Geographical Situation
History
Political System
National Economy

At the end of 1991 a gigantic monolith of the Soviet Union was split into 15 independent countries. One of them being the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. However, declaration of sovereignty by itself costs little, if humanity does not know where the new country is located. Unfortunately, this is precisely the case with Kyrgyzstan. The state is ruled by a democratic government. It is known for its political stability, developed industries, and is enormously rich in natural resources. Kyrgyzstan possesses great potential for international tourism.

General

• AREA: 198,500 sq km (76,600 sq miles).
• POPULATION: 4,716,000 (October 1998).
• POPULATION DENSITY: 22.6 per sq km.
• CAPITAL: Bishkek (Frunze). Population: 670,000 (1995).
• GEOGRAPHY: Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. The majestic Tien Shan (Heavenly Mountains) range occupies the greater part of the area. Its highest peak is Pik Pobedy at 7439m (24,406 ft).
• LANGUAGE: The official language is Kyrgyz, a Turkic language closely related to Uzbek, Kazakh, Turkmen and Turkish. Any attempt by a foreigner to speak Kyrgyz will be greatly appreciated. In deference to the large Russian population of Kyrgyzstan, Russian is also protected under law.
• RELIGION: Predominantly Sunny Muslim with a Russian Orthodox minority.
• TIME: GMT + 5
• ELECTRICITY: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. Round 2 pin continental plugs are standard.

Kyrgyzstan borders on Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. The longest distance between the west- eastern point is 925 kilometers and north- southern, 454 kilometers. The total length of its boundaries is 4,500 kilometers. The total area is 198,500 sq km (76,600 sq miles) which is approximately as large as that of Portugal, Holland, Belgium and Switzerland taken together. It is a little less than the area of New Zealand, Ecuador and Great Britain.

Kyrgyzstan is a country of high mountain ranges featuring ridges, deep gorges and wide stretches of hollows. The average elevation registers at 2,750 meters. The highest altitude is 7,439 meters, the lowest is 401 meters above sea level. More than 94% of its area is 1,000 meters above sea level and about 40% is 3,000 meters above sea level. Nearly all of the resident live at an altitude of 1,800 meters.

The mountain series, which cover the whole country, named Tien-Shan, means Celestial Mountains or sky-high mountains. Celestial Mountains are covered by the snow caps and glaciers on every season. For this reason, they got a name that they really deserve; Ala-Too, means Colorful Mountains. There are 3 famous peaks on these mountain series; Victory Peak, 7,439 m., the peak has a shape of razor edge of peak has an irregular pyramid share and Khan Tengry, 6,995m., the pyramid shape of the peak has view of pink and white marble, this fabulous peak is called ''Ruler of the Ghost'' or ''Master of Sky''. These high mountain series keep lots natural beauty; mountain, lakes, rivers, glaciers, canyons, caves etc., waiting for to be discovered by the world.

Climate. The climate of Kyrgyzstan is continental. The rainfalls are comparatively rare. It averages 247 sunny days a year. In the summer in the mountains the mornings are generally fine and the afternoons hazy with occasional rain. The summers are hot and dry. The winter temperatures, particularly in the mountains and mountain hollows, are rather low. Thawing periods are rather frequent. Average Air Temperatures (Celsius) for

January	April	July	October
The Lowlands -4 to -6	6-8	20-30	4-8
The Highland -14 to -20	0 to -4	8-12	0 to -4

The ancient Kyrgyz populated the territory of North western Mongolia. This is evidenced by the name of one the largest lakes, of Caracas- Huurwhich, which means the Kyrgyz lake. In 4 to 3 B.C. the kyrgyz were among the most powerful normal tribes which repeatedly violated the Chinese borders. This made china begin the construction of the Great Chinese wall.

