kyrgyzstan movie report: love as trial (scrapbook) (292b)
kyrgyzstan movie report: love as trial (scrapbook) (292b)
still formatting–rk
KYRGYZSTAN: HIV/AIDS film gains popularity
27 Feb 2006 14:50:27 GMT
Source: IRIN
BISHKEK, 27 February (IRIN) - A film highlighting the plight of people living with HIV/AIDS in Kyrgyzstan is becoming increasingly popular in major urban areas of the former Soviet republic, where the virus is on the rise.
The film, entitled ‘Love as a Trial’ shows the reality of Kyrgyz society as it works to overcome traditional stereotypes and stigma about the disease.
“You are not my son. I do not need you. How will I dare look at people?” asked the father of HIV-positive Adil, the young protagonist of the film, while Adil’s mother cries out loud as if he were already dead.
But his sister stands firmly behind her brother: “Why are you doing such things? He is alive, he is not dead.”
The film’s powerful rhetoric is having a big impact on audiences in the capital, Bishkek, as well as in the northern Chui and southern Osh provinces, where it has been shown over the past week on the local KOORT television channel.
“I really like this movie. It is very interesting and very good. Honestly, I am tired of soap operas. I have learned many things about HIV/AIDS and that HIV-positive people are normal people like we are, and that we just need to help them,” Jazgul, a 19-year-old student at the Kyrgyz Pedagogical University, said in the capital.
Filmmakers are planning to get the film translated into Kyrgyz from Russian and broadcast it on the country’s national “KTR” television channel.
On a total budget of just US $100,000, the film was produced by Kyrgyz filmmakers with financial support from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), along with training by the German development NGO, Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung (Inwent).
What makes the film unique is the strong story it tells. Adil, the young hero and former drug user, is a well-to-do IT specialist, with a girlfriend named Kamila. But one day he becomes an outcast as his friends and other people completely reject him, fearing his HIV-positive status.
With no further interest in life and suffering from depression, Adil’s friend Egor, also living with HIV/AIDS, helps him rethink things and enjoy the life he has. “I want to live” is Egor’s slogan, who helps his friend to be brave and face challenges.
“It is the first such movie produced in former Soviet countries and I know people from Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are interested in showing it in their countries [as well],” Julien Pellaux, an information and advocacy officer with UNFPA Kyrgyzstan, said.
According to the Kyrgyz Republican AIDS Centre, as of 1 February 2006, 830 HIV cases had been registered in the country after the first cases were detected in the early 1990s. However, unofficial estimates claim that the actual number is 10 times that figure.
Although the main transmission mode is still injecting drug usage, the number of people infected through sexual intercourse has markedly increased, according to the AIDS centre. In January of this year alone, four new cases were registered, with only one contracting the infection through injecting drugs.
Of all HIV/AIDS cases registered in the country in 2005, almost 20 percent were through sexual transmission, Aigul Ismailova, head of the Kyrgyz AIDS Centre’s epidemiological department, said. The remaining 80 percent of cases were contracted through drug use, compared with 90 percent in 2001.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/d7d1a4d2ef9feb3e54cc88cec5d78d02.htm
Friday, 08 April 2005
Kyrgyzstan: Did Revolution Sow The Seeds Of Democracy? (Part II)
By Gulnoza Saidazimova
The drive to oust President Askar Akaev gathered strength in Osh on 22 March
Many of those involved in sweeping President Askar Akaev from power did so in the name of democracy. Akaev’s leadership was widely viewed as corrupt and unresponsive to people’s needs. And there was a real fear that Akaev might seek yet another term in office later this year. It’s only been two weeks since the changes, but are there at least signs Kyrgyzstan is moving toward greater democracy? The second of this three-part series on Kyrgyzstan’s “revolution,”looks at why optimism is still strong amid some initial disappointments.
Prague, 8 April 2005 (RFE/RL) — The new Kyrgyz leadership faces a tough job in meeting people’s high expectations.
On the long-term agenda are things like eradicating corruption, poverty, and unemployment. These problems will not be solved easily.
