Kyrgyzstan facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Kyrgyz Republic Кыргыз Республикасы (Kyrgyz) Кыргызская Республика (Russian)
Flag Emblem
Anthem: Кыргыз Республикасынын Мамлекеттик гимни (Kyrgyz) National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic
Location of Kyrgyzstan (dark green)
Capital and largest city	Bishkek 42°52′N 74°36′E / 42.867°N 74.600°E / 42.867; 74.600
Official languages	Kyrgyz (state) Russian (official)
Official script	Cyrillic
Ethnic groups (2024)	77.8% Kyrgyz 14.2% Uzbeks 3.8% Russians 1.0% Dungans 0.9% Tajiks 2.3% Others
Religion (2021)	90% Islam 7% Christianity 3% Others
Demonym(s)	Kyrgyz Kyrgyzstani
Government	Unitary presidential republic

• President	Sadyr Japarov
• Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers	Akylbek Japarov
• Speaker of the Supreme Council	Nurlanbek Shakiev

Legislature	Supreme Council
Formation History

• Kyrgyz Khaganate	539
• Annexed by the Russian Empire	1876
• Kara-Kirghiz AO	14 October 1924
• Kirghiz ASSR	11 February 1926
• Kirghiz SSR	5 December 1936
• Sovereignty declared	30 December 1990
• Independence declared from USSR	31 August 1991
• Independence recognized	26 December 1991
• Current constitution	11 April 2021

Area
• Total	200,105 km² (77,261 sq mi) (85th)
• Water	7,198 km² (2,779 sq mi)
• Water (%)	3.6
Population
• 2024 estimate	7,213,455 (107th)
• Density	37/km² (95.8/sq mi) (109th)
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$48.054 billion (129th)
• Per capita	$6,790 (139th)
GDP (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$13.599 billion (140th)
• Per capita	$1,922 (152nd)
Gini (2020)	▲ 29.0 low
HDI (2022)	0.701 high · 117th
Currency	Kyrgyzstani som (c) (KGS)
Time zone	UTC+6 (KGT)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+996
ISO 3166 code	KG
Internet TLD	.kg

Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, and also known as Kirghizia, is a country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country with mountainous terrain. It is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and southwest, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. It is farther from the ocean than any other country in the world.

Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.

Kyrgyzstan's recorded 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 been at the crossroads of several great civilizations 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 fallen under foreign domination and attained sovereignty as a nation-state only after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Since independence, the sovereign state has officially been a unitary parliamentary republic, although it continues to endure ethnic conflicts, revolts, economic troubles, transitional governments and political conflict.

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 six million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians.

Kyrgyz is closely related to other Turkic languages, although Russian remains widely spoken and is an official language, a legacy of a century of Russification. The majority of the population are non-denominational Muslims.

In addition to its Turkic origins, Kyrgyz culture bears elements of Persian, Mongolian, and Russian influence.

Geography

Tian Shan mountain range in Kyrgyzstan

Mountains cover over 80% of the country. Issyk-Kul Lake is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. It is the largest mountain lake in Asia and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca.

Peak Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 m (24,406 ft), is the highest point. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range.

Bishkek, the capital city, is in the north. It is largest city in Kyrgyzstan. The second largest is the ancient town of Osh.

Climate

Tea Time - Fergana Valley

The climate varies regionally. The low-lying Fergana Valley in the southwest 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. In the lowlands the temperature ranges from around -−6 °C (21 °F) in January to 24 °C (75 °F) in July.

Government

The 1993 constitution defines the form of government as a democratic unicameral republic. The executive branch includes a president and prime minister. The parliament currently is unicameral. The judicial branch comprises a supreme court, local courts and a chief prosecutor.

In April 2021, the majority of voters approved in the constitutional referendum a new constitution that will give new powers to the president, significantly strengthening the power of the presidency.

Administrative divisions

Kyrgyzstan is divided into seven regions. The regions are subdivided into 44 districts. The districts are further subdivided into rural districts at the lowest level of administration, which include all rural settlements (aýyl ökmötü) and villages without an associated municipal government.

The cities of Bishkek and Osh have status "state importance" and do not belong to any region.

Each region is headed by a regional governor appointed by the president. District akims are appointed by regional akims.

