Geography
Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan) is one of five new independent states of Central Asia. It is located on the northeast of Central Asia having common borders with Tadjikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and China. The territory of Kyrgyzstan is 199.9 thousand sq. km; 5.5% of the area is engaged by woods, 4.4% by water, 53.5% by agricultural.

Background
A country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan became part of the Russian empire in 1864. In the Czarist and Soviet periods, Russian managers and technicians were sent to Kyrgyzstan and have recently made up more than one-fifth of the population. Many Russians have been returning home since Kyrgyzstan gained its independence in 1991 when the USSR collapsed. Privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of democracy and political freedoms, and inter-ethnic relations are current issues.

What Kyrgyzstan lacks in settled history, it makes up for in a wealth of nomadic traditions. What it lacks in historical architecture, it largely makes up for in its marvelous mountains and nature. If you want to experience the 'real' Kyrgyzstan, you have to go off the beaten track and into the deep countryside, ramble in its steppe and mountains, and get into the atmosphere of the villages (where two-thirds of the country's population live).

The country is traditionally agricultural, with world class natural beauty. Nearly all Kyrgyzstan's manufacturing and diversified grain farming takes place in the northern foothills of the Tien Shan mountains, where the capital Bishkek and the Chui and Talas Valleys are located. The central and eastern mountains are the seat of traditional Kyrgyz culture and animal husbandry, as well as the spectacularly beautiful Lake Issyk Kul. The Osh and Jalal-abad oblasts to the south occupy the eastern end of the irrigated, intensely cultivated and heavily populated Fergana Valley. Here, the population is a quarter Uzbek and heavily affected by its proximity to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The North
North Kyrgyzstan's Chui province is 18,684 square kilometers large and, to the north and west, bordered by Kazakhstan. The stretch of plain in the province's far North (the valley of the Chui river, after which the province is named) is dominated by the capital, Bishkek, and by the agro-industrial tows of Kara-Balta and Chui-Tokmaq. This is where you will find the bulk of Kyrgyzstan's Russian/Slavic, Dungan (Muslim Chinese) and Korean population. Beyond that, however, is Kyrgyz ayil (village) and jailoo (pasture) country. Most Kyrgyz who live there belong to the Solto and Sajak tribes.

The phalanx of stream-cut canyons in the Kyrgyz Alatoo mountains and the high plains of Suusamyr not only make great outdoor country, they also offer the traveler plenty of opportunity for a 'human experience' in the villages, often just a stone's throw away from the capital. Moreover, you can visit adjacent regions that include: the Suusamyr Plain, Chaek and the Song-Kol area (where the Swiss NGO Helvetas supports a homestay program); the Chong Kemin Valley with Issyk-Kul' and Southeast Kazakhstan; or the Suusamyr Plain and Jalal-Abad province, the South of Kyrgyzstan.

Suusamyr Valley
The Suusamyr Valley is, in fact, a high steppe plateau that lays 2,200 meters above sea level. Along with the Alay Valley in the Kyrgyz Pamir, it belongs to the highest inhabited regions of Kyrgyzstan. In summer, this is pasture country. The plateau's main link to the outside world is the Bishkek/Kara-Balta/Osh road that fringes the valley to the west and crosses the 3,586m high Too Ashu Pass; it provides a great view over the whole valley. The population, roughly 6,000 people, is entirely Kyrgyz and there are a series of settlements scattered over the valley. The plateau's main 'center' is the village of Suusamyr, which roughly lays 120 km from Bishkek and 15 km east of the Bishkek/Kara-Balta/Osh road.

Although this is one of the poorest parts of the country, the people are very friendly and hospitable. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the backbone of the economy. In Soviet times, the area was completely dependent on sheep farming. Since 1991, the people have partly switched to agriculture, growing potatoes, garlic, cabbage and fodder. This helped the communities become increasingly self-subsistent which, in such an isolated region, is essential for survival.

The kumyss (fermented mare's milk) produced in Suusamyr is reputed as one of the best in Kyrgyzstan. In summer, it is sold along the Bishkek-Osh road. According to the time of the year, one liter costs between 25¢ and 50¢ US.

The summers are warm (around 30° C) with cold nights and the occasional thunderstorm. In winter, the plateau is almost inaccessible, when temperatures drop as low as minus 40° C.

Tosh Bulak and the Sokuluk Canyon
Tosh Bulak—which locals sometimes still call by Soviet-era name Belogorka—lays 50 km Southwest from Bishek. The village (pop. 2,500) is set at the Sokuluk ('so-q-look') canyon and is quite easy to access. Tosh Bulak itself is reminiscent of a Siberian peasant village, with its handsome Slavic farmhouses, front gardens and birches.

The surrounding area is the famous steppe, the foothills of the Kyrgyz Alatoo Mountains and, of course, the mountains themselves. In the otherwise treeless steppe and foothills, villages are nestled in stream-cut canyons lined with poplars and birches. The area is gorgeous in spring and fall. Tosh Bulak already offers the traveler a view of rural Kyrgyzstan only a stone's throw from the capital.