But the new government seems to be failing in making other — relatively smaller — changes. Edil Baysalov, the head of a coalition of pro-democracy NGOs (”For Democracy and Civil Society”), says the new leaders appear more interested in winning over former Akaev supporters than in cleaning out the government.
The political disorder is continuing, particularly in regions where protesters held mass demonstrations last month seeking to oust Akaev.
“Our demands to replace [pro-Akaev] members of the Supreme Court and the Central Election Commission have not yet been met. [Interim President and Prime Minister Kurmanbek] Bakiev is now seeking support not among the people, but among Akaev’s ‘nomenklatura.’ In the provinces, there is disorder, lawlessness, and anarchy. The new authorities remind me of a ‘blind kitten’ that doesn’t know what to do or where to go,” says Baysalov.
The political disorder is continuing, particularly in regions where protesters held mass demonstrations last month seeking to oust Akaev.
In one district (Bazarkurgan) of the Jalalabat region, five people now claim the governor’s post. Each is trying to prove his legitimacy by claiming to have opposed Akaev.
In the southern city of Osh, the head of the state university has been replaced four times in the past month.
Before Akaev’s ouster, many had hoped that the country’s fragmented opposition would be able to unite around one leader. That does not appear to be happening.
The leader of the opposition is interim President and Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiev. He led protests in the south.
Bakiev’s main rival is Feliks Kulov, a former vice president and the charismatic leader of Ar-Namys (Dignity) party. Kulov — who is from the north — took control of the country’s law-enforcement agencies in the immediate days after Akaev’s ouster. He subsequently resigned — allegedly over disagreements with Bakiev.
The two are now expected to compete for the presidency in new elections.
There are fears that a personality-driven election campaign could harm the country. Many still cherish the hope that Bakiev and Kulov will be able to unite Kyrgyzstan’s north and south.
In an interview with the Internet publication “Transitions Online” on 4 April, Kulov said he had agreed with Bakiev that the winner of the election would become president and the other would lead the government.
Another concern is over the economy. The political changes — especially in the heavily agricultural south — have resulted in delay of sowing.
Alisher Saipov, an independent journalist from the southern city of Osh, notes, “Economists say next autumn, the harvest will be small. Due to political fighting, the sowing season was missed, works like planting and sowing have been delayed”.
The southern cities of Osh and Jalalabat were opposition strongholds in the run-up to Akaev’s ouster. The protesters in the south were especially active in bringing about the changes, and their expectations are proportionally bigger. Two weeks after Akaev’s removal from power, pessimism and disappointment seem to be stronger in the south than in the capital Bishkek.
Independent journalist Saipov says, “Those who supported the opposition and believed in revolution seem to be disappointed. Politicians try to get new posts. Infighting is very strong. Besides, a negative attitude toward what is happening prevails.”
That may be true for some, but journalists at least seem to be happy about the changes.
The media environment has traditionally been freer in Kyrgyzstan than elsewhere in Central Asia. But ahead of parliamentary elections earlier this year, many publications faced serious harassment.
Alisher Mamasaliev, the leader of the Kyrgyz KelKel youth movement, says the situation changed dramatically for the better after 24 March.
“[The state-controlled TV channel] is to be reformed to public television. The channel KOORT, which belonged to Akayev’s son-in-law, is also to be reformed. Its new head will be named soon. Radio stations give truthful information about the current situation. So do newspapers. The Internet sites haven’t been blocked [since the revolution]. There is no political censorship at all,” says Mamasaliev.
Mamasaliev says his party, for now, is being patient in demanding major changes.
“We still have the impulse. We are ready to work. I wouldn’t say there is disappointment. We are waiting. We understand that it would serve no purpose if we demand some changes immediately. We are going to wait and get prepared for the presidential election,” Mamasaliev says.
Baysalov says the Kyrgyz people still have a lot of learning to do. He contrasts the situation to Ukraine, where a two-month-long revolution served as a nationwide lesson in civic education. Kyrgyzstan’s revolution was quicker, but the transition could take much longer.
