Kyrgyzstan is a small country located in Central Asia, west of China. Annexed by Russia in 1864, it became one of the Soviet Socialist Republics in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1936. It declared independence from the USSR in 1991. Its official name is Kyrgyz Republic, and it has a president and a legislature. The capital is Bishkek.
The state language of the country is Kyrgyz, though Russian is also an official language. Other languages include are Uzbek and Dungun. The population of Kyrgyzstan in July 2007 was 5,284,149. The majority of the people are native Kyrgyz at 64 percent, followed by Uzbek, Russian, Dungun, Ukrainian and Uygur. The largest religious affiliation is Muslim (75 percent), followed by Russian Orthodox (20 percent) and other religions (5 percent).
From the 3rd century BC to the 15th century AD the country was adjacent to the Silk Road, the fabled trading route from China to Europe.
Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country, whose economy is mainly based on agriculture. Its heritage is tribal nomadic (Turkic and Mongol), as reflected in its flag, which contains a stylized representation of a yurt, the typical housing unit.
Web Sites
- U.S. Department of State
- Library of Congress
- Eurasianet (Soros Foundation)
- Kyrgyzstan Embassy to the United States and Canada
Catalog
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