Country
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Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz Republic
Respublika Kirgizstan (Russian)
Kyrgyz Respublikasy (Kyrgyz)
Political Status: Designated autonomous republic of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic on February 1, 1926; became constituent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) on December 5, 1936; Republic of Kyrgyzstan proclaimed December 13, 1990; independence from the USSR declared by the Kyrgyz Supreme Soviet August 31, 1991; current constitution introduced on May 5, 1993.
Area: 76,640 sq. mi. (198,500 sq. km.).
Population: 4,822,938 (1999C); 5,118,000 (2005E).
Major Urban Center (2005E): BISHKEK (formerly Frunze, 851,000).
Official Languages: Kyrgyz, Russian. Russian has had official status since May 2000. It had previously enjoyed official status in areas where ethnic Russians are a majority. Kyrgyz is the “state language.”
Monetary Unit: Som (official rate July 1, 2006: 40.15 soms = $1US).
President: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV; named acting ...