[87] There are also a small number of Bukharian Jews living in Kyrgyzstan, but during the collapse of the Soviet Union most fled to other countries, mainly the United States and Israel. In addition, there is a small community of Ashkenazi Jews, who fled to the country from eastern Europe during the Second World War.[citation needed]
On 6 November 2008, the Kyrgyzstan parliament unanimously passed a law increasing the minimum number of adherents for recognizing a religion from 10 to 200. It also outlawed "aggressive action aimed at proselytism", and banned religious activity in schools and all activity by unregistered organizations. It was signed by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on 12 January 2009.[88]
There have been several reported police raids against peaceful minority religious meetings,[89] reports of officials planting false evidence,[90] but also some courts decisions in favour of religious minorities.[91]
Culture
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Kyrgyz_Musicians_in_Karakol.jpg/220px-Kyrgyz_Musicians_in_Karakol.jpg)
- Manas, an epic poem
- Komuz, a three-stringed lute
- Tush kyiz, large, elaborately embroidered wall hangings
- Shirdak, flat cushions made in shadow-pairs[92]
- Other textiles, especially made from felt
- Falconry
Traditions
In addition to celebrating the New Year each 1 January, the Kyrgyz observe the traditional New Year festival Nowruz on the vernal equinox. This spring holiday is celebrated with feasts and festivities such as the horse game Ulak Tartish.
Illegal, but still practiced, is the tradition of bride kidnapping.[93]
It is debatable whether bride kidnapping is actually traditional. Some of the confusion may stem from the fact that arranged marriages were traditional, and one of the ways to escape an arranged marriage was to arrange a consensual "kidnapping."[94]
Flag
The 40-rayed yellow sun in the center of the flag represent the 40 tribes that once made up the entirety of Kyrgyz culture before the intervention of Russia during the rise of the soviet union. The lines inside the sun represent the crown or tündük (Kyrgyz түндүк) of a yurt, a symbol replicated in many facets of Kyrgyz architecture. The red portion of the flag represents peace and openness of Kyrgyzstan.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Ishenbek_and_Berkut_scout_for_prey._%283968888530%29.jpg/220px-Ishenbek_and_Berkut_scout_for_prey._%283968888530%29.jpg)
Horse riding
The traditional national sports reflect the importance of horse riding in Kyrgyz culture.
Very popular, as in all of Central Asia, is Ulak Tartysh, a team game resembling a cross between polo and rugby in which two teams of riders wrestle for possession of the headless carcass of a goat, which they attempt to deliver across the opposition's goal line, or into the opposition's goal: a big tub or a circle marked on the ground.
Other popular games on horseback include:
- At Chabysh – a long-distance horse race, sometimes over a distance of more than 50 km
- Jumby Atmai – a large bar of precious metal (the "jumby") is tied to a pole by a thread and contestants attempt to break the thread by shooting at it, while at a gallop
- Kyz Kuumai – a man chases a girl in order to win a kiss from her, while she gallops away; if he is not successful she may in turn chase him and attempt to beat him with her "kamchi" (horsewhip)
- Oodarysh – two contestants wrestle on horseback, each attempting to be the first to throw the other from his horse
- Tyin Emmei – picking up a coin from the ground at full gallop
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Issyk-Kulmeer.jpg/220px-Issyk-Kulmeer.jpg)
Public holidays
This is the list of public holidays in Kyrgyzstan:
- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 7 January – Orthodox Christmas
- 23 February – Fatherland Defender's Day
- 8 March – Women's Day
- 21 March – Nooruz, Persian New Year – spring festival
- 24 March – Day of National Revolution
- 1 May – Labor Day
- 5 May – Constitution Day
- 8 May – Remembrance Day
- 9 May – Victory Day (end of World War II)
- 31 August – Independence Day
- 7 November – Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Yssykkoel-lake.jpg/220px-Yssykkoel-lake.jpg)
Two additional Muslim holidays Orozo Ait and Kurman Ait are defined by lunar calendar.
Tourism
One of the most popular tourist destination points in Kyrgyzstan is Issyk Kul Lake. Numerous hotels, vacation resorts, boarding houses and sanatoriums are located along its Northern shore. The most popular beach zones are in the city of Cholpon-Ata and the settlements nearby, such as Kara-Oi (Dolinka), Bosteri and Korumdy. The number of tourists visiting the lake was more than a million a year in 2006 and 2007. However, due to the economical and political instability in the region, the number has declined in recent years.[95]
For those interested in trekking and camping, every region offers attractions and challenges. Some of the most popular locations for camping are southern Osh, the area between Naryn City and the Torugart pass, and the mountains and glaciers surrounding Karakol in Issyk-Kul.[citation needed] Local guides and porters can be hired from many tour companies in Bishkek and in the regional capitals.