In 2 to 1 century B.C. some of the Kyrgyz tribes set themselves free from the Hun (Hunnu) domination and moved to the Enisei (Ene- sai which means, "The Mother River") and Baikal (Bai-kol - a rich lake) regions. It was there that they formed their first ever state known as the Kyrgyz Kaganat. The latter existed from 6 to 13 c.A.D. This was also the time when the Kyrgyz culture and the first Kyrgyz language was written. From the mid- 9th till the 10th century A.D., the Great Kyrgyz Khanate occupied the areas of South Siberia, Mongolia, Baikal, the Upper Irtish, part of Kamgar, Issyk-Kul and Talas. The prosperity of the Great Khanate was associated not only with intensive trade contracts with China, Tibet, Central and Middle Asia. It was exactly the time when following the conquest of Uigur Khanate, the Kyrgyz for the first time reached the territory of Tien-Shan. In the years to follow the Kyrgyz gradually lost their territories. In 10 A.D. they occupied South Siberia, Altai and South west Mongolia. However, by 12 A.d., their domination was limited only to the Altai and Sayan regions. In the meantime, the rest of the Kyrgyz tribes which remained dispersed on vast areas of Central Asia, continued to take an active part in the history of Central Asia. They managed to preserve their ethnic originality and were the focus of attraction for other ethnoses. The final stage of Kyrgyz ethnogenesis is closely connected with Mongolian, Oirot (Kalia) Naiman and other peoples of Central Asia. The absence of unity in the face of threat coming form chingiz Khan's son Dzhuchi allowed the latter to defeat the troops of the Enisei Kyrgyz remained under the rule of the Golden Horde, Oriot and Dzhumgar Khanates. At the same time, Kyrgyz people migrated to the Tien-Shan region. The 16th century completes the ethnogenesis of the Kyrgyz people. Its kinship to many people of Central Asia is reflected in the meaning of "Kyrgyz" which denotes "forty tribes".

The Kokand Khanate. the Kyrgyz remained an integral part of the Kokand Khanate for more than a century and a half (1710-1876). They were very socially active and served in selected troops. Some of them were military leaders and even Khans. It was during this time that many Kyrgyz settlements including the Bishkek and Tokmak fortresses were built.

On the Outskirts of the Russian Empire. As early as the mid 18th century some of the tribes made attempts to seek protection from more powerful neighbors. In 1876 the Russian troops defeated the Kokand khanate and occupied Northern Kyrgyzstan. Russia's rule was noted for many activities previously never practiced by the Kyrgyz. Russian specialist started large- scale housing and road construction programs, opened schools and laid the basis for mining industry. The year of 1916 is a tragic year in the history of the Kyrgyz people. During this year they undertook an uprising against Russia's oppression which was brutally suppressed. In 1917-1918 the soviet power order was introduced in Kyrgyzstan.

The Great Migration. At the end of the 19th century, migrants began to arrive from Russia and Ukraine. They settled in the northern regions of Kyrgyzstan. Another migration wave was recorded following the failure of the northern china to Middle Asia.

Religion. Although Islam is considered the official region with the Kyrgyz, their perception of Mohammedism never excluded the possibility of following the rites prescribed by other religions. It should be noted, however, that while observing the basic Islamic rites, the Kyrgyz people did not seem to be deeply interested in their original and meaning.

Ancestors' Traditions. The patriarchal and feudal character of social relations combined with nomad life were reflected in household style, traditions, customs and rites. The Kyrgyz decorate their tented lodging (the yurta) with mosaic designed rugs (shirdak) and beautifully colored strips of cloth (terme teer) used for keeping the assembled parts of the yurta together. The latticed top of the yurta is usually covered with ornamental mats (chyrmangal chi). Being made of leather and wood, the household utensils were safe and reliable during transportation. The Yurta, a masterpiece of folk creation, is easily transported from place to place, either on camel or horse and can be easily assembled and disassembled. Family traditions accumulate the wisdom of many generations. These high morals are still manifested in the respect for older people and readiness to give possible assistance in fortune and misfortune. The highlight of every wedding party was the maiden games, rope pulling, song competitions and horse racing. The distinguished feature of the Kyrgyz is their hospitality. It is more often than not that the host of the yurta may sacrifice the last of his sheep in honor of a casual guest.

