The Kyrgyz Republic Kirgiz Respublikası
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Country in a Box: The Kyrgyz Republic Kirgiz Respublikası Tash Rabat in Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan A Teacher’s Guide Compiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University http://ceres.georgetown.edu 1 Kyrgyzstan in a Box: Table of Contents Facts at a Glance 3-6 History of Kyrgyzstan 7-10 Timeline of Major Events in Kyrgyz History 11 Kyrgyz Culture 12-14 Folklore: The Manas Epic 15-16 Additional Resources 17 “Rich Kyrgyz Hunter with Eagle” Painting by Vasily Vereshchagin (1842-1904) 2 Kyrgyzstan: Facts at a Glance _______ Text and map taken directly from Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: Kyrgyzstan. Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/kg.html Country Name: Kyrgyz Republic Capital: Bishkek Background: A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia 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 re-election 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 fleeing 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, and terrorism. Location: Central Asia, west of China. Area: Total: 199,951 sq km Country comparison to the world: 87 Land: 191,801 sq km Water: 8,150 sq km Area - Comparative: Slightly smaller than South Dakota Terrain: Peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m Highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m 3 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 Environment - Current Issues: Water pollution; many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices Population: 5,604,212 (July 2014 est.); Country comparison to the world: 114 Urbanization: Urban population: 35% of total population (2010) Life Expectancy at Birth: Population: 70.04 years; Country comparison to the world: 147 Male: 66.04 years Female: 74.24 years Ethnic Groups: Kyrgyz 64.9%, Uzbek 13.8%, Russian 12.5%, Dungan 1.1%, Ukrainian 1%, Uighur 1%, other 5.7% Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5% Education Expenditures: 6.8% of GDP (2011); Country comparison to the world: 25 Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy Red field with a yellow sun in the center Independence: 31 August 1991 (from the having 40 rays representing the 40 Kyrgyz Soviet Union) tribes; on the obverse side the rays run counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in Legal System: Civil law system which the center of the sun is a red ring crossed by includes features of French civil law and two sets of three lines, a stylized representation Russian Federation laws of a "tunduk" - the crown of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt; red symbolizes bravery and valor, Executive Branch: President Almazbek the sun evinces peace and wealth Atambaev (since 1 December 2011); Head of government: Prime Minister Joomart Otorbaev (since 2 April 2014, acting since 26 March 2014); First Deputy Prime Minister Tayyrbek Sarpashev (since 2 April 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers Valeriy Dil, Abdyrakhman Mamataliev, Elvira Sarieva (all since 2 April 2014) Legislative Branch: Unicameral Supreme Council or Jogorku Kengesh (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) 4 Judicial Branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (judges of both the Supreme and Constitutional Courts are appointed for 10-year terms by the Jogorku Kengesh on the recommendation of the president; their mandatory retirement age is 70 years); Higher Court of Arbitration; Local Courts (judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council on Legal Affairs for a probationary period of five years, then 10 years) Political Parties and Leaders: Ar-Namys “Dignity” Party (Feliks Kulov); Ata-Jurt “Homeland” (Kamchybek Tashiev); Ata-Meken “Fatherland” (Omurbek Tekebaev); Butun Kyrgyzstan “All Kyrgyzstan” (Adakhan Madumarov, Miroslav Niyazov); Respublika (Omurbek Babanov”; Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) (Almazbek Atambaev) National Anthem: Name: "Kyrgyz Respublikasynyn Mamlekettik Gimni" (National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic) lyrics/music: Djamil Sadykov and Eshmambet Kuluev/Nasyr Davlesov and Kalyi Moldobasanov note: adopted 1992 Economy - Overview: Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a dominant agricultural sector. Cotton, tobacco, wool, and meat are the main agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton are exported in any quantity. Industrial exports include gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, and electricity. The economy depends The Som: Kyrgyzstan was the first country in Central Asia to heavily on gold exports - mainly from output introduce its own currency (May 1993) following the at the Kumtor gold mine - and on collapse of the USSR. remittances from Kyrgyzstani migrant The Kyrgyz bills were well designed and contain several workers primarily in Russia. Following notable people in the arts. One is the Great Kyrgyz independence, Kyrgyzstan was progressive Ballerina Bubusara Beyshenalieva in the 5 KGS bill. There are also patrons of the arts, architecture, and music. in carrying out market reforms, such as an Trekking and camping in the country’s mountainous improved regulatory system and land reform. regions is very popular thus, the country’s natural beauty Kyrgyzstan was the first Commonwealth of reflected on the bills, such as the Khan Tengri mountains, Independent States (CIS) country to be translated into Turkic as “Rulers of the Sky”. Water sport accepted into the World Trade Organization. exists but only at Lake Issyk-Kul. It’s also on the bill noted for its beautiful scenery, and the fact that it doesn’t Much of the government's stock in freeze in winter due to its hot temperature. enterprises has been sold. Drops in (http://famouswonders.com/kyrgyzstani-som/) production had been severe after the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995, production began to recover and exports began to increase. The overthrow of President Bakiev in April 2010 and subsequent ethnic clashes left hundreds dead and damaged infrastructure. Under President Atambayev, Kyrgyzstan has developed a plan for economic development in coordination with international donors, and has also expressed its intent to join the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Progress in fighting corruption, 5 improving transparency in licensing, business permits and taxations, restructuring domestic industry, and attracting foreign aid and investment are key to future growth. GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $14.3 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 145 GDP - Real Growth Rate: 7.4% (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 17 GDP - Per Capita (PPP): $2,500 (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 185 GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 20.8%, Industry: 34.4%, Services: 44.8% (2013 est.) Agriculture – Products: Tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool Industries: Small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth metals Current Account Balance: -$1.125 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 121 Exports - Commodities: cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, hydropower; machinery; shoes Exports - Partners: Kazakhstan 26.2%, Uzbekistan 26.1%, Russia 14.6%, China 7%, UAE 6.1%, Afghanistan 5.2% (2012) Imports - Partners: China 55.2%, Russia 17.4%, Kazakhstan 7.9% (2012) Debt - External: $3.859 billion (31 December 2013 est.); country comparison to the world: 128 Exchange Rates: Soms (KGS) per US dollar 48.87 (2013 est.) Military expenditures: 3.74% of GDP (2011) History of Kyrgyzstan 6 _______ Text taken directly from Library of Congress Website: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/kgtoc.html Stone implements found in the Tian Shan mountains indicate the presence of human society in what is now Kyrgyzstan as many as 200,000 to 300,000 years ago. In the meantime, beginning about 1000 B.C., large tribes collectively known as the Scythians also lived in the area of present-day Kyrgyzstan. Excellent warriors, the Scythian tribes farther west had resisted an invasion by the troops of Alexander the Great in 328-27 B.C. The Battle of Talas 751 AD: This little-known battle between the army of The first Kyrgyz state, the Kyrgyz Khanate, Imperial Tang China and the Abbasid Arabs had existed from the sixth until the thirteenth century important consequences, not just for China and A.D., expanding by the tenth century southwestward Central Asia, but for the entire world. to the eastern and northern regions of present-day At the time, nobody could have known that one Kyrgyzstan and westward to the headwaters of the particular battle, which took place on the banks of the Talas River in present-day Kyrgyzstan, would Ertis (Irtysh) River in present-day eastern Kazakstan.