Related Stories About Kyrgyzstan:
• Was ‘Revolution’ A Worthy Successor To Rose And Orange? (Part III)
• Reporter’s Notebook — Witness To The Uprising
• New Problems Could Follow Akaev Resignation
• How Bishkek’s Revolution Happened So Fast
• Delegation In Moscow To Negotiate With Ousted President
• Delegation Due in Moscow As Akaev Signals Agreement to Resign
Other Articles Written By Gulnoza Saidazimova:
• Uzbekistan: Prosecutors Open Case Against Media-Support Group
• World: Pope John Paul Reached Out To Muslims In Former Soviet World
• Kyrgyzstan: New Problems Could Follow Akaev Resignation
• Kyrgyzstan: With No Akaev Resignation Yet, New Leadership Considers Impeachment
• Kyrgyzstan: Is Akaev Really Prepared To Resign?
• Kyrgyzstan: What Changes Did The Revolution Bring?
• Kyrgyzstan: ‘New’ Leadership Drawn From Old Guard
• Kyrgyzstan: Will Opposition Leader Bakiev Be Kyrgyzstan’s Next President?
• Police Quash Bishkek Protest, Hint At Tougher Measures
• Kyrgyz Officials Seek Meeting With Protesters
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/04/9fc08911-39b0-4764-aba3-6177a5a5aadd.html
Kyrgyzstan was born on the 31st of August, 1991 as a sovereign modern democratic state. Though young in years, it has a rich heritage and cultural continuity that dates back to many thousand years of antiquity and history.
Situated in the North-East of Central Asia it has a total area of 198.5 thousand square kilometres supporting a population of 4.700.000. Kyrgyzstan borders with Kazakhstan in the North, Uzbekistan in the West, Tadjikistan in the South West, and China in the South East.
Most of Kyrgyzstan’s territory lies within the Tien Shan Range, the highest and some of the most beautiful mountain peaks in the world. The highest being Pobeda Peak - 7439 m. and Khan Tengri (”Emperor of the Skies”) 6995 m. Over 93% of Kyrgyzstan surface area is more than 1500 m. above sea level, over 41% is higher than 3000 m. In the towering mountains are vast regions of unspoiled nature and primordial beauty which give Kyrgyzstan more than 28 thousand rivulets, sparkling streams and lucid brooks. There are 2000 large and small lakes in the Republic. The largest and best known is Lake Issyk-Kul literally “hot lake” so named for its perennial waters that flow the year round despite high altitude and freezing cold. Lake Issyk-Kul is the second largest in the world after Titicaca in South America. So large are its waters and so deep (in volume 1.738 cubic km, in depth 668 m.) that the lake is often mistaken for an inland sea. Some other relatively large lakes are Son-Kol, Chatyr-Kol and Mertsbakher.
Placed along the Silk Route on the historic crossroads of trade and cultural exchanges between China, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India and the Arabian Sea, Kyrgyztan is home for more than 
minorities and ethnic communities. Kyrgyz, Russian, Uzbek, Ukrainan, Germans, Tatars, Kazaks, Uigur and Tadjik among others. As a multi-national state Kyrgyzstan has a rich variety of languages, literature, folklore, arts, crafts, customs and communities that lend color and variety to Kyrgyz culture. The Kyrgyz Republic firmly upholds the equality of all communities. The official language is Kyrgyz yet Russian forms a common language of all groups.
The capital city Bishkek is located on the foot of the Ala-Too mountains of the central part of Chui Valley. In 1825 the Khanat of Kokand (region now in Uzbekistan) conquered and demolished the Kyrgyz fortress. In 1862 it was recaptured by Kyrgyz with the help of Russian Military detachments In 1878 the city became a district center called “Pishpek” after the Kokand conquest. In 1926 under former Soviet Russia the city was renamed Frunze after the communist leader and famous Soviet public figure who was born here. With the Independence of Kyrgyztsan in 1991 the traditional name Bishkek was restored. The city lies in close proximity to some of the most exotic and legendary places - Samarkand, Khieva, Bukhara, Kashgar; and in a region that glitters with historic figures of Alexander the Great, Tamerlane, Moghul Baber the Lion, Marco Polo, Umar Khayam.
freenet.bishkek.su/kyrgyzstan/
wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан, variously transliterated), formally the Kyrgyz Republic, and sometimes known as Kirghizia, is a country in Central Asia. Landlocked and mountainous, it borders China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Its capital is Bishkek. Once a republic of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan has been independent since 1991. Remaining reasonably stable throughout most of the 1990s, the country’s young democracy showed relative promise under the leadership of former President Askar Akayev, but moved towards autocracy and authoritarianism.
