The World Factbook
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Background

Kyrgyzstan is a Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions. The Russian Empire annexed most of the territory of present-day Kyrgyzstan in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916, during which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1926 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in 2005 and 2010 resulted in the ouster of the countryâs first two presidents, Askar AKAEV and Kurmanbek BAKIEV. Almazbek ATAMBAEV was sworn in as president in 2011. In 2017, ATAMBAEV became the first Kyrgyzstani president to serve a full term and respect constitutional term limits, voluntarily stepping down at the end of his mandate. Former prime minister and ruling Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan member Sooronbay JEENBEKOV replaced him after winning the 2017 presidential election, which was the most competitive in the countryâs history despite reported cases of vote buying and abuse of public resources.

In 2020, protests against parliamentary election results spread across Kyrgyzstan, leading to JEENBEKOVâs resignation and catapulting previously imprisoned Sadyr JAPAROV to acting president. In 2021, Kyrgyzstanis formally elected JAPAROV as president and approved a referendum to move Kyrgyzstan from a parliamentary to a presidential system. In 2021, Kyrgyzstanis voted in favor of constitutional changes that consolidated power in the presidency. Pro-government parties won a majority in the 2021 legislative elections. Continuing concerns for Kyrgyzstan include the trajectory of democratization, endemic corruption, tense regional relations, vulnerabilities due to climate change, border security vulnerabilities, and potential terrorist threats.

Demographic profile

Kyrgyzstan is a sparsely populated country whose population is unevenly distributed.Â More than 50% of the population lives in or around the two cities of Bishkek and Osh and their surrounding districts, which together account for about 12% of the countryâs area.Â Kyrgyzstanâs population continues to grow rapidly owing to its high fertility rate and the traditional preference for larger families, a low mortality rate, a growing share of women of reproductive age, and measures to support families with children. The country has a youthful age structure; over 45% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2022.Â Nevertheless, Kyrgyzstan is transitioning from an agricultural society with high fertility and mortality rates to an industrial society with lower fertility and mortality rates.

As part of the USSR, Kyrgyzstanâs rapid population growth was not problematic because its needs were redistributed among the Soviet States.Â As an independent state, however, population growth became burdensome.Â International labor migration continues to serve as a safety valve that decreases pressure on the labor market and resources (healthcare, education, and pensions), while also reducing poverty through much-needed remittances.Â The main destinations for labor migrants are Russia and Kazakhstan, where wages are higher; almost a third of Kyrgyzstanâs working-age population migrates to Russia alone.Â Outmigration was most pronounced in the 1990s, after the collapse of the USSR, when ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Germans left Kyrgyzstan, changing the proportion of ethnic Kyrgyz in the country from barely 50% in 1992 to almost three-quarters today.

While Kyrgyzstan is a net emigration country, it does receive immigrants.Â The majority of immigrants are from the Commonwealth of Independent States â particularly Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan â but more recent arrivals also include persons from China, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.Â Chinese immigrants work primarily in construction and gold mining, while Turkish immigrants mainly work in construction, trade, education, and services.Â Border areas between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan experience irregular migration, but many of these migrants plan to move on to Europe.

Constitution

history: previous 1993, 2007, 2010; latest approved by referendum in April 2021 that transitioned Kyrgyzstan from a parliamentary to a presidential system, and implemented changes that allow the president to serve for two 5-year terms rather than one 6-year term, reduced the number of seats in Kyrgyzstan's legislature from 120 to 90, and established a Kurultay - a public advisory council

amendments: proposed as a draft law by the majority of the Supreme Council membership or by petition of 300,000 voters; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Council membership in each of at least three readings of the draft two months apart; the draft may be submitted to a referendum if approved by two thirds of the Council membership; adoption requires the signature of the president

Military - note

Kyrgyzstan has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and contributes troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force; it also started a relationship with NATO in 1992 and joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994

the Kyrgyz militaryâs primary responsibility is defense of the countryâs sovereignty and territory, although it also has some internal security duties; elements of the military were called out in 2020 to respond to post-election demonstrations for example, and the National Guardâs missions include counterterrorism, responding to emergencies, and the protection of government facilities; the military also participates in UN and CSTO peacekeeping missions; border disputes with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the threat posed by militant Islamic groups, have been particular areas of concern for both the military and internal security forces; the militaryâs closest security partner is Russia, which provides training and material assistance, and maintains a presence in the country, including an airbase; the military also conducts training with other regional countries such as India, traditionally with a focus on counterterrorism

the Kyrgyz military was formed in 1992 from Soviet Army units then based in Kyrgyzstan following the dissolution of the USSR (2023)