Basic Information
The official national name of Kyrgyzstan is the Kyrgyz Republic (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
A citizen of Kyrgyzstan is properly referred to as a Kyrgyzstani (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Products of materials from Kyrgyzstan are referred to as Kyrgyz in origin (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Demographics
The population of Kyrgyzstan was 5,849,296 in 2018 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The population of Kyrgyzstan is growing at a rate of 1.02% (2018) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The median age of the population of Kyrgyzstan is 26.8 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The age structure of Kyrgyzstan is as follows:
- 0-14 years: 30.4%
- 15-64 years:64.17% 65 years
- and over 5.43% (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The urban/rural composition of the population of Kyrgyzstan is 36.6% urban / 63.4% rural (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The population, in percent, that each ethnic group comprises in Kyrgyzstan is: Kyrgyz – 73.5%, Uzbek – 14.7 %, Russian – 5.5%, Dungan – 1.1%, Other – 5.2% (2019) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The major languages spoken in Kyrgyzstan are Kyrgyz, Russian, and Uzbek (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Kyrgyz and Russian are the official languages in Kyrgyzstan (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The major religions of the country are Islam and Christianity (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The life expectancy for residents of Kyrgyzstan is 71.2 (2018) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The fertility rate for women in Kyrgyzstan is 2.59 (2018) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The infant mortality rate of Kyrgyzstan is 25 deaths per 1000 live births (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
32.1% (2015) percent of the population in Kyrgyzstan lives below the poverty line (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The educational attainment and literacy of adults (age 25 and older) are as follows: Master’s degree – 32%, Bachelor’s degree – 33.5%, High school – 27%, Illiterate – 7.5% (National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2019).
The total number of adults living with HIV/AIDS in Kyrgyzstan is 8500 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
0.2% (2018) of the adult population of Kyrgyzstan is living with HIV/AIDS (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Government
Kyrgyzstan gained its independence from the Soviet Union (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Kyrgyzstan gained its independence on the date of August 31, 1991 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The type of government in Kyrgyzstan is a parliamentary republic (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The current head of state of Kyrgyzstan is Sooronbay Jeenbekov (November 24, 2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The official currency of Kyrgyzstan is the Som (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Geography
The geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) of Kyrgyzstan are 41 00 N and 75 00 E (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The surface of Kyrgyzstan is 199,951 sq. km (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The population density (the number of people per square mile) of Kyrgyzstan is 75.7 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Kyrgyzstan shares borders with: China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Kyrgyzstan has 0 km of coastline (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The largest cities in Kyrgyzstan, by population are: Bishkek, Osh, and Jalal-Abad (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The climate of Kyrgyzstan is: dry continental in mountainous areas, subtropical in south, and temperate in north (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
6.7% of the land in Kyrgyzstan is arable (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Economics
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Kyrgyzstan is 23.15 billon dollars (2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Kyrgyzstan is growing at an annual rate of 4.6% (2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The GDP per capita of Kyrgyzstan is 3700 dollars (2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The GDP of Kyrgyzstan is drawn proportionately from: agriculture – 14.6%, industry – 32.2%, services – 54.2% (2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The size of the available labor force in Kyrgyzstan is 2.841 million (2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The labor force in Kyrgyzstan works proportionately in: agriculture – 48%, industry – 12.5%, services – 39.5% (2005) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The inflation rate for consumer prices in Kyrgyzstan is 3.2% (2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The unemployment rate in Kyrgyzstan is 7.1% (2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The major trading partners of Kyrgyzstan are: Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Turkey, USA, UK (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The total value of exports from Kyrgyzstan is 1.84 billion dollars (2017) and the total value of imports into Kyrgyzstan is 4.187 billion dollars (2017) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
As a percentage, exports and imports are 7% and 18%, respectively, of the GDP of Kyrgyzstan (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The major exports of Kyrgyzstan are: gold, cotton, wool, meat, mercury, garments, electricity, shoes, machinery (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The major imports of Kyrgyzstan are: oil and gas, equipment, electronics, machinery, chemicals (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The primary natural resources of Kyrgyzstan are: hydropower, gold, natural gas, coal, rare metals (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The major industries of Kyrgyzstan are: agriculture, textile, small machinery, food processing, cement, furniture, gold (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The major primary products made in Kyrgyzstan are: cotton, potatoes, cattle, wool, shirts and other textiles, shoes (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The external debt of Kyrgyzstan is 8.164 billion dollars (2017 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Kyrgyzstan received 8.4 billion dollars (2019) in economic aid (Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister’s Office, 2019).
Physical Infrastructure
There are a total of 34000 km of roads and highways in Kyrgyzstan. Of these roadways, 30974 km (including 1482 km of expressways) are paved and 3026 km (2016) are unpaved (Logistics Cluster, 2018).