Following a somewhat unexpected revolution after the parliamentary elections in March 2005 and President Akayev’s resignation on April 4, 2005, opposition leaders formed a coalition and a new government was formed under President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Feliks Kulov.
Political stability appears to be elusive, however, as various groups and factions allegedly linked to organized crime are jockeying for power. Three of the 75 members of Parliament elected in March 2005 have been assassinated since then, most recently Tynychbek Ahmatbayev. All three are reputed to have been directly involved in illegal business.
Contents
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• 1 History
• 2 Politics
• 3 Provinces
• 4 Geography
o 4.1 Enclaves and exclaves
• 5 Economy
• 6 Demographics
• 7 Culture
o 7.1 Religion
o 7.2 Flag
o 7.3 Holidays
• 8 Miscellaneous topics
• 9 Further reading
• 10 External links
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History
Main article: History of Kyrgyzstan
The earliest ancestors of the Kirghiz people, who are believed to be of mixed Mongol and Kipchak descent, probably settled until the 10th century around what is now the Tuva region of the Russian Federation. With the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, the Kyrgyz migrated south. They did not emerge as a distinct ethnic group until the 15th century. Various Turkic peoples ruled them until 1685, when they came under the control of the Kalmyks (Oirats, Dzungars). Islam is the predominant religion in the region, and most of the Kyrgyz are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school.
In the early 19th century, the southern territory of today’s Kyrgyzstan came under the control of the Khanate of Kokand, and the territory was formally incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1876. The Russian takeover instigated numerous revolts against tsarist authority, and many of the Kyrgyz opted to move to the Pamirs and Afghanistan. In addition, the suppression of the 1916 rebellion in Central Asia caused many Kyrgyz to migrate to China.
Soviet power was initially established in the region in 1919, and the Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast was created within the Russian SFSR (the term Kara-Kirghiz was used until the mid-1920s by the Russians to distinguish them from the Kazakhs, who were also referred to as Kirghiz). On December 5, 1936, the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) was established as a full Union Republic of the USSR.
During the 1920s, Kyrgyzstan developed considerably in cultural, educational, and social life. Literacy was greatly improved, and a standard literary language was introduced. Economic and social development also was notable. Many aspects of the Kyrgyz national culture were retained despite the suppression of nationalist activity under Stalin, and, therefore, tensions with the all-Union authorities were constant.
The early years of glasnost had little effect on the political climate in Kyrgyzstan. However, the Republic’s press was permitted to adopt a more liberal stance and to establish a new publication, Literaturny Kirghizstan, by the Union of Writers. Unofficial political groups were forbidden, but several groups that emerged in 1989 to deal with the acute housing crisis were permitted to function.
In June 1990, ethnic tensions between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz surfaced in the Osh Oblast, where Uzbeks form a majority of the population. Violent confrontations ensued, and a state of emergency and curfew were introduced. Order was not restored until August.
The early 1990s brought measurable change to Kyrgyzstan. By then, the Kyrgyzstan Democratic Movement (KDM) had developed into a significant political force with support in Parliament. In an upset victory, Askar Akayev, the liberal President of the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences, was elected to the Presidency in October 1990. The following January, Akayev introduced new government structures and appointed a new government comprised mainly of younger, reform-oriented politicians.