Tosh Bulak's surroundings offer some of the finest walking and trekking possibilities in North Kyrgyzstan. The area is good for treks ranging from a day’s walk, to treks of half a week or more. When you don't plan overnight trekking, the steppe and Kyrgyz Alatoo foothills offer plenty of possibility for easy day walks and horse treks.

Kaindi and the Chong Kemin Valley
The handsome 80 km-long alpine valley (and natural park) between the Zailiysky and Kungey Alatoo ranges is the valley of the Chong (‘big) Kemin river. Paralleling the border with Kazakhstan, a landscape of green pastures, ochre mountains and pine woods (that sometimes remind one of more remote parts of Scotland) offer a fine backdrop for anything from a long day walk to cross-border treks taking up to a week. This place is a relief when Bishkek gets too hot!

The population (about 4,000) is Kyrgyz of the Sary Bagysh tribe. The people live in 8 villages scattered along the deep blue river, the most remote of which are the twin villages of Kaindy and Tegirmenty. In the Soviet era, a collective farm and mine in the nearby Kishi (‘lesser’) Kemin valley were supposed to guarantee full employment and social services. Today, potato growing and cattle breeding are the main sources of income.

The South
The second largest Kyrgyz city is Osh, the capital of the Osh Oblast and one of the most ancient cities of Central Asia. The City of Osh was first mentioned in Arab sources as long ago as the ninth century. Starting from the sixteenth century, it became a religious center in the Fergana Valley due to the myth that Prophet Suleiman (Solomon) had established it. Twenty-two kilometers northeast of Osh, a large railroad station is situated at Kara-Suu City. Forty-five kilometers north of Kara-Suu is the city Jalal-Abad, the capital of the Jalal-Abad Oblast.

The city was founded along healing mineral springs in 1880 as a small settlement at the foot of the Aibub-Too Mountain. Jalal-Abad is one of the industrial centers of Southern Kyrgyzstan. The City of Uzgen is situated in the eastern part of the Fergana Valley, on the banks of Kara-Darya river. It is also one of the oldest and most ancient cities in Central Asia and was founded between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries as a commercial settlement on one of the sub-roads of the Great Silk Road, connecting Central Asia and China.

Location: Central Asia, west of China

Area-comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Climate: dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Terrain: peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation

Natural resources: abundant hydroelectric potential; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Geography—note: landlocked

Population: 4,546,055 (July 1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kyrgyzstani(s)
adjective: Kyrgyzstani

Ethnic groups: Kirghiz 52.4%, Russian 18%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%, German 2.4%, other 11.8%

Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz)—official language, Russian—official language
note: in March 1996, the Kyrgyzstani legislature amended the constitution to make Russian an official language, along with Kirghiz, in territories and work places where Russian-speaking citizens predominate

Country name:
conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic
conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: republic

Capital: Bishkek

National Holiday: National Day, 2 December - Independence Day, 31 August (1991)

Constitution: adopted 5 May 1993
note: amendment proposed by President AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 10 February 1996 significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bakyt ABDRISAYEV
chancery: 1732 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 338-5141
FAX: [1] (202) 338-5139

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Anne M. SIGMUND
embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, 720016 Bishkek
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [996] (3312) 22-29-20, 22-27-77
FAX: [996] (3312) 22-35-51

Flag description: red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kirghiz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized representation of the roof of the traditional Kirghiz yurt

Economy—overview: Kyrgyzstan is a small, poor, mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, wool, and meat are the main agricultural products and exports. Industrial exports include gold, mercury, uranium, and hydropower. Kyrgyzstan has been one of the most progressive countries of the former Soviet Union in carrying out market reforms. Following a successful stabilization program, which lowered inflation from 88% in 1994 to 15% for 1997, attention is turning toward stimulating growth. Much of the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops in production have been severe since the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995 production began to recover and exports began to increase. Pensioners, unemployed workers, and government workers with salary arrears continue to suffer. Foreign assistance played a substantial role in the country's economic turnaround in 1996-97. The government has adopted a series of measures to combat some of the severe economic problems such as excessive debt and inadequate revenue collection, encountered in 1998.

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture and forestry 40%, industry and construction 19%, other 41% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6% (1998 est.)

Industries: small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth metals

Agriculture—products: tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool

Exports—commodities: cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, hydropower; machinery; shoes

Imports—commodities: grain, lumber, industrial products, ferrous metals, fuel, machinery, textiles, footwear

Currency: 1 Kyrgyzstani som (KGS) = 100 tyiyn

Telephone system: poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfied applications for household telephones
domestic: principally microwave radio relay; one cellular provider, probably only limited to Bishkek region
international: connections with other CIS countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations—1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line

Railways:
total: 370 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge: 370 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Highways:
total: 18,500 km
paved: 16,854 km (including 140 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,646 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 600 km (1990)

Ports and harbors: Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)

Airports: 54 (1994 est.)

Military branches: Army, National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops), Civil Defense
note: border troops controlled by Russia