There are a total of 424 km (2018) of railways in Kyrgyzstan. 0 km of these are electrified (Logistics Cluster, 2018).
There are a total of 28 airports in Kyrgyzstan, with 18 having paved runways and 10 (2017) having unpaved runways (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
There are 600 km (2010) of navigable waterways in Kyrgyzstan (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The only port city of Kyrgyzstan is Balykchy (a lake port) (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Communications Infrastructure
There is no information because there are almost no daily newspapers. Circulation figures cannot be obtained because newspapers publish sporadically and irregularly.
For every 1,000 people in Kyrgyzstan, there are 89 radios and 212 (2017) televisions (National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2019).
There are 6 AM radio stations and 182 (2017) FM radio stations in Kyrgyzstan (National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2019).
There are 37 (2018) broadcast television stations in Kyrgyzstan (National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2019).
For every 1,000 people in Kyrgyzstan, there are 6 telephone mainlines and 1270 (2017) mobile phones (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
For every 1,000 people in Kyrgyzstan, there are 25 (2016) computers (National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2019).
There are an estimated 1,976,006 (2016) internet users in Kyrgyzstan (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
There are 10 (2019) ISP’s, or Internet Service Providers in Kyrgyzstan (National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2019).
KG is the two-letter Internet country code for Kyrgyzstan ((Central Intelligence Agency, 2018)).
The URL of the e-government site for Kyrgyzstan is www.gov.kg.
The embassy for Kyrgyzstan in the United States can be contacted at: +1 202 449 92 22 or kgembassy.usa@mfa.gov.kg (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
The American embassy in Kyrgyzstan can be contacted at: +996 312 597 000 or BishkekPAS@state.gov (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018).
Customs
It is generally accepted that, depending on the region of residence, the mentality of the Kyrgyz varies. In the south, where Uzbeks prevail, the Kyrgyz almost do not speak Russian (Trip To Kyrgyzstan, 2018). Closer to the capital, in the north of the country, the Russian language is more common (Trip To Kyrgyzstan, 2018). In the middle regions of Kyrgyzstan, near Naryn, a typical indigenous population prevails. Islam is very popular in the country, but many cultural traditions and customs are close to Buddhism, Kalmyk are also attributed to culture (Trip To Kyrgyzstan, 2018). It is indicated by the presence of a large number of totems that were made throughout the Kyrgyz history. Traditions associated with the birth and upbringing of children, marriage, weddings, and cooking have a special place in the life of the Kyrgyz population (Trip To Kyrgyzstan, 2018). These ceremonies combined Islamic canons, ancient forms of magical practice and Buddhist traditions in an interesting way. Religious workers, storytellers of folk ballads are highly respected in the country (Trip To Kyrgyzstan, 2018). Despite this, Kyrgyzstan is a secular state and the country’s inhabitants are tolerant.
In Kyrgyzstan, respect for older people is essential, and a handshake is mandatory when meeting. Kyrgyz people are amiable, and it is common to talk with a stranger and ask some personal questions about marriage and having children almost immediately after getting acquainted (Trip To Kyrgyzstan, 2018). The Western culture influences business etiquette in Kyrgyzstan, because many domestic entrepreneurial projects depend on foreign aid, and the Kyrgyz businessmen often deal with Europeans and Americans (International Trade Administration, 2018). Kyrgyz people are hospitable, and it is customary to invite a guest home. To refuse an invitation means to offend a person and show disrespect (Trip To Kyrgyzstan, 2018). In conversation, Kyrgyz people appreciate humor and respect for all of its participants.
Culture
The traditional culture of the people of Kyrgyzstan contains information about life, traditions, and customs throughout the history of its existence. The nomadic lifestyle left a strong imprint on the Kyrgyz culture (Sen Nag, 2018). Life, spiritual, and social organizations, and the culture of the ancient Kyrgyz people were closely intertwined with the same aspects of the life of other nationalities that inhabited Central and Central Asia, in particular, the Huns, Saks, Turks, Mughals, Usuns (Sen Nag, 2018). The Kyrgyz culture has a lot in common with the culture of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples.
The Great Silk Road passed through the territory of Kyrgyzstan, which left its mark, complementing and changing the culture of the Kyrgyz. The portable home, which is called yurt is one of the manifestations of the material culture of the Kyrgyz nomads (Sen Nag, 2018). Softness, simplicity, convenience, and versatility are its primary qualities (Sen Nag, 2018). The wealth of arts and crafts, jewelry is striking in its brightness and diversity (Sen Nag, 2018). The customs and rituals of the Kyrgyz people are reflected in clothing, which was influenced by climatic conditions and a nomadic way of life.