Skiing is still in its infancy as a tourism industry, but there is one fairly cheap and well-equipped base about a half-hour from Bishkek. The ski base of Toguz Bulak is 45 km (28 mi) from Bishkek, on the way to Issyk Ata valley. In the Karakol Valley National Park, outside Karakol, there is also a ski base with three T-bars and rental equipment available of good quality.
Sports
Football is the most popular sport in Kyrgyzstan. The official governing body is the Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic, which was founded in 1992, after the split of the Soviet Union. It administers the Kyrgyzstan national football team.[96]
Wrestling is also a very popular sport in Kyrgyzstan. In the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, two athletes from Kyrgyzstan won medals in Greco-Roman wrestling: Kanatbek Begaliev (silver) and Ruslan Tiumenbaev (bronze).[97]
Ice hockey has not been as popular in Kyrgyzstan, until the first Ice Hockey Championship was organized in 2009. In 2011, the Kyrgyzstan men's national ice hockey team won 2011 Asian Winter Games Premier Division dominating in all six games with six wins. It was the first major international event that Kyrgyzstan's ice hockey team took part in.[98] The Kyrgyzstan men's ice hockey team joined the IIHF in July 2011.
Bandy is becoming increasingly popular in the country. The Kyrgyz national team took Kyrgyzstan's first medal at the Asian Winter Games, when they captured the bronze. They played in the Bandy World Championship 2012, their first appearance in that tournament.[99]
Education
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/American_University_of_Central_Asia%2C_Bishkek_%282005%29.jpg/500px-American_University_of_Central_Asia%2C_Bishkek_%282005%29.jpg)
The school system in Kyrgyzstan includes primary (grades 1 to 4) and secondary (grades 5 to 11 (or sometimes 12)) divisions within one school. Children are usually accepted to primary schools at the age of 7. It is required that every child finishes 9 grades of school and receives a certificate of completion. Grades 10–11 are optional, but it is necessary to complete them to graduate and receive a state-accredited school diploma. To graduate, a student must complete the 11-year school course and pass 4 mandatory state exams in writing, maths, history and a foreign language.
There are 77 public schools in Bishkek (capital city) and more than 200 in the rest of the country. There are 55 higher educational institutions and universities in Kyrgyzstan, out of which 37 are state institutions.
Higher educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan include:
- International University Of Kyrgyzstan
- University of Central Asia
- American University of Central Asia
- Bishkek Humanities University
- International Atatürk-Alatoo University
- University of Economy and Enterprise
- Kyrgyz State University of Construction, Transport and Architecture n.a. N. Isanov
- Kyrgyz National University
- Kyrgyz Technical University
- Kyrgyz State Pedagogical University, formerly Arabaev Kyrgyz State University
- Kyrgyz Russian Slavonic University
- Kyrgyz-Russian State University
- Kyrgyz-Turkish MANAS University[100]
- Social University (previously Kyrgyz-Uzbek University)
- Moskov Institute Of Law And Enterprise
- Osh State University
- Osh Technological University
- Plato University of Management and Design
- International School of Medicine
Transport
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/E8102-Bishkek-West-Bus-Terminal.jpg/220px-E8102-Bishkek-West-Bus-Terminal.jpg)
Transport in Kyrgyzstan is severely constrained by the country's alpine topography. Roads have to snake up steep valleys, cross passes of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) altitude and more, and are subject to frequent mud slides and snow avalanches. Winter travel is close to impossible in many of the more remote and high-altitude regions.
Additional problems come from the fact that many roads and railway lines built during the Soviet period are today intersected by international boundaries, requiring time-consuming border formalities to cross where they are not completely closed. Horses are still a much-used transport option, especially in more rural areas; Kyrgyzstan's road infrastructure is not extensive, so horses are able to reach locations that motor vehicles cannot, and they do not require expensive, imported fuel.
Airports
At the end of the Soviet period there were about 50 airports and airstrips in Kyrgyzstan, many of them built primarily to serve military purposes in this border region so close to China. Only a few of them remain in service today. The Kyrgyzstan Air Company provides air transport to China, Russia, and other local countries.
- Manas International Airport near Bishkek is the main international airport, with services to Moscow, Tashkent, Almaty, Beijing, Urumqi, Istanbul, London, Baku, Dubai (from 7 February 2012).
