Kyrgyz Republic News Headlines in English

Things to Know about Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country located in the eastern part of Central Asia. The official name of the country is the Kyrgyz Republic. The country is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, People's Republic of China to the east, People's Republic of China to the east and Tajikistan to the south, and Uzbekistan to the west. It is a Muslim state. There are many ethnic groups living in this country but Muslims are the majority. They are Turkish people so they speak Turkish.

The parliament of this country has one chamber. The capital of Kyrgyzstan is Bishkek, the country's largest city. They make up the majority of Kyrgyzstan's population. Uzbeks and Russians are significant minorities here. Kyrgyzstan became part of the Russian Empire in the late 19th century. In 1924, it became an autonomous region of the Soviet Union. In 1936, it was granted the status of a Soviet republic. It was then also known as Kyrgyzstan. The country gained independence in 1991 and passed a new constitution in 1993.

Politics and Demographics

Kyrgyz politics takes place in a semi-presidential, representative democratic republic. The president is the head of state. The Prime Minister is the Prime Minister. The executive power of the state is vested in the government. The power to make laws is vested in both the government and the legislature Population: 82, 01,912. Population density: 26 people / sq. km. 63% of the population is Muslim and most are Sunni. Orthodox Christians, Buddhists and Jews of other faiths.

Economy

The country is not economically viable. High mountains have affected the use of transportation. Roads in Kyrgyzstan have spiraled down steep mountain slopes. Many times they have to go through a pass at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level. Roads are prone to landslides and avalanches. It is very difficult to travel in remote areas of high altitude in winter. Another problem is that most of the roads built during the Soviet era now cross international borders, wasting a lot of time adhering to border protocols on all of these roads. Horses are still used in Kyrgyzstan as a means of transportation in rural and remote areas. The country has a nominal GDP of $8.261 billion and a per capita income of $1,293. The country's common currency is the Som.

Language

Kyrgyz is the official language of Kyrgyzstan. This language is spoken by more than half of the people of Kyrgyzstan. About 17% of people speak Russian. Other languages spoken here include Uzbek, Chinese, Mongolian and Uyghur.