In the Kyrgyz culture, those activities that traditionally did not require a lot of equipment and could fill the empty hours between daily routine work and sunset were usually valued. Music was and remains a profound manifestation of the spirituality of the Kyrgyz people, reflecting their life and aspirations (Sen Nag, 2018). The songwriting of akyn singers occupies a special place (Sen Nag, 2018). The most ancient folk musical instruments, both wind, and strings are very popular today (Sen Nag, 2018). A distinctive feature of Kyrgyz culture is the oral creativity of akyns, who, without preparation, could compose entire poems and arrange arbitrary poetic competitions (Sen Nag, 2018). A special place here is occupied by the work of manaschy, who are storytellers of the epic “Manas.”
A considerable role in the cultural life of the Kyrgyz was played by oral creativity, the peak of which is the epic “Manas.” It began to take shape a thousand years ago and reflected the events of that era when the Kyrgyz were influential people (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2013). In its scale, the Kyrgyz epic surpasses all known monuments of world folklore and heroic creativity (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2013). The most extensive version of Manas is recorded from the words of the narrator Sagynbay Orozbakov and contains about 200,000 verses, that is, 16 times more than the Iliad of Homer (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2013). No similar work is known in the world; therefore, this masterpiece example of folklore is recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the world heritage.
According to the Constitution, Kyrgyzstan is a secular state, without a state religion (Sen Nag, 2018). Religious parties are prohibited; however, religious institutions are permitted but must be registered (Sen Nag, 2018). Most Kyrgyz people argue that Islam has always been their religion, although it has spread its influence relatively recently, especially in the north of the republic (Sen Nag, 2018). In the south of the country, where many Uzbeks live, religion has a stronger impact (Sen Nag, 2018). Out of respect for the religious population, the government made some religious holidays official.
Holidays
There are both traditional and international holidays in Kyrgyzstan. Although Christmas is not very popular, Kyrgyz people love to spend time with their families on New Year’s Eve and the following day. International Women’s Day is also recognized as an official holiday, and many companies, both state and private, receive a day off (The United States Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, 2019). There are also traditional holidays, such as Nowruz, and national, such as the Independence Day, and Constitution Day (The United States Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, 2019). Because Islam has a significant influence on the population of Kyrgyzstan, some Islamic holidays, such as Eid al-Fitr, are also recognized on a governmental level (The United States Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, 2019). Some holidays left from the times of the Soviet Union are still part of the Kyrgyz culture today.
Eating Habits and Food
The cuisine of Kyrgyzstan still preserves national identity despite many external influences. Food has become much more diverse, and many new ingredients have appeared in the Kyrgyz diet – eggs, poultry, sweets, sugar, honey, fruits, potatoes, and others (Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, 2019). However, Kyrgyz people prepare some of the meals the same way as hundreds of years ago. Flour, dairy, and meat dishes are typical for the local population (Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, 2019). From meat, Kyrgyz prefer poultry, beef, lamb, and horse meat, and their favorite meal is beshbarmak (Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, 2019). The meat is boiled and chopped into small pieces and mixed with rectangular noodles in a bowl of soup. It was prevalent among nomadic tribes but still preserves its popularity today. A special meat delicacy of the Kyrgyz cuisine is chu-chuk, sausage with fat made from horse meat.
The local cuisine features various combinations of meat and dough. In some meals, the flour mixture is cooked or boiled; in others, it is baked (Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, 2019). Despite these simple ingredients, each meal has its unique taste and delicious (Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, 2019). Neighboring countries have similar meals, and it feels like these countries all shared the same culture a long time ago. However, the hospitality of the Kyrgyz, along with the peculiar customs of meal-serving and cooking, makes the Kyrgyz cuisine a unique experience.
Eating habits of the population depend on their location of residence and financial situation, but generally, families prepare their meal and eat at home. When there is food left from the previous dinner, it is reheated and consumed without throwing it away (Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, 2019). Traditionally, the whole family should gather for dinner to start (Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, 2019). Father, as the head of the family, begins eating first, and the rest of the family joins.
References
Central Intelligence Agency. (2018). The world factbook: Kyrgyzstan. Web.
International Trade Administration. (2018). Kyrgyz Republic business customs. Web.
Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister’s Office. (2019). Aid management platform dashboard. Web.
Logistics Cluster. (2018). Kyrgyzstan logistics infrastructure. Web.
Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism. (2019). Discover Kyrgyzstan. Web.
National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. (2019). Open data. Web.
Sen Nag, Oishimaya. (2018). The culture of Kyrgyzstan. Web.
Sen Nag, Oishimaya. (2018). Religious beliefs in Kyrgyzstan. Web.
Trip To Kyrgyzstan. (2018). Customs and traditions. Web.
The United States Embassy in Kyrgyzstan. (2019). Holiday calendar. Web.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2013). Kyrgyz epic trilogy: Manas, Semetey, Seytek. Web.