The regions, and independent cities, are as follows, with subdivisions:

City of Bishkek
1. Lenin District
2. Oktyabr District
3. Birinchi May District
4. Sverdlov District
Batken Region
1. Batken District
2. Kadamjay District
3. Leylek District
Chüy Region
1. Alamüdün District
2. Chüy District
3. Jayyl District
4. Kemin District
5. Moskva District
6. Panfilov District
7. Sokuluk District
8. Ysyk-Ata District
Jalal-Abad Region
1. Aksy District
2. Ala-Buka District
3. Bazar-Korgon District
4. Chatkal District
5. Nooken District
6. Suzak District
7. Toguz-Toro District
8. Toktogul District
Naryn Region
1. Ak-Talaa District
2. At-Bashy District
3. Jumgal District
4. Kochkor District
5. Naryn District
Osh Region
1. Alay District
2. Aravan District
3. Chong-Alay District
4. Kara-Kulja District
5. Kara-Suu District
6. Nookat District
7. Özgön District
Talas Region
1. Bakay-Ata District
2. Kara-Buura District
3. Manas District
4. Talas District
Issyk-Kul Region
1. Ak-Suu District
2. Issyk-Kul District
3. Jeti-Ögüz District
4. Tong District
5. Tüp District
City of Osh

Economy

The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic serves as the central bank of Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan was the ninth poorest country in the former Soviet Union, and is today the second poorest country in Central Asia after Tajikistan. 22.4% of the country's population lives below the poverty line.

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 trade 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 contribute to the economy however in recent years, remittances have decreased.

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.

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.

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. After Beijing launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, China has expanded its economic presence and initiated a number of sizable infrastructure projects in Kyrgyzstan.

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).

Kyrgyzstan is ranked 78th among countries for economic freedom by the Heritage Institute.

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a significant negative impact on the Kyrgyz economy that is reliant on services, remittances and natural resources. As a result, in order to mitigate the economic shock and preserve much of the development progress achieved in recent years the World Bank will provide support by financing several projects in the country.

Tourism

Southern shore of Issyk Kul Lake

Bazar in Osh

One of the most popular tourist destination points in Kyrgyzstan is the lake Issyk-Kul. Numerous hotels, resorts and boarding houses 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 economic and political instability in the region, the number has declined in recent years.

Demographics

A population pyramid showing Kyrgyzstan's age distribution (2005)

Population density (people per km²) of Kyrgyzstan, 2015

Kyrgyzstan's population is estimated at 6,586,600 in August 2020. 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 77.8% of the population. Other ethnic groups include the Russians (3.8%) concentrated in the north and the Uzbeks (14.2%) living in the south. Small but noticeable minorities include the Dungans (1.0%), Tajiks (0.9%), Uyghurs (0.5%), Kazakhs (0.4%), and other smaller ethnic minorities. The country has over 80 ethnic groups.

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.

Kyrgyzstan has undergone a pronounced change in its ethnic composition since independence. The percentage of ethnic Kyrgyz has increased from around 50% in 1979 to over 70% in 2013, while the percentage of ethnic groups, such as Russians, Ukrainians, Germans and Tatars dropped from 35% to about 7%. Since 1991, a large number of Germans, who in 1989 numbered 101,000 persons, have emigrated to Germany.

Population of Kyrgyzstan according to ethnic group 1926–2024
		Kyrgyz	Uzbeks	Russians	Ukrainians
1926 census	Number	661,171	110,463	116,436	64,128
1926 census	%	66.6%	11.1%	11.7%	6.5%
1959 census	Number	836,831	218,640	623,562	137,031
1959 census	%	40.5%	10.6%	30.2%	6.6%
1989 census	Number	2,229,663	550,096	916,558	108,027
1989 census	%	52.4%	12.9%	21.5%	2.5%
1999 census	Number	3,128,147	664,950	603,201	50,442
1999 census	%	64.9%	13.8%	12.5%	1.0%
2009 census	Number	3,804,788	768,405	419,583	21,924
2009 census	%	70.9%	14.3%	7.8%	0.4%
2022 census	Number	5,379,020	986,881	282,777	3,875
2022 census	%	77.6%	14.2%	4.1%	0.1%
2024 estimate	Number	5,570,910	1,017,658	274,940	2,783
2024 estimate	%	77.8%	14.2%	3.8%	0.0%

Kyrgyz writer Kenesh Jusupov and General Beishe Moldogaziev with villagers, On-Archain, Naryn Region

Languages

The name of Kyrgyzstan rendered in the traditional script in use from the 13th century to 1920

Kyrgyz is the state language of Kyrgyzstan. Russian is additionally an official language. Kyrgyzstan is one of five former Soviet republics to have Russian as a de jure official language, along with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyz was adopted as the state language of Kyrgyzstan in 1991. Kyrgyzstan adopted Russian as an official language in 1997. The languages have different legal statuses.

