Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, the country located in the northeast of Central Asia, with territory of 199.9 thousand sq. km and population more than 5 million people borders in the north with Kazakhstan, in the west with Uzbekistan, in the southwest with Tajikistan, and in the southeast with China. Kyrgyzstan is located within two ranges - the Tien Shan (the big northeast part) and the Pamirs-Alai (the southwest part), divided by high-altitude valleys and hollows.
The largest cities are Bishkek, Osh, Dzhalal Abad, Talas, Tokmak, Karakol, Kant and Uzgen. Kyrgyzstan has kept some ancient monuments, such as rock drawings in Saymaly-Tash hole, Burana tower, the Uzgen mausoleums and other sights. Kyrgyz national epos "Manas", which thousandth anniversary was celebrated in 1995 by decision of Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, is an integral part of the world culture. Kyrgyzstan possesses rich deposits of minerals, such as gold, rare metals, iron ore ( up to 10 billion tons), mercury, antimony, tin, lead, zinc, coal (balance stocks of 2.3 billion tons) and also hydropower resources (potential stocks of 162.7 billion kilowatt/hour); oil (10 million tones), and natural gas.
Source: http://www.world-asia.info/
The Kyrgyz Republic | General Information
- Territory: 77.2 sq. miles (199.9 sq. km), 94% mountainous; bordering China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.
- Population: Up to 5.3 million people, from which about 68.9% are Kyrgyz, 14% Uzbek, and 9.1% Russian. Kyrgyz is the state language, Russian has the official status;
- Capital: Bishkek; population is about 1 million (previous name Pishpek and later Frunze);
- Natural resources: Coal, antimony, natural gas, gold, tungsten, tin, mercury, uranium, zinc, lead, rare earth metals, copper, iron, bauxite, hydropower & water resources;
- Agriculture: Tobacco, cotton, wheat, vegetables and fruits, berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool;
- Industry: Mining, energy, machinery, light industry, construction materials, shoes, furniture;
- Trends: Mining industry is on the rise. SME sector focuses mostly on tourism, services, trade, agriculture and food processing. Kazakh and Russian banks successfully entered the Kyrgyz banking sector.
- Main trade partners:Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Germany, and other EU countries.
Source: National Statistics Committee
Kyrgyz Republic | Macroeconomic Indicators
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP, USD bn | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
| GDP per Capita, USD | 435.2 | 478.5 | 546.0 | 713.4 | 950.7 |
| Real GDP growth, % | 7.1 | -0.6 | 2.7 | 8.2 | 7.6 |
| Consumer prices index, % | 102.8 | 104.9 | 105.1 | 120.1 | 126.8 |
| Exports (FOB) , USD mln | 733.2 | 686.8 | 810.8 | 1 134.2 | 990.9 |
| Imports (FOB) , USD mln | 903.8 | 1 105.5 | 1 792.3 | 2 417.0 | 2 499.4 |
| Trade turnover, USD bn | 1 637.0 | 1 792.3 | 2 603.1 | 3 551.2 | 3 490.3 |
| Gross Official Reserves , USD bn | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Capital Investments | 102.0 | 106.0 | 155.0 | 103.7 | 94.9 |
Sources: National Statistics Committee, National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, Regional Economic Outlook Middle East and Central Asia, Oct 2008
