Where is Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyz Republic or Kyrgyzstan is located in Central Asia and is one of the six independent Turkic states. This landlocked republic is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and People’s Republic of China to the east.
The name Kyrgyz is believed to have been derived from the Turkic word for forty, which has a reference to the forty clans of Manas, the legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the Uyghers. Kyrgyz is also thought to mean unconquerable.
The territory of Kyrgyzstan covers an area of 77, 181 square miles, and has a total population of 5,482,200.
What is the capital of Kyrgyzstan?
Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and covers a total area of 49 square miles. Its estimated population is 1,250,000. It is the administrative center of Chuy Province which surrounds the city. It was formerly known as Pishpek and Frunze.
Which is the largest city in Kyrgyzstan?
The capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, is the largest city of the country. The city was found in 1825 as the Kyrgyz-Khokand fortress of Bishkek. In 1862 it was named as the Russian fortress Pishpek, and in 1926 it was renamed Frunze after Mikhail Frunze, the Bolshevik military leader. In 1991, the parliament of Kyrgyz restored the city’s historical name.
What is the currency of Kyrgyzstan?
The currency of Kyrgyzstan is the Som, which replaced the Soviet ruble on May 10, 1993. Its ISO 4217 currency code is KGS. It is subdivided into 100 tyiyn.
What is the official language of Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyzstan became a bilingual country in September 1991. It is one of the two former Soviet Republics in central Asia to have Russian as its official language, along with Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz language belongs to the Turkic group of languages.
What is the religion of Kyrgyzstan?
Islam is the dominant religion of Kyrgyzstan, although during Soviet regime, state atheism was encouraged. Although the country is a secular state, Islam has exerted a growing influence in politics. 80% of the population is Muslim, while 17% follow Russian Orthodoxy and 3% other religions.
What is the literacy rate of Kyrgyzstan?
According to the statistics compiled by UNICEF, the adult literacy rate of Kyrgyzstan is 99%.
Who is the political leader of Kyrgyzstan?
The parliament of Kyrgyzstan is unicameral, with the executive branch comprising president and the prime minister. The 1993 constitution defines the government of the country as democratic republic. Former foreign minister and head of parliamentary caucus for Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, Roza Otunbayeva is the president of the country. She was sworn in on July 3, 2010. Almazbek Atambayev is the prime minister of the country since December 17, 2010.
When is the national day of Kyrgyzstan celebrated?
On August 31, 1991, the Supreme Soviet vote declared independence of the country, and since then it is known as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. On May 5, 1993, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan was renamed the Kyrgyz Republic.
What is the economy of Kyrgyzstan like?
Despite the backing of major Western lenders such as IMF and the World Bank, Kyrgyzstan is the second-poorest country in central Asia. Its estimated GDP is 4.615 billion dollars. Agriculture is an important sector of the economy. Main crops include wheat, sugar, beet, tobacco, cotton, and potatoes. It imports petroleum and natural gas, while the principal exports are nonferrous metals, minerals, and agricultural products. Its main trading partners are Germany, Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.