Religion

Karakol Dungan Mosque

Islam is the dominant religion of Kyrgyzstan and most Kyrgyz. The great majority of Muslims are Sunni.

Mosque under construction in Kyrgyzstan

The other faiths practiced in Kyrgyzstan include Russian Orthodox and Ukrainian Orthodox versions of Christianity, practiced primarily by Russians and Ukrainians respectively.

Culture

Traditions

A Kyrgyz manaschi performing part of the Epic of Manas at a yurt camp in Karakol

Musicians playing traditional Kyrgyz music

Hunting with an eagle

Manas, an epic poem; the plot revolves around a series of events that coincide with the history of the region in the 9th century, primarily the interaction of the Kyrgyz people with other Turkic and Chinese people.
Komuz, a three-stringed lute
Tush kyiz, large, elaborately embroidered wall hangings
Shyrdak and Ala-kiyiz carpets, manufactured by the process of felting, used for yurts. Inscribed in 2012 on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Other textiles, especially made from felt
Ala kachuu, "bride kidnapping", traditional form of marriage in Kyrgyzstan
Falconry
Various dances

Illegal, but still practiced, is the tradition of bride kidnapping. 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".

Flag

The 40-rayed yellow sun in the center of the national 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.

Under Soviet rule and before 1992, it had the flag of the Soviet Union with two big blue stripes and a white thin stripe in the middle.

Public holidays

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.

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
21–23 March – Nooruz Mairamy, Persian New Year (spring festival)
7 April – Day of National Revolution
1 May – Labor Day
5 May – Constitution Day
8 May – Remembrance Day
9 May – Victory Day
31 August – Independence Day
7–8 November – Days of History and Commemoration of Ancestors

Two additional Muslim holidays Orozo Ayt and Qurman (or Qurban) Ayt are defined by the lunar calendar.

Sports

In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Kyrgyzstan received its first ever Olympic medal when Aidyn Smagulov won bronze in the men's 60 kg competition final in judo.

Bandy: Kyrgyzstan in red against Japan

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.

Wrestling is also very popular. Since the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Kyrgyzstani wrestlers have won six medals in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling: three in 2008 and three in 2020.

Ice hockey was not 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. 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.

Martial Arts: Valentina Shevchenko is a Kyrgyzstani–Peruvian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the women's flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the Women's Flyweight champion.

Boxing: Dmitry Bivol is a Kyrgyzstani Professional Boxer from Tokmok, who competes in the Light Heavyweight Division. Since 2017, he has held the World Boxing Association Light Heavyweight Title. As of August 2019, Bivol is ranked as the world's best active light-heavyweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and BoxRec, and third by The Ring Magazine.

Kyrgyzstan's national basketball team had its best performance at the official 1995 Asian Basketball Championship where the team finished ahead of favorites such as Iran, Philippines and Jordan.

XXI International Issyk-Kul Sports Games (SCO + CIS) was held in 9–17 September 2022 in Baktuu-Dolonotu village (Issyk-Kul). The first three World Nomad Games were held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. The 6th International Sports Festival Pearl of Kyrgyzstan were held in Issyk-Kul region from 15 June to 3 July 2022.

Horse riding

Ulak Tartysh

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

Education

The school system in Kyrgyzstan also includes primary (grades 1 to 4, some schools have optional 0 grade), secondary (grades 5 to 9) and high (grades 10 to 11) divisions within one school. Children are usually accepted to primary schools at the age of 6 or 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.

In September 2016, the University of Central Asia was launched in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan.

There are also various Russian-language medium schools in Bishkek, Osh and other areas. Because of the better funding that they receive in comparation with Kyrgyz state schools, many Kyrgyz go there. In March 2021 Russia announced its plans to create approximately 30 new Russian-language schools in Kyrgyzstan. Teachers from Russia are also working here. However, the existence of these schools has been criticised, for reasons such as the fact that Russian language education has flaws compared to the Turkish and American schools in the country, but also because many ethnic Kyrgyz born after Kyrgyz independence in 1991 can't speak Kyrgyz, but only Russian, according to a Bishkek resident.

Libraries

Kyrgyzstan is home to 1,066 libraries. The National Library of the Kyrgyz Republic is the oldest library in the country, which was established in 1934. Kyrgyz Libraries are working towards expanding access to communities, evident in projects such as the signing of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty and the Open access Portal