In December 1990 the Supreme Soviet voted to change the republic’s name to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. (In 1993, it became the Kyrgyz Republic.) In February 1991, the name of the capital, Frunze, was changed back to its prerevolutionary name of Bishkek. The Kyrgyz language replaced Russian as the official language in September 1991. (Kyrgyz is a member of the Southern Turkic group of languages and was written in the Arabic alphabet until the 20th century. Latin script was introduced and adopted in 1928, and was subsequently replaced by Cyrillic in 1941.) Despite these aesthetic moves toward independence, economic realities seemed to work against secession from the U.S.S.R. In a referendum on the preservation of the U.S.S.R. in March 1991, 88.7% of the voters approved the proposal to retain the U.S.S.R. as a “renewed federation.”
On August 19, 1991, when the State Emergency Committee assumed power in Moscow, there was an attempt to depose Akayev in Kyrgyzstan. After the coup had collapsed the following week, Akayev and Vice President German Kuznetsov announced their resignations from the Communist Party Soviet Union (CPSU), and the entire bureau and secretariat resigned. This was followed by the Supreme Soviet vote declaring independence from the USSR on August 31, 1991.
In October 1991, Akayev ran unopposed and was elected president of the new independent Republic by direct ballot, receiving 95% of the votes cast. Together with the representatives of seven other Republics that same month, he signed the Treaty of the New Economic Community. Finally, on December 21, 1991, Kyrgyzstan joined with the other four Central Asian Republics to formally enter the new Commonwealth of Independent States. In 1992, Kyrgyzstan joined the UN and the CSCE.
Current concerns in Kyrgyzstan include: privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of democracy and political freedoms, inter-ethnic relations, and terrorism.
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Politics
Main article: Politics of Kyrgyzstan
The 1993 constitution defines the form of government as a democratic republic. The executive branch includes a president and prime minister. The parliament currently is bicameral. The judicial branch comprises a Supreme Court, a Constitutional Court, local courts, and a Procurator-General.
In March 2002, in the southern district of Aksy, five people protesting the arbitrary arrest of an opposition politician were shot dead by police, sparking nationwide protests. President Akayev initiated a constitutional reform process which initially included the participation of a broad range of government, civil, and social representatives in an open dialogue, leading to a February 2003 referendum marred by voting irregularities. The amendments to the constitution approved by the referendum resulted in stronger control by the president and weakened the parliament and the Constitutional Court. Parlimentary elections for a new, 75-seat unicameral legislature were held on February 27 and March 13, 2005, but were widely viewed as corrupt. The subsequent protests led to a bloodless coup on March 24, after which Akayev fled the country and was replaced by acting president Kurmanbek Bakiev (see: Tulip Revolution).
Interim government leaders are developing a new governing structure for the country and working to resolve outstanding constitutional issues. On July 10, 2005, acting president Bakiev won a presidential election in a landslide, with 88.9% of the vote and was inaugurated on 14 August in Bishkek. As of early 2006, however, initial public support for the new administration has substantially declined as a result of its apparent inability to solve the corruption problems that have plagued the country since its independence from the Soviet Union, along with the murders of three members of parliament.
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Provinces
Kyrgyzstan is divided into seven provinces (singular: oblast (область), plural: oblasttar (областтар)); adminstered by appointed governors. The capital, Bishkek, is administratively an independent city (shaar).
The provinces, with their administrative capitals, are as follows:
1. Bishkek (shaar)
2. Batken Province (Batken)
3. Chui Province (Tokmok)
4. Jalal-Abad Province (Jalal-Abad)
5. Naryn Province (Naryn)
6. Osh Province (Osh)
7. Talas Province (Talas)
8. Issyk Kul Province (Karakol)
Each province comprises a number of districts (rayon), administered by government-appointed officials (akim). Rural communities (ayıl ökmötü) consisting of up to twenty small settlements have their own elected mayors and councils.
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Geography
Map of Kyrgyzstan
Main article: Geography of Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers the majority of the nation, with the remainder made up of its valleys and basins. Issyk-Kul in the north-western Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. Pik Pobedy (Victory Peak), at 24,400 ft (7,439 m), is the highest point and is considered by geologists (though not mountaineers) to be the northernmost 7,000 m peak in the world. Heavy snowfall in winter leads to heavy spring floods which often cause serious damage downstream. The runoff from the mountains is also utilized, however, for substantial generation of hydro-electricity.