The most important family event was that of the wedding celebration. It took a well-to-do family to comply with all the wedding ritual expenses. The expenses included the payments (kalym) for a bride, the exchange of clothes (kiyit) between the relatives of the bride and the bridegroom, expensive dowry (sep) for a bride, and an animal sacrifice (opko chaboo).

Population. In 1990 a census revealed that Kyrgyzstan had a population of 4,670,000; 1,790,000 are urban and 2,880,000 suburban residents. 4,7 The population average density is 20 persons per square kilometer. There are one to three persons per square kilometers in the mountain regions. In the lowland regions there are 90 persons per square kilometer.

In the old times when one wanted to stress the high population density in the Chu Valley it was said, "There are so many roofs in the valley that cat can walk all of them without falling down".

The majority of the population are Kyrgyz (52.4%). Of all the other nationalities, the most predominant are Russians (21.5%, 939,000), Uzbek (12.9%, 568,000), Ukrainian (2.5%,109,000), Tatar, Kazakh, German, Dungan and Uigur (0.9% respectively). The smaller percentage constitute the Tadjik, Turk- Meskhitin, Korean, Azerbaidjan, Kurd, Byelorussian, and many other national groups.

Languages. Two languages, Kyrgyz and Russian. The state language spoken in Kyrgyzstan is Kyrgyz. This language belongs to the Turkic language group. Along with the Kyrgyz language, Russian is de facto language of communication. Signs and pointers are written in both languages. An overwhelming majority of the population speaks Russian. Specialized schools have education in English, German and French. Moreover, in all the secondary schools merous is one of the required language courses. Numerous courses of foreign language studies require payment to enjoy a great popularity at the last time.

Leisure Time. Official holidays in Kyrgyzstan are:
January 1 - New Year’s Day
January 7 - Russian Orthodox Christmas
March 8 - Women's Holiday
March 21 - Nooruz (Muslim New Year, Day of Vernal Equinox)
May 1 -International Day of Solidarity Among Workers
May 9 - Day of Victory over Fascism
June 13 - Kurban Ait (day of remembrance)
August 31 - Day of Independence

Distribution of population involved in national economy (different branches, %): Agriculture 33.2, Authorities 2.8, Service 4.4, Industry 28, Health protection 19.6, Trade 6.5, Transport 5.5.

Economy: Like the other central Asian States, the Government of Kyrgyzstan inherited a seriously unbalanced and dysfunctional economy from the Soviet Union. It chose a policy of rapid change, including privatization and a freely floating and convertible currency (the Som, introduced in 1993), to try to cure its economic ills. Agriculture is still the largest employer, occupying 33% of the population despite the relatively small productive area of the republic. Half of the irrigated agricultural land is devoted to livestock, which is the mainstay of the farming sector. Other agricultural products include grain, potatoes, fruit and vegetables, cotton and tobacco. Kyrgyzstan's economic potential lies in its extensive mineral resources: there are known deposits of iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, mercury, antimony, tin, bismuth, vanadium, bauxite, molybdenum, manganese, silver and gold. There are also large amounts of decorative construction materials, such as marble, granite and limestone. The country also has an appreciable industrial sector, although this has suffered especially severely in the post-Soviet era. Metal goods, machinery, electronics and textiles are the principal products. In the service sector, tourism has future potential, but given the complete lack of necessary infrastructure, this must be considered a long-term objective. Kyrgyzstan belongs to the Central Asian Economic Union (ECO) which aims to promote regional economic co-operation and trade among the former Soviet republics and their neighbors. It is also a member of the World Bank, the IMF, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (as a 'Country of Operation') and the Asian Development Bank.