- Osh Airport is the main air terminal in the south of the country, with daily connections to Bishkek.
- Jalal-Abad Airport is linked to Bishkek by daily flights. The national flag carrier, Kyrgyzstan, operates flights on BAe-146 aircraft. During the summer months, a weekly flight links Jalal-Abad with the Issyk-Kul Region.
- Other facilities built during the Soviet era are either closed down, used only occasionally or restricted to military use (e.g., Kant Air Base near Bishkek, which is used by the Russian Air Force).
Banned airline status
Kyrgyzstan appears on the European Union's list of prohibited countries for the certification of airlines. This means that no airline which is registered in Kyrgyzstan may operate services of any kind within the European Union, due to safety standards which fail to meet European regulations.[101]
Railways
The Chuy Valley in the north and the Ferghana valley in the south were endpoints of the Soviet Union's rail system in Central Asia. Following the emergence of independent post-Soviet states, the rail lines which were built without regard for administrative boundaries have been cut by borders, and traffic is therefore severely curtailed. The small bits of rail lines within Kyrgyzstan, about 370 km (230 mi) (1,520 mm (59.8 in) broad gauge) in total, have little economic value in the absence of the former bulk traffic over long distances to and from such centres as Tashkent, Almaty, and the cities of Russia.
There are vague plans about extending rail lines from Balykchy in the north and/or from Osh in the south into China, but the cost of construction would be enormous.
Rail links with adjacent countries
- Kazakhstan – yes – Bishkek branch – same gauge
- Uzbekistan – yes – Osh branch – same gauge
- Tajikistan – no – same gauge
- China – no – Break of gauge 1524 mm/1435 mm
Highways
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Street_scene_in_Osh_city.jpg/220px-Street_scene_in_Osh_city.jpg)
With support from the Asian Development Bank, a major road linking the north and southwest from Bishkek to Osh has recently been completed. This considerably eases communication between the two major population centres of the country—the Chuy Valley in the north and the Fergana Valley in the South. An offshoot of this road branches off across a 3,500 meter pass into the Talas Valley in the northwest. Plans are now being formulated to build a major road from Osh into China.
- total: 34,000 km (21,127 mi) (including 140 km (87 mi) of expressways)
- paved: 22,600 km (14,043 mi) (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads)
- unpaved: 7,700 km (4,785 mi) (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)
Waterways
Water transport exists only on Issyk Kul Lake, and has drastically shrunk since the end of the Soviet Union.
Ports and harbours
Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye), on Issyk Kul Lake.
See also
References
- ^ "Constitution". Government of Kyrgyzstan.
Article 5
1. The state language of the Kyrgyz Republic shall be the Kyrgyz language.
2. In the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian language shall be used in the capacity of an official language.{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - ^ a b c "Ethnic composition of the population in Kyrgyzstan 1999–2014" (PDF) (in Russian). National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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{{cite news}}
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Further reading
- Historical Dictionary of Kyrgyzstan by Rafis Abazov
- Kyrgyzstan: Central Asia's Island of Democracy? by John Anderson
- Kyrgyzstan: The Growth and Influence of Islam in the Nations of Asia and Central Asia by Daniel E. Harmon
- Lonely Planet Guide: Central Asia by Paul Clammer, Michael Kohn and Bradley Mayhew
- Odyssey Guide: Kyrgyz Republic by Ceri Fairclough, Rowan Stewart and Susie Weldon
- Politics of Language in the Ex-Soviet Muslim States: Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan by Jacob M. Landau and Barbara Kellner-Heinkele. Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-472-11226-5
- Kyrgyzstan: Traditions of Nomads by V. Kadyrov, Rarity Ltd., Bishkek, 2005. ISBN 9967-424-42-7
External links
- Government
- President of Kyrgyzstan official site
- Government of Kyrgyzstan official site
- Parliament of Kyrgyzstan official site
- Laws of the Kyrgyz Republic
- General information
- Country Profile from BBC News
- "Kyrgyzstan". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
- Kyrgyzstan at UCB Libraries GovPubs
Kyrgyzstan travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Kyrgyz Publishing and Bibliography
- Key Development Forecasts for Kyrgyzstan from International Futures
- Maps
- Articles slanted towards recent events from September 2012
- Kyrgyzstan
- Central Asian countries
- Landlocked countries
- Member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States
- Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
- Modern Turkic states
- Republics
- Russian-speaking countries and territories
- States and territories established in 1991
- Member states of the United Nations
- Muslim-majority countries