The climate varies regionally. The south-western Fergana Valley is subtropical and extremely hot in summer, with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F.) The northern foothills are temperate and the Tian Shan varies from dry continental to polar climate, depending on elevation. In the coldest areas temperatures are sub-zero for around 40 days in winter, and even some desert areas experience constant snowfall in this period.
Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of rare metals including gold and also some coal, petroleum and natural gas. Less than 8% of the land is cultivated, and this is concentrated in the northern lowlands and the fringes of the Fergana Valley.
Bishkek in the north is the capital and largest city, with approximately 900,000 inhabitants in 2005. The second city is the ancient town of Osh, located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. The principal river is the Naryn, flowing west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan, where it meets another of Kyrgyzstan’s major rivers, the Kara Darya and forms the Syr Darya which eventually flows into the Aral Sea — although the massive extraction of water for irrigating Uzbekistan’s cotton fields now causes the river to dry up long before reaching the Aral Sea. The Chui river also briefly flows through Kyrgyzstan before entering Kazakhstan.
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Enclaves and exclaves
There is one exclave, the tiny village of Barak [1], (population 627) in the Fergana valley. The village is surrounded by Uzbek territory and located between the towns of Margilan and Fergana.
There are four Uzbek enclaves within Kyrgyzstan. Two of them are the towns of Sokh (area 325 km² and a population of 42,800 in 1993, although some estimates go as high as 70,000; 99% are Tajiks, the remainder Uzbeks), and Shakhrimardan (also known as Shakirmardon or Shah-i-Mardan, area 90 km² and a population of 5,100 in 1993; 91% are Uzbeks, the remainder Kyrgyz); the other two are the tiny territories of Chuy-Kara (or Kalacha, roughly 3 km long by 1 km wide) and Dzhangail (a dot of land barely 2 or 3 km across). Chuy-Kara is on the Sokh river, between the Uzbek border and the Sokh enclave.
There also are two enclaves belonging to Tajikistan: Vorukh (exclave area between 95 and 130 km², population estimated between 23,000 and 29,000, 95% Tajiks and 5% Kyrgyz, distributed among 17 villages), located 45 km south of Isfara on the right bank of the Karafshin river, and a small settlement near the Kyrgyz railway station of Kairagach.
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Economy
Main article: Economy of Kyrgyzstan
Despite the backing of major Western donors, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, the Kyrgyz Republic has had economic difficulties following independence. Initially, these were a result of the breakup of the Soviet trading bloc and resulting loss of markets, which impeded the republic’s transition to a free market economy. The government has reduced expenditures, ended most price subsidies, and introduced a value-added tax. Overall, the government appears committed to the transition to a market economy. Through economic stabilization and reform, the government seeks to establish a pattern of long-term consistent growth. Reforms led to the Kyrgyz Republic’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on December 20, 1998.
The Kyrgyz Republic’s economy was severely affected by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting loss of its vast market. In 1990, some 98% of Kyrgyz exports went to other parts of the Soviet Union. Thus, the nation’s economic performance in the early 1990s was worse than any other former Soviet republic except war-torn Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan, as factories and state farms collapsed with the disappearance of their traditional markets in the former Soviet Union. While economic performance has improved considerably in the last few years, and particularly since 1998, difficulties remain in securing adequate fiscal revenues and providing an adequate social safety net.
Agriculture is an important sector of the economy in the Kyrgyz Republic. By the early 1990s, the private agricultural sector provided between one-third and one-half of some harvests. In 2002 agriculture accounted for 35.6% of GDP and about half of employment. The Kyrgyz Republic’s terrain is mountainous, which accommodates livestock raising, the largest agricultural activity. Main crops include wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, vegetables, and fruit. Wool, meat, and dairy products also are major commodities.
Agricultural processing is a key component of the industrial economy, as well as one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment. The Kyrgyz Republic is rich in mineral resources but has negligible petroleum and natural gas reserves; it imports petroleum and gas. Among its mineral reserves are substantial deposits of coal, gold, uranium, antimony, and other rare-earth metals. Metallurgy is an important industry, and the government hopes to attract foreign investment in this field. The government has actively encouraged foreign involvement in extracting and processing gold. The Kyrgyz Republic’s plentiful water resources and mountainous terrain enable it to produce and export large quantities of hydroelectric energy.
