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; revised constitution approved by the legislature on November 8, 2006, signed by the president on November 9; signed into law on January 15, 2007; revised constitution ruled illegal by Constitutional Court September 14, 2007; new constitution and electoral law passed by referendum on October 21.

Area: 76,640 sq. mi. (198,500 sq. km.).

Population: 4,822,938 (1999C); 5,242,000 (2007E).

Major Urban Center (2005E): BISHKEK (formerly Frunze, 851,000).

Official Languages: Kyrgyz, Russian. Kyrgyz is the “state ...