The Kyrgyz Republic was a member country of the former Soviet Union and was established as an independent country in 1991.

Kyrgyzstan’s borders are Kazakhstan, to the north (1,113km long), Uzbekistan, to the west (1,374km long), Tajikistan to the south (972km long), and China to the south and east (1,049km long). The capital of the Kyrgyz Republic is Bishkek.

Kyrgyzstan is a land-locked, lower-middle-income country. It has rich endowments, including minerals, forests, arable land, and pastures, and has significant potential for expanding its agriculture sector, hydroelectricity production, and tourism industry.

Country Context

Source: World Bank data, www.worldbank.org

The Kyrgyz economy is vulnerable to external shocks owing to its heavy dependence on remittances (27 percent of GDP) and gold exports (9 percent of GDP). Strong and sustainable economic growth requires institutional strengthening and policies to develop the private sector, spur international trade, and encourage fiscally sustainable energy production.

The population of the Kyrgyz Republic is more than 6.6 million. Major parts of populations by ethnic groups are estimated at 66,9% Kyrgyz, 14,1% Uzbek, 10,7% Russian, 1,1% Dungan, and others 6,2%. Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%.

The Kyrgyz Republic is a member of the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organization, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), UNESCO, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Organization for Economic Cooperation (ECO), the Cooperation Council of the Turkic-speaking States (CCTS), is taking integration steps into the Customs Union, the Eurasian Economic Community, establishing relations not only with the countries of the near and far abroad.