Business: Kyrgyzstan is actively seeking overseas partners to modernize its industry and introduce new technology. To this end it has enacted a number of laws to encourage and protect foreign investors: the law on property extends to all foreign investors the rights granted to Kyrgyz citizens with respect to ownership; foreigners are allowed to purchase businesses and buildings to carry out their activities, but the Government reserves the exclusive right to own land, natural resources, water, agriculture and livestock. There are significant tax holidays for foreign investors. In order to invest in Kyrgyzstan, foreigners must be registered with the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Applications to set up in Kyrgyzstan should be sent in the first instance to the State Committee on Foreign Investments and Economic Assistance (Goskominvest). The Government is particularly interested in encouraging investment in mining, industry – including electronics, light agricultural machinery and pharmaceuticals – petroleum, hydro-electricity and agriculture. Business hours: 0900-1800 Monday to Saturday.

Kumtor, one of the world's largest gold deposits in Kyrgyzstan, with the total reserves estimated 16.6 million ounces, is located at an altitude of 4,400 meters of the south of Lake Issyk-Kul and 60 kilometers northwest of the China border. Kumtor Operating Company (KOC), is a Joint- venture of Republic of Kyrgyzstan and Cameco, mining the gold deposits in Kumtor area. It has started its test production on December 30, 1996 and produced 78,483 ounces of gold until May. Kumtor Operating Company has declared that the first commercial gold production of the company had started on May 1, 1997, and its' total gold production during 1997 is nearly reached up to the 400,000 ounces. Company targets to produce 500,000 ounces gold annually.

Food. A popular dish among the Kyrgyz cooking, is beshbarmak ("besh" means five, and "barmak", finger). This meal consist of noodles which are mixed with boiled meat cut into tiny pieces and served with a medium spicy sauce. Bouillon is then poured over the mixture. Other famous dishes include shorpo (a soup of mutton with vegetables), and monty (potties with meat and spices which are steam cooked). National drinks include the famous kumys (fermented mare's milk), dzarma (fermented barley oat floar with pulp), and boso (a week spirit of millet resembling beer). Along with traditional Kyrgyz cooking, it is possible to find Russian, Korean, Ukrainian, German and Chinese cooking. The dishes of national and European cooking dominate menus in the city's restaurants and cafes. Korean and Doungan are recommended to lovers of piquant food. As everywhere in Middle Asia, widespread here are also plov which is meat combined with onions, carrots stewed together with rise. Logman, consists of long thick noodles mixed with fried meat and spices.
Shashlyk is meat roasted over red-hot coals. Kyrgyz food shows the effect of its location and history: befitting a nation descended from nomadic herds people, mutton is the staple meat, enlivened with Chinese influences. Shashlyk (skewered chunks of mutton barbecued over charcoal) and lipioshka (round unleavened bread) are often sold on street corners. Plov is a Central Asian staple: rice fried with shredded turnip and scraps of mutton, served with bread. Laghman is a noodle soup with mutton and vegetables that was originally imported from Chinese Turkestan. Beshbarmak is noodles with shredded, boiled meat in bouillon. Around Lake Issyk-Kul, the noodles are sometimes served with jellied potato starch rather than meat. Shorpur is a meat soup with potatoes and other vegetables. Manty (steamed noodle sacks of meat and vegetables), samsa (samosas) and chiburekki (deep-fried dough cakes) are all popular as snacks. The Kyrgyz and the Kazakhs are almost alone among Central Asian peoples in eating horse meat; only young mares are used and they are fed on the Alpine grasses, which are thought to impart a particularly good flavour.
Drink: Black or green tea is the most popular drink. Kumys (fermented mares’ milk) is mildly alcoholic and can still be found in the countryside; refusing an offer of Kumys may cause offence. Other local specialities include dzarma (fermented barley flour) and boso (fermented millet, resembling beer). During the summer, chai khanas (open-air tea houses) are popular. Beer, vodka and local brandy are all widely available in restaurants.

Transportation. Because of mountainous country, a great deal of transportation is carried out by motor transport. The roads extend for 25,000 kilometers. The railways are 372 kilometers long. It takes three days to get to Moscow from Bishkek by train. Bishkek is connected with large cities by airline. Kyrgyzstan has its own mercantile marine, and Issyk-Kul lake located high in the mountains, is being ploughed by snow- white ships.