Kyrgyzstan

, Kirghizstan, Kirgizstan

a republic in central Asia: came under Russian rule in the 19th century, became a Soviet republic in 1936 and gained independence in 1991; it has deposits of minerals, oil, and gas. Official languages: Kyrgyz and Russian. Religion: nonreligious, Muslim. Currency: som. Capital: Bishkek. Pop.: 5 208 000 (2004 est.). Area: 198 500 sq. km (76 460 sq. miles)

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Kyrgyzstan

Official name: Kyrgyz Republic

Capital city: Bishkek

Internet country code: .kg

Flag description: Red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kyrgyz 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 Kyrgyz yurt

Geographical description: Central Asia, west of China

Total area: 77,181 sq. mi. (198,500 sq. km.)

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

Nationality: noun: Kyrgyzstani(s); adjective: Kyrgyzstani

Population: 5,284,149 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Kyrgyz 67%, Uzbek 14%, Russian 11%, Dungan (ethnic Chinese Muslims) 1%, Uygur 1%, Tatars 0.9%, German 0.3%, other 4.8%

Languages spoken: Kyrgyz (official) 64.7%, Uzbek 13.6%, Russian (official) 12.5%, Dungun 1%, other 8.2%

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

Legal Holidays:

Constitution Day	May 5
Independence Day	Aug 31
International Labor Day	May 1
International Women's Day	Mar 8
National Revolution Day	Mar 24
New Year's Day	Jan 1
Nooruz	Mar 21
Orthodox Christmas	Jan 7
Social Revolution Day	Nov 7
Victory Day	May 9

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Materials on spider fauna of the superfamily Amaurobioidea of Kirghizia. Entomologicheskie issledovaniia v Kirgizii 19:139-152.

On the charitonovi species group of the spider genus Coelotes (Araneae: Amaurobiidae)

(Alas, her saga echoes in its "exoticism" the sagas of many who tried to elude Nazi terror.) Born in the village of Katta Taldyk in the Osh region of Kirghizia, whither her mother escaped from Lwow during the second world war, Anna was reunited with her father in Lysva, in the Ural Mountains, a year later, and in 1946 her family settled in Szczecin (Stettin) on the Baltic Sea, a city that became Polish at the end of the war, when Poland's borders were moved west.

Eroticism and exile: Anna Frajlich's poetry

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia and Kirghizia are reportedly negotiating the possible lease of S-75, S-125 and S-220 systems, and Russia is also considering leasing an S-300 system to Tajikistan.

CIS countries considering IADS upgrades. (Middle East Report)

Press, 1989), 43; Svat Soucek, "Kirghizia," in Encyclopedia of Asian History (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1988), 2: 318-19; L.

BREAKING THE ORKHON TRADITION: KIRGHIZ ADHERENCE TO THE YENISEI REGION AFTER A.D. 840

A relief map of Asia conveys how solidly they define the world: the Caucasus and the Urals form borders between Asia and Europe; the Himalaya isolate Tibet from India; the Tian Shan divide China from Kirghizia; the Altai stand guard at the intersection of Russia, Mongolia, and China.

High hopes: a world of mountains worth saving

The Ohio State scientist also described oxygen isotope studies on cores from three ice caps in China and Kirghizia, in the former Soviet Union.

Signs of global warming found in ice

In the Central Asian republics -- Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tadzhikistan -- the culture is predominantly Moslem, unemployment is high, and recent years have seen massive outbreaks of inter-ethnic violence.

The future of the Soviet Union

In Kirghizia child mortality (from age one to two) is three times higher than the national average.

Perestroika and the future of socialism

In late 1985, when Gorbachev replaced the party leadersof Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kirghizia with local nationals, there was little protest.

The nationality question; a delicate balance

Born in the Central Asian republic of Kirghizia, Aitmatov inherited a love for Russian literature from his father (who died in 1937, a victim of Stalin's terror) and for traditional Kirghiz folktales and customs from his mother.

Aitmatov, Chingiz