Kyrgyzstan Overview
Kyrgyzstan is a coastal and hilly country in Central Asia, and one of the poorest countries to emerge from the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. After independence, the economy collapsed. The social safety net attached to factories and workplaces ceased to function when factories were closed. Unemployment and poverty increased significantly.
| Capital: | Bishkek |
| Biggest city: | Bishkek |
| State: | republic |
| Language: | Kyrgyz, Russian |
| Religion: | Islam, Christian Orthodox |
| Surface: | 198,500 km² |
| Population: | 5.7 million (2013) |
| Population density: | 27 residents per km² |
| Life expectancy: | 69 years |
| Illiteracy: | 1% |
| Currency: | Kyrgyzstani som (KGS) 1 som = NOK 0.12 |
| GDP per capita: | $ 2,300 (2010) |
| Time difference: | +4 hours |
| Electricity: | 220 V AC, 50Hz |
| National Day: | 31 August |
| Country area code: | 996 |
| 2-Letter country abbreviation: | KG (See more abbreviations on Abbreviationfinder) |
| Business: | service sector 41%, agriculture 38%, industry 21% |
| Climate: | subtropical in the southwest; temperate in the valleys; cold and snowy in the mountains |
In recent years, the economic situation in the country has improved and the proportion of poor people in the country has decreased to 40 percent. The village of Barak with 627 residents is a Kyrgyz enclave in the Fergana Valley surrounded by Uzbek territory, located between the cities of Margilan and Fergana.
There are four Uzbek exclaves in Kyrgyzstan. Two of them are the cities of Soch and Shachrimardan. The other two are the small territories Tjüj-Kara (or Kalatja) which is around 3 km2 and Dzhangajl which is even smaller. Tjüj-Kara is located on the Soch River between the Uzbek border and the Sochenklaven.
There are also two enclaves belonging to Tajikistan. Voruch located 45 km south of Isfara on the right bank of the Carafe River. The other is a small settlement near the Kyrgyz railway station Kajragatj.
WORLD HERITAGE
The following objects in Kyrgyzstan are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The year in which the item was added to the list is indicated in parentheses.
- Sulamain-Too, sacred mountain used for worship for thousands of years (2009)
- Silk Road (2014)
ELECTRICAL OUTLET
Electricity and electrical outlets in Kyrgyzstan
Voltage: 220 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Type of plug: B
Need an adapter: Yes, Swedes need an adapter.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Weather in Bishkek
| Climate | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Christmas | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average temperature °C | -16 | -13 | -3 | 6 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 5 | -4 | -12 |
| Day °C | -10 | -6 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 1 | -7 |
| Night °C | -21 | -18 | -7 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 0 | -8 | -17 |
| Rain (mm) | 10 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 48 | 60 | 36 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
Bishkek
According to Countryaah, Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and has 1.2 million residents (2007). It is located in the northern part of the country, near the border with Kazakhstan.
The city has wide streets, most of which are lined on both sides by narrow irrigation canals that water the many trees. The city is planned in a grid pattern and houses marble buildings together with apartment complexes around courtyards in Soviet style and, especially on the outskirts of the city center, thousands of smaller, often privately built, houses. Today it is lively and relatively modern. Several statues of Vladimir Lenin are erected around Bishkek. At Alatautorget there is also the State Historical Museum, formerly the Lenin Museum.
