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| Country | Kyrgyzstan | | | Flag |  | | | Capital | name: Bishkek geographic coordinates: 42 54 N, 74 36 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) | | | Population | 5,284,149 (July 2007 est.) | | | GMT | +5 | | | Location | Central Asia, west of China
see map | | | Area | total: 198,500 sq km land: 191,300 sq km water: 7,200 sq km | | | Ethnic groups | Kyrgyz 64.9%, Uzbek 13.8%, Russian 12.5%, Dungan 1.1%, Ukrainian 1%, Uygur 1%, other 5.7% (1999 census) | | | Religions | Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5% | | | Languages | Kyrgyz 64.7% (official), Uzbek 13.6%, Russian 12.5% (official), Dungun 1%, other 8.2% (1999 census) | | | Government type | republic | | | National holiday | Independence Day, 31 August (1991) | | | Constitution | adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by President Askar AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 2 February 2003 significantly expanded the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature; during large-scale demonstrations in November 2006, President BAKIYEV and the opposition negotiated a new constitution granting greater powers to the parliament and the government; amendments added on 30 December 2006 redistributed some power back to the president | | | Legal system | based on civil law system | | | Background | A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864; it achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAYEV, who had run the country since 1990. Subsequent presidential elections in July 2005 were won overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV. The political opposition organized demonstrations in Bishkek in April, May, and November 2006 resulting in the adoption of a new constitution that transferred some of the president's powers to parliament and the government. In December 2006, the Kyrgyz parliament voted to adopt new amendments, restoring some of the presidential powers lost in the November 2006 constitutional change. Current concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of democracy and political freedoms, reduction of corruption, improving interethnic relations, and combating terrorism. | | Internet country code | .kg | |
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