On a local level, the economy is primarily kiosk in nature. A large amount of local commerce occurs at bazaars and small village kiosks. Commodities such as gas are often sold road-side in gallon jugs. A significant amount of trade is unregulated. There is also a scarcity of common everyday consumer items in remote villages. Thus a large number of homes are quite self-sufficient with respect to food production. There is a distinct differentiation between urban and rural economies.
The principal exports are nonferrous metals and minerals, woolen goods and other agricultural products, electric energy, and certain engineering goods. Imports include petroleum and natural gas, ferrous metals, chemicals, most machinery, wood and paper products, some foods, and some construction materials. Its leading trade partners include Germany, Russia, China, and neighboring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
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Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Kyrgyzstan
The World Almanac 2005 reported that Kyrgyzstan’s population is slightly more than 5 million, estimating it at 5,081,429. Of those, 34.4% are under the age of 15 and 6.2% are over the age of 65. The country is rural; only about one-third (33.9%) of Kyrgyzstan’s population live in urban areas. The average population density is 29 people per km2 (69 people per square mile).
Traditional graves
The nation’s largest ethnic group are the Kyrgyz, a Turkic peoples. The Kyrgyz comprise 69.5% percent of the population and have historically been semi-nomadic herders, living in yurts and tending sheep, horses and yaks. This nomadic tradition continues to function seasonaly as herding families return to high mountain pastures or jailoos in the summer. The retention of this nomadic heritage and the freedoms that it assumes continue to have an impact on the political atmosphere in the country. The name Kyrgyz, both for the people and for the nation itself, is said to mean either “forty girls”, a reference to the Manas of folklore unifying forty tribes against the Mongols.
Other ethnic groups include ethnic Russians (9.0%) concentrated in the North and Uzbeks (14.5%) living in the South. Small, but noticeable minorities include Tatars (1.9), Uyghurs (1.1%), Kazakhs (0.7%) and Ukrainians (0.5%). Of the formerly sizeable Volga German community, exiled here by Stalin from their earlier homes in the Volga-German Republic, most have left to be repatriated in Germany, and only a few small groups remain.
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Culture
Main article: Culture of Kyrgyzstan
A road near Bishkek
Al-Aksa gorge near Bishkek
• Manas, an epic poem
• Tush kyiz, large, elaborately embroidered wall hangings
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Religion
• Islam is the religion of 75% of the population.
• The main Christian churches are Russian Orthodox and Ukrainian Orthodox
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Flag
It is considered that there are 40 Kyrgyz tribes. This is symbolized by the 40-rayed yellow sun in the center of the flag of Kyrgyzstan. The lines inside the sun represent the crown or tunduk(Kyrg.: түндүк) of a yurt, a symbol replicated in many facets of Kyrgyz architecture.
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Holidays
Date English Name Local Name Remarks
January 1st New Year Жаңы жыл ~
January 7th Russian Orthodox Christmas Православдык рождествосу ~
March 8th Women’s Day Аялдар күнү ~
March 21st Nooruz
Нооруз майрамы ~
May 1st Labour (Labor) Day Ишчилер күнү ~
May 5th Constitution Day Конституция күнү ~
May 9th World War II Victory Day Жеңиш күнү ~
August 31st Independence Day Эгемендүүлүк күнү ~
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Miscellaneous topics
• Communications in Kyrgyzstan
• Foreign relations of Kyrgyzstan
• Kyrgyzstan at the 2004 Summer Olympics
• Kyrgyz parliamentary elections, 2005
• Kyrgyz presidential election, 2005
• List of cities in Kyrgyzstan
• Military of Kyrgyzstan
• Scouting in Kyrgyzstan
• Transportation in Kyrgyzstan
• Tulip Revolution
• Postage stamps and postal history of Kyrgyzstan
March 27th, 2009 at 4:16 am
Oklahomamesothelioma…
Oklahomamesothelioma…