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A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, most of the territory of present-day Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to the Russian Empire in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAEV, who had run the country since 1990. Former Prime Minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV overwhelmingly won the presidential election in the summer of 2005. Over the next few years, he manipulated the parliament to accrue new powers for the presidency. In July 2009, after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics, BAKIEV won reelection in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed. In April 2010, violent protests in Bishkek led to the collapse of the BAKIEV regime and his eventual flight to Minsk, Belarus. His successor, Roza OTUNBAEVA, served as transitional president until Almazbek ATAMBAEV was inaugurated in December 2011, marking the first peaceful transfer of presidential power in independent Kyrgyzstan's history. Continuing concerns include: the trajectory of democratization, endemic corruption, poor interethnic relations, border security vulnerabilities, and potential terrorist threats.

Location

Central Asia, west of China, south of Kazakhstan

Natural Resources

abundant hydropower; gold, rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Population - distribution

the vast majority of Kyrgyzstanis live in rural areas; densest population settlement is to the north in and around the capital, Bishkek, followed by Osh in the west; the least densely populated area is the east, southeast in the Tien Shan mountains

5776500
Kyrgyz (official) 71.4%, Uzbek 14.4%, Russian (official) 9%, other 5.2% (2009 est.)
BISHKEK (capital) 865,000 (2015)
Conventional long form
Kyrgyz Republic
Conventional short form
Kyrgyzstan
Local long form
Kyrgyz Respublikasy
Local short form
Kyrgyzstan
parliamentary republic
Name
Bishkek
Geographic coordinates
42 52 N, 74 36 E
Time difference
UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked, mountainous, lower middle income country with an economy dominated by minerals extraction, agriculture, and reliance on remittances from citizens working abroad. Cotton, wool, and meat are the main agricultural products, although only cotton is exported in any quantity. Other exports include gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, and - in some years - electricity. The country has sought to attract foreign investment to expand its export base, including construction of hydroelectric dams, but a difficult investment climate and an ongoing legal battle with a Canadian firm over the joint ownership structure of the nation’s largest gold mine deter potential investors. Remittances from Kyrgyz migrant workers, predominantly in Russia and Kazakhstan, are equivalent to over one-quarter of Kyrgyzstan’s GDP.
Inflation
0.422%
External debt stocks
US$ 7,504,489,000
Total tax rate (% of commercial profits)
29.0%
Real Interest Rate
19.277%
Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP)
16.644%
Current Account Balance
US$ -992,598,192
Labor Force, Total
2,627,866
Employment in Agriculture
29.31%
Employment in Industry
20.90%
Employment in Services
49.79%
Unemployment Rate
7.69%
Imports of goods and services
US$ 4,909,995,175
Exports of goods and services
US$ 2,489,016,026
Total Merchandise Trade
83.40%
FDI, net inflows
US$ 1,139,260,400
Commercial Service Exports
US$ 846,019,001
cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool
small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, lumber, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth metals
Commodities
gold, cotton, wool, garments, meat; mercury, uranium, electricity; machinery; shoes
Partners
Switzerland 26.1%, Uzbekistan 22.6%, Kazakhstan 20.8%, UAE 4.9%, Turkey 4.5%, Afghanistan 4.5%, Russia 4.2% (2015)
Commodities
oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Partners
China 56.6%, Russia 17.2%, Kazakhstan 10% (2015)
Country Risk Rating
D
A high-risk political and economic situation and an often very difficult business environment can have a very significant impact on corporate payment behavior. Corporate default probability is very high.
Business Climate Rating
D
The business environment is very difficult. Corporate financial information is rarely available and when available usually unreliable. The legal system makes debt collection very unpredictable. The institutional framework has very serious weaknesses. Intercompany transactions can thus be very difficult to manage in the highly risky environments rated D.
  • Substantial gold resources
  • Vast hydroelectric potential
  • Supported by bilateral and multilateral donors
  • Pivotal strategic position between Asia and the CIS
  • Member of the Eurasian Economic Union since 2015 (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Armenia)
  • Economy poorly diversified and still dependent on gold and remittances
  • Landlocked country with very high energy dependency
  • Difficult business climate
  • Fragile political situation, regional and inter-ethnic tensions
  • Difficult relations with its neighbors (water management, borders)

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