Kyrgyzstan | Facts & Information

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
Infoplease has everything you need to know about Kyrgyzstan. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about Kyrgyzstan's geography, history, government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. If that's not enough, click over to our collection of world maps and flags.

Facts & Figures

  • President: Almazbek Atambayev (2011)

    Prime Minister: Temir Sariyev (2015)

    Total area: 73,861 sq mi (191,300 sq km)

    Population (2014 est.): 5,604,212; (growth rate: 1.04%); birth rate: 23.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 28.71/1000; life expectancy: 70.06.

    Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Bishkek, 839,000

    Monetary unit: Som

    National name: Kyrgyz Respublikasy

    Current government officials

    Languages: Kyrgyz (official) 64.7%, Uzbek 13.6%, Russian (official) 12.5%, Dungun 1%, other 8.2% (1999 census)

    Ethnicity/race: Kyrgyz 64.9%, Uzbek 13.8%, Russian 12.5%, Dungan 1.1%, Ukrainian 1%, Uygur 1%, other 5.7% (1999)

    Religions: Islam 75%; Russian Orthodox 20%; other 5%

    National Holiday: Independence Day, August 31

    Literacy rate: 99.2% (2009 est.)

    Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2013 est.): $14.3 billion; per capita $2,500. Real growth rate: 7.4%. Inflation: 6.8% (2013). Unemployment: 8.6% (2011 est.). Arable land: 6.38%. Agriculture: tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool. Labor force: 2.344 million (2007); agriculture 48%, industry 12.5%, services 29.5% (2005 est.). Industries: small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth metals. Natural resources: abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc. Exports: $1.881 billion (2013 est.): cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, hydropower; machinery; shoes. Imports: $5.082 billion (2013 est.): oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs. Major trading partners: UAE, Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Turkey (2012).

    Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 489,000 (2012); mobile cellular: 6.8 million (2012). Broadcast media: state-run television broadcaster operates 2 nationwide networks and 6 regional stations; roughly 20 private TV stations operating with most rebroadcasting other channels; state-run radio broadcaster operates 2 networks; about 20 private radio stations operating (2007). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 115,573 (2012) Internet users: 2.195 million (2009 ).

    Transportation: Railways: 470 km (2010). Highways: total: 34,000 km (2007 est.). Waterways: 600 km (2010). Ports and harbors: Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye). Airports: 28 (2013).

    International disputes: Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstan; disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with Tajikistan; delimitation of 130 km of border with Uzbekistan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas.

    Major sources and definitions

See also: