Kyrgyzstan

Etymology

There are many theories about the origin of the word Kyrgyz. One proposed etymology is that it means "forty tribes", which may refer to the 40 clans of Manas, a legendary hero who united regional clans. The Persian suffix -Stan means "place of".

The 40-ray sun on the flag of Kyrgyzstan is a reference to those same 40 tribes and the graphical element in the sun's center depicts the wooden crown, called tunduk, of a yurt—a portable dwelling traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.

The official name is Kyrgyz Republic, used in international arenas and foreign relations. In the English-speaking world, the spelling Kyrgyzstan is commonly used, while its former name Kirghizia is rarely used.

History

Early history

The Kyrgyz state reached its greatest expansion after defeating the Uyghur Khaganate in 840 AD. From the 10th century, the Kyrgyz migrated as far as the Tian Shan range and maintained their dominance over the territory for about 200 years.

There is a storytelling tradition of the Epic of Manas, which involves a warrior who unified all of the scattered tribes into a single nation in the 9th century. The trilogy, an element of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, expresses the memory of the nomadic Kyrgyz people.

In the 12th century, the Kyrgyz dominion had shrunk to the Altay range and Sayan Mountains as a result of the Mongol expansion. With the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, the Kyrgyz migrated south. The Kyrgyz peacefully became a part of the Mongol Empire in 1207. Issyk-Kul Lake was a stopover on the Silk Road, a land route for traders, merchants, and other travelers from the Far East to Europe.

Kyrgyz tribes were overrun in the 17th century by the Mongols, in the mid-18th century by the Manchu-led Qing dynasty of China, and in the early 19th century by the Uzbek Khanate of Kokand. In 1842, the Kyrgyz tribes broke away from Kokand and united into the Kara-Kyrgyz Khanate, led by Ormon Khan. Following Ormon's death in 1854, the khanate disintegrated.

Russian conquest

In the late 19th century, the much of the Issyk-Kul Region was ceded to the Russian Empire by Qing China through the Treaty of Tarbagatai. The territory, known in Russian as "Kirghizia", was formally incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1876. The Russian takeover was met with numerous revolts, and many of the Kyrgyz opted to relocate to the Pamir Mountains and Afghanistan.

The suppression of the 1916 rebellion against Russian rule in Central Asia caused many Kyrgyz to migrate to China. Since many ethnic groups in the region were, and still are, split between neighboring states at a time when borders were more porous and less regulated, it was common to move back and forth over the mountains, depending on where life was perceived as better; this might mean better rains for pasture or better government during oppression.

Soviet Kyrgyzstan

Soviet power was initially established in the region in 1919, and the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast was created within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The phrase 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 5 December 1936, the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic was established as a constituent Union Republic of the Soviet Union.

After the Russian Civil War, the period of the New Economic Policy began, which lasted roughly to 1928. The Bolsheviks made an effort to establish a standardized tax system, with higher taxes for nomads to discourage the wandering livelihood, and they divided the Central Asia region into five nation-states. Kyrgyzstan developed considerably in cultural, educational, and social life, literacy was greatly improved. Economic and social development also was notable. Under Stalin a great focus was put on Kyrgyz national identity. The Soviet state was fighting tribalism: its social organization based on patrilineal kinship contradicted the concept of the modern nation state. In a region that did not previously know national institutions or consciousness, the process of nation-building was, from the indigenous perspective, a difficult and ambivalent one.

By the end of the 1920s, the Soviet Union developed a series of five-year plans, centered around industrialization and the collectivization of agriculture, including the creation of huge "kolkhoz" collective farming systems, needed to feed the workers in the industries. Because of the plan's reliance on rapidity, major economic and cultural changes had to occur, which led to conflicts. In Kyrgyzstan, Russian settlers acquired the best pasture land, creating much hardship for most of its original inhabitants, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Turkmen nomads, who were also forced to settle down on soil that did not have enough agricultural potential. The changes caused unrest, and between 1928 and 1932 nomads and peasants made it clear through methods like passive resistance that they did not agree with these policies, in the Kirgiziya area also guerrilla opposition occurred. The region suffered relatively more deaths from collectivization than any other.

The early years of glasnost, in the late 1980s, 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 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.

Independence

In October 1991, Akayev ran unopposed and was elected president of the new independent republic by direct ballot, receiving 95 percent of the votes cast. Together with representatives of seven other republics that same month, he signed the Treaty of the Economic Community. On 8 December the leaders of three out of four Soviet Union's founding republics (Russia, Belarus and Ukraine) signed the Belavezha Accords, denouncing the Union Treaty of 1922, declaring that the Soviet Union would cease to exist and proclaimed the Commonwealth of Independent States in its place.

On 21 December Kyrgyzstan agreed with the other four Central Asian Republics (Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan) to the Alma-Ata Protocol, formally entering the commonwealth with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine. Kyrgyzstan gained full independence on 25 December 1991. On 26 December the Soviet Union ceased to exist. In 1992, Kyrgyzstan joined the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. On 5 May 1993, the official name changed from the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to the Kyrgyz Republic following the adoption of the Constitution of Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan celebrates its Independence Day annually on 31 August, the anniversary of its declaration of independence in 1991.

21st century

In February and March 2005, parliamentary elections were held, which the opposition and international observers criticized for alleged irregularities. Widespread protests erupted, leading to the ousting of President Askar Akayev, who fled the country and resigned in April. This series of events became known as the Tulip Revolution. Subsequently, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a former prime minister and opposition leader, assumed the presidency after winning the July 2005 presidential election with a significant majority.

After assuming office, President Bakiyev faced challenges including political unrest and demands for constitutional reforms. In 2006 and 2007, large-scale protests occurred with citizens calling for a reduction in presidential powers and increased governmental transparency. In response, Bakiyev implemented constitutional amendments and appointed opposition figures to key positions. Despite these measures, tensions persisted throughout his tenure.

Throughout the decade, Kyrgyzstan grappled with economic difficulties, including energy shortages and rising utility prices. In 2009, the government announced significant increases in electricity and heating tariffs, leading to public discontent. Additionally, the country faced challenges related to corruption and organized crime, which impacted its social and economic development.

In 2009, Bakiyev announced the eviction of the U.S. military from the Manas Air Base, a strategic transit center supporting operations in Afghanistan. The Manas Air Base, hosting approximately 1,000 U.S. military personnel since 2001, served as a crucial staging post for coalition forces in Afghanistan.

In April 2010, widespread protests erupted against Bakiyev's administration, driven by public discontent over corruption and rising energy prices. These demonstrations culminated in Bakiyev's ousting and the establishment of a provisional government led by Roza Otunbayeva. In June violent ethnic clashes occurred in the southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad between Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities, resulting in over 400 deaths and displacing thousands. Following these events, a referendum was held in June to adopt a new constitution aimed at reducing presidential powers and enhancing parliamentary authority. The referendum passed with approximately 90% approval and a 70% voter turnout, despite challenges posed by recent unrest. This constitution introduced a single six-year term for the president without the possibility of re-election and limited any single political party to 65 of the 120 parliamentary seats to prevent power concentration.

Geography

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It lies between latitudes 39° and 44° N, and longitudes 69° and 81° E. It is farther from the sea than any other individual country and is an endorheic basin in which all its rivers flow into closed drainage systems which do not reach the sea. The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia" as a result), with the remainder made up of valleys and basins.

Issyk-Kul Lake, or Ysyk-Köl in Kyrgyz, in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. The Kara Darya (Karadar'ya) river at 132 meters is the lowest point, and the highest peaks are in the Kakshaal Too range, forming the Chinese border. Jengish Chokusu at 7,439 m (24,406 ft) is the highest point and is considered by geologists to be the northernmost peak over 7,000 m (22,966 ft) in the world. Heavy snowfall in winter leads to spring floods which often cause serious damage downstream. The runoff from the mountains is also used for hydro-electricity. Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of metals including gold and rare-earth metals. With predominantly mountainous terrain, less than 8% of the land is cultivated, and this is concentrated in the northern lowlands and the fringes of the Fergana Valley.

Bishkek is the capital and largest city, with 1,321,900 inhabitants (as of 2025). The second largest city is Osh, located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. The principal river is the Kara Darya, which flows west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Across the border in Uzbekistan it meets the Naryn. The confluence forms the Syr Darya, which originally flowed into the Aral Sea. As of 2010, it no longer reaches the sea, as its water is withdrawn upstream to irrigate cotton fields in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and southern Kazakhstan. The Chu River also briefly flows through Kyrgyzstan before entering Kazakhstan.

Kyrgyzstan contains seven terrestrial ecosystems: Tian Shan montane conifer forests, Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe, Gissaro-Alai open woodlands, Tian Shan foothill arid steppe, Pamir alpine desert and tundra, Tian Shan montane steppe and meadows, and Central Asian northern desert. It has a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.86/10, ranking it 13th globally out of 172 countries.

Climate

The climate varies regionally. The low-lying Fergana Valley in the southwest is 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, winter temperatures drop below freezing for approximately 40 days, and even some desert areas experience constant snowfall during this period. In the lowlands the temperature ranges from around −6 °C (21 °F) in January to 24 °C (75 °F) in July.

Enclaves and exclaves

Barak (population 627) in the Fergana Valley is an exclave. The village is surrounded by Uzbek territory. It is located on the road from Osh (Kyrgyzstan) to Khodjaabad (Uzbekistan) about 4 kilometres (2 miles) north-west from the Kyrgyz–Uzbek border in the direction of Andijan. Barak is administratively part of Kara-Suu District in Kyrgyzstan's Osh Region.

There are four Uzbek enclaves within Kyrgyzstan. Two of them are the towns of Sokh, with an area of 325 km2 (125 sq mi) and a population of 42,800 in 1993, although some estimates go as high as 70,000 (99% are Tajiks, the remainder Uzbeks); and Shakhimardan (also known as Shahimardan, Shohimardon, or Shah-i-Mardan), with an area of 90 km2 (35 sq mi) and a population of 5,100 in 1993; 91% are Uzbeks, and the remaining 9% are Kyrgyz; the other two are the tiny territories of Chong-Kara (roughly 3 km (2 mi) long by 1 km (0.6 mi) wide) and Jangy-ayyl (a dot of land barely 2–3 km (1–2 mi) across). Chong-Kara is on the Sokh river, between the Uzbek border and the Sokh enclave. Jangy-ayyl is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of Batken, in a northward projection of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border near Khalmion.

There are also two enclaves belonging to Tajikistan on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border: Vorukh, and Lolazor. Vorukh has an area between 95–130 km2 (37–50 sq mi), and a population estimated between 23,000 and 29,000, 95% Tajiks and 5% Kyrgyz. It is distributed among 17 villages and is located around 45 kilometres (28 mi) south of Isfara on the right bank of the river Karavshin. Lolazor (Western Qalacha or Kayragach) is a small settlement near the Kyrgyz railway station of Kairagach.

Government and politics

Political system

The 1993 constitution defines the form of government as a democratic unicameral republic. The executive branch includes a president and prime minister. The parliament currently is unicameral. The judicial branch comprises a supreme court, local courts and a chief prosecutor.

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 Askar 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. Parliamentary elections for a new, 75-seat unicameral legislature were widely viewed as corrupt. The subsequent protests led to a bloodless coup on 24 March 2005, after which Akayev fled the country with his family and was replaced by acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

In July 2005, Bakiyev won the presidential election in a landslide with 88.9% of the vote. However, initial public support for his administration substantially declined in subsequent months as a result of its apparent inability to solve the corruption problems that had plagued the country since its independence from the Soviet Union, along with the murders of several members of parliament. Large-scale protests against Bakiyev took place in Bishkek in April and November 2006, with opposition leaders accusing the president of failing to live up to his election promises to reform the country's constitution and transfer many of his presidential powers to parliament.

Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a league of 57 participating states committed to peace, transparency, and the protection of human rights in Eurasia. As an OSCE participating state, Kyrgyzstan's international commitments are subject to monitoring under the mandate of the U.S. Helsinki Commission.

In December 2008, the state-owned broadcast KTRK announced that it would require prior submission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty programmes, which KTRK are required to retransmit according to a 2005 agreement. KTRK had stopped retransmitting RFE/RL programming in October 2008, a week after it failed to broadcast an RFE/RL programme called Inconvenient Questions which covered the October elections, claiming to have lost the missing material. Bakiyev had criticised this programme in September, while KTRK told RFE/RL that its programming was too negative. Reporters Without Borders, which ranks Kyrgyzstan 111th out of 173 countries on its Press Freedom Index, strongly criticised the decision.

Administrative divisions

Kyrgyzstan is divided into seven regions (Kyrgyz: облустар). The regions are subdivided into 44 districts (Kyrgyz: аймактар, ajmaktar;). The districts are further subdivided into rural districts at the lowest level of administration, which include all rural settlements (Kyrgyz: айыл өкмөтү, romanized: ayıl ökmötü) and villages without an associated municipal government.

The cities of Bishkek and Osh have status "state importance" and do not belong to any region.

Each region is headed by an akim (regional governor) appointed by the president. District akims are appointed by regional akims.

The regions, and independent cities, are as follows, with subdivisions:

City of Bishkek

Lenin District

Oktyabr District

Birinchi Maj District

Sverdlov District

Batken Region

Batken District

Kadamjay District

Leylek District

Chüy Region

Alamüdün District

Chüj District

Jayıl District

Kemin District

Moskva District

Panfilov District

Sokuluk District

Military

The Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan were formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and consist of the Land Forces, Air Forces, internal troops, National Guard, and the border guard. The military works with the US Armed Forces, which leased a facility named the Transit Center at Manas at Manas International Airport near Bishkek until 2014. In recent years, the armed forces have developed relations with Russia including signing modernization deals worth $1.1bn and participating in exercises with Russian troops. The Agency of National Security works with the military and serves similar purposes to its Soviet predecessor, the KGB. It oversees an elite counterterrorism special forces unit known as "Alfa", the same name used by other former Soviet countries, including Russia and Uzbekistan. The police are commanded by the Ministry of the Interior Affairs, along with the border guard.

Human rights

Kyrgyzstan is classified as a "hybrid regime" in the Democracy Index, ranking 107th out of 167 for 2020. It was ranked "not free" in the 2026 Freedom in the World report with a score of 25/100. After the installation of a more democratic government, many human rights violations still take place. In a move that alarmed human-rights groups, dozens of prominent Uzbek religious and community leaders were arrested by security forces following the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots, including journalist and human-rights activist Azimzhan Askarov, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2010.

A law banning women under age 23 from traveling abroad without a parent or guardian, with the purpose of "increased morality and preservation of the gene pool" passed in the Parliament in 2013. American diplomats expressed concern in 2014 when Kyrgyzstan lawmakers passed a law that imposes jail terms on gay-rights activists and others, including journalists, who create "a positive attitude toward non-traditional sexual relations". In 2024, the independent investigative media organization Kloop was ordered shut down by the Kyrgyz courts. This move drew criticism within the country and abroad.

Economy

Kyrgyzstan was among the less economically developed republics of the former Soviet Union and is currently the second-lowest in terms of income levels in Central Asia, after Tajikistan. 22.4% of the country's population lives below the poverty line.

Despite the backing of major Western lenders, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, Kyrgyzstan has had economic difficulties following independence. Initially, these were a result of the breakup of the Soviet trade bloc and resulting loss of markets, which impeded the republic's transition to a demand economy. The government reduced public spending, eliminated most price subsidies, and implemented a value-added tax. These measures reflected its commitment to transitioning toward a market-based economy. Through economic stabilization and structural reforms, the government aimed to promote sustained long-term growth. Reforms led to Kyrgyzstan's accession to the World Trade Organization in 1998.

The economy was severely affected by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting loss of its vast market. In 1990, some 98% of exports went to other parts of the Soviet Union. Thus, the 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. Remittances of around 350,000 Kyrgyz migrants working in Russia contribute to the economy, however in recent years remittances have decreased. Reliance on remittances—currently about 15% of GDP—has declined from a previous high of 35%.

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 terrain is mountainous, which accommodates livestock raising, the largest agricultural activity, so the resulting wool, meat and dairy products are major commodities. Main crops include wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, vegetables, and fruit. As the prices of imported agrichemicals and petroleum are so high, much farming is being done by hand and by horse, as it was generations ago. Agricultural processing is a key component of the industrial economy as well as one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment.

Tourism

One of the most popular tourist destination points is Issyk-Kul. Numerous hotels, resorts and boarding houses are located along its northern shore. The most popular beach zones are in Cholpon-Ata and the settlements nearby, such as Kara-Oi (Dolinka), Bosteri and Korumdy. Tourists numbered 3,658,500 in 2024.

Science and technology

The headquarters of the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences is located in Bishkek, where several research institutes are located. Researchers are developing useful technologies based on natural products, such as heavy metal remediation for purifying waste water. Kyrgyzstan was ranked 96th in the Global Innovation Index in 2025.

Transport

Transport in Kyrgyzstan is severely constrained by the country's alpine topography. Roads have to snake up steep valleys, cross passes of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) altitude and more, and are subject to frequent mudslides and snow avalanches. Winter travel is treacherous in many of the more remote and high-altitude regions.

Additional problems come from the fact that many roads and railway lines built during the Soviet period are today intersected by international boundaries, requiring time-consuming border formalities to cross where they are not completely closed. Horses are still a much-used transport option, especially in more rural areas; the road infrastructure is not extensive, so horses are able to reach locations that motor vehicles cannot, and they do not require expensive, imported fuel.

At the end of the Soviet period there were about 50 airports and airstrips, many of them built primarily to serve military purposes in this border region so close to China. Only a few of them remain in service today. The Kyrgyzstan Air Company provides air transport to China, Russia, and other local countries.

Manas International Airport near Bishkek is the main international airport, with services to Moscow, Tashkent, Almaty, Ürümqi, Istanbul, Baku, and Dubai.

Osh Airport is the main air terminal in the south of the country, with daily connections to Bishkek, and services to Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Almaty and more international places.

Jalal-Abad Airport is linked to Bishkek by daily flights. The national flag carrier, Kyrgyzstan, operates flights on BAe-146 aircraft. During the summer months, a weekly flight links Jalal-Abad with the Issyk-Kul Region.

Other facilities built during the Soviet era are either closed down, used only occasionally or restricted to military use (e.g., Kant Air Base near Bishkek, which is used by the Russian Air Force).

Until 8 June 2026, Kyrgyzstan appeared on the European Union's list of prohibited countries for the certification of airlines. This meant that no airline that was registered in Kyrgyzstan could operate services of any kind within the European Union, due to safety standards that failed to meet European regulations.

Demographics

The population is estimated at 7,404,300 as of January 2026. In the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Kyrgyzstan has a score of 6.8, ranking 36th among 127 countries with sufficient data. The hunger level is classified as low.

Ethnic groups

The nation's largest ethnic group are the Kyrgyz, a Turkic people, who comprise 77.8% of the population. Other ethnic groups include the Russians (3.7%) concentrated in the north and the Uzbeks (14.3%) living in the south. Small but noticeable minorities include the Dungans (1.0%), Tajiks (0.9%), Uyghurs (0.5%), Kazakhs (0.4%), and other smaller ethnic minorities. The country has over 80 ethnic groups.

The Kyrgyz have historically been semi-nomadic herders, living in round tents called yurts and tending sheep, horses and yaks. This nomadic tradition continues to function seasonally as herding families return to the high mountain pasture (or jailoo) in the summer. The sedentary Uzbeks and Tajiks traditionally have farmed lower-lying irrigated land in the Fergana Valley.

Kyrgyzstan has undergone a pronounced change in its ethnic composition since independence. The percentage of ethnic Kyrgyz has increased from around 50% in 1979 to over 70% in 2013, while the percentage of ethnic groups, such as Russians, Ukrainians, Germans and Tatars dropped from 35% to about 7%. Since 1991, a large number of Germans, who in 1989 numbered 101,000 persons, have emigrated to Germany.

Languages

Kyrgyz is the state language. Russian is additionally an official language. Kyrgyzstan is one of five former Soviet republics to have Russian as a de jure official language, along with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.

Kyrgyz is a Turkic language of the Kipchak branch, closely related to Kazakh, Karakalpak, and Nogay Tatar. It was written in the Arabic alphabet until the 20th century. The Latin script was introduced and adopted on Stalin's orders in 1928, and was subsequently replaced by Cyrillic script in 1941. A reformed Perso-Arabic alphabet, created by the Kyrgyz intellectual and scientist Kasym Tynystanov, is the official script of the Kyrgyz language in the People's Republic of China. As a result of the pending language reform in neighboring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan will be the only independent Turkic-speaking country in a few years that exclusively uses the Cyrillic alphabet.

In April 2023, Russia suspended dairy exports to Kyrgyzstan after the chairman of Kyrgyzstan's National Commission for the State Language and Language Policies, Kanybek Osmonaliev, proposed to change the official script from Cyrillic to Latin to bring the country in line with other Turkic-speaking nations. Osmonaliev was reprimanded by President Sadyr Japarov who then clarified that Kyrgyzstan had no plans to replace the Cyrillic alphabet.

Russian television media enjoy enormous popularity in Kyrgyzstan, especially in Bishkek and the Chüy Region, despite the percentage of Russians today being a fraction of that in 1989. According to World Values Survey in 2020, Russian was the language spoken at home for 55.6% of the population of Bishkek, and Kyrgyz was the second with 43.6%. However, the countrywide figure for Russian was only 16.3%, whereas Kyrgyz was the home language of 70.9%. The Uzbek language was the third most spoken home language with 10.7% according to the same survey. Russian media outlets have an enormous influence on public opinion in Kyrgyzstan, especially in areas such as human rights and international political developments.

Many business and political affairs are carried out in Russian. Until recently, Kyrgyz remained a language spoken at home and was rarely used during meetings or other events. However, most parliamentary meetings today are conducted in Kyrgyz, with simultaneous interpretation available for those not speaking Kyrgyz. According to an RFE/RL article from 2014, despite the attempts to raise the status of Kyrgyz, thousands of Kyrgyz are russifying their names every year (around 40,000), mostly for career prospects, and to remove themselves from the Russian blacklists (people who are to be deported upon entrance) by registering different names. There are also many Russian-language medium schools that are supported from the Russian foundations via the embassy of Russia in Bishkek which are better funded than the Kyrgyz language medium schools. Due to this, many ethnic Kyrgyz go to Russian language medium schools. Many high school students change their surnames annually; for example, 800 such changes were recorded in high school students in the region of Naryn.

Religion

Islam is the dominant religion in Kyrgyzstan. The CIA World Factbook estimates that as of 2017, 90% of the population is Muslim, with the majority being non-denominational and Sunni; 7% are Christian, including 3% Russian Orthodoxy, and the remainder are other religions. A 2009 Pew Research Center report indicates 86.3% of Kyrgyzstan's population adhering to Islam. The great majority of Muslims are Sunni, adhering to the Hanafi school of thought, although a 2012 Pew survey report showed that only 23% of respondents to a questionnaire chose to identify themselves as Sunni, with 64% volunteering that they were "just a Muslim". There are a few Ahmadiyya Muslims, though unrecognized by the country.

During Soviet times, state atheism was encouraged. Today, however, Kyrgyzstan is a secular state, although Islam has exerted a growing influence in politics. For instance, there has been an attempt to arrange for officials to travel on hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca) under a tax-free arrangement.

While Islam in Kyrgyzstan is more of a cultural background than a devout daily practice for many, public figures have expressed support for restoring religious values. For example, human rights ombudsman Tursunbay Bakir-Ulu notes, "In this era of independence, it is not surprising that there has been a return to spiritual roots not only in Kyrgyzstan, but also in other post-communist republics. It would be immoral to develop a market-based society without an ethical dimension."

Bermet Akayeva, the daughter of former President Askar Akayev, stated during a July 2007 interview that Islam is increasingly taking root across the nation. She emphasized that many mosques have recently been built and that the Kyrgyz are increasingly devoting themselves to Islam, which she noted was "not a bad thing in itself. It keeps our society more moral, cleaner." There is a contemporary Sufi order present which adheres to a somewhat different form of Islam than orthodox Islam.

The other faiths practiced in Kyrgyzstan include Russian Orthodox and Ukrainian Orthodox versions of Christianity, practiced primarily by Russians and Ukrainians respectively. A small minority of ethnic Germans are also Christian, mostly Lutheran and Anabaptist, and there is a Roman Catholic community of approximately 600. As part of the historic Kyrgyzstan German minority, there were around 200 Mennonites in Kyrgyzstan in 2022. One Mennonite community continues in the settlement of Rot-Front. A community of 5,000 to 10,000 Jehovah's Witnesses gathers in both Kyrgyz and Russian-speaking congregations and some Chinese- and Turkish-speaking groups.

Education

Education in Kyrgyzstan includes primary (grades 1 to 4, some schools have optional 0 grade), secondary (grades 5 to 9) and high (grades 10 to 11) divisions within one school. Children are usually accepted to primary schools at the age of 6 or 7. It is required that every child finishes 9 grades of school and receives a certificate of completion. Grades 10–11 are optional, but it is necessary to complete them to graduate and receive a state-accredited school diploma. To graduate, a student must complete the 11-year school course and pass 4 mandatory state exams in writing, maths, history, and a foreign language.

As of 2023, there are 4,989 primary and secondary schools, including 445 in Bishkek; the large majority of these (4,537) are public schools. There are 58 higher educational institutions and universities, out of which 42 are public and 16 private.

In 2016, the University of Central Asia was launched in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. There are also various Russian-language medium schools in Bishkek, Osh and other areas. Because of the better funding that they receive in comparation with Kyrgyz state schools, many Kyrgyz go there. In 2021 Russia announced its plans to create approximately 30 new Russian-language schools in Kyrgyzstan. Teachers from Russia are also working here. However, the existence of these schools has been criticised, for reasons such as the fact that Russian language education has flaws compared to the Turkish and American schools in the country, but also because many ethnic Kyrgyz born after Kyrgyz independence in 1991 can't speak Kyrgyz, but only Russian, according to a Bishkek resident.

Kyrgyzstan is home to 1,066 libraries. The National Library of the Kyrgyz Republic is the oldest library in the country, which was established in 1934. Kyrgyz Libraries are working towards expanding access to communities, evident in projects such as the signing of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty and the Open access Portal.

Culture

Traditions

Manas, an epic poem; the plot revolves around a series of events that coincide with the history of the region in the 9th century, primarily the interaction of the Kyrgyz people with other Turkic and Chinese people.

Komuz, a three-stringed lute

Tush kyiz, large, elaborately embroidered wall hangings

Shyrdak and Ala-kiyiz carpets, manufactured by the process of felting, used for yurts. Inscribed in 2012 on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Other textiles, especially made from felt

Ala kachuu, illegal but still practiced bride kidnapping. It is debatable whether bride kidnapping is actually traditional. Some of the confusion may stem from the fact that arranged marriages were traditional, and one of the ways to escape an arranged marriage was to arrange a consensual "kidnapping".

Falconry

Various dances

Flag

The 40-rayed yellow sun in the center of the national flag represent the 40 tribes that once made up the entirety of Kyrgyz culture before the intervention of Russia during the rise of the Soviet Union. The lines inside the sun represent the crown or tündük (Kyrgyz түндүк) of a yurt, a symbol replicated in many facets of Kyrgyz architecture. The red portion of the flag represents peace and openness of Kyrgyzstan.

Under Soviet rule and before 1992, it had the flag of the Soviet Union with two large blue stripes and a thin white stripe in the middle.

Sports

In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Kyrgyzstan received its first ever Olympic medal when Aidyn Smagulov won bronze in the men's 60 kg competition final in judo.

Football is one of the most popular sports. The official governing body is the Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic, which was founded in 1992. It administers the Kyrgyzstan national football team. Wrestling is popular. Since the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Kyrgyzstani wrestlers have won six medals in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling: three in 2008 and three in 2020.

Ice hockey was not as popular until the first Ice Hockey Championship was organized in 2009. In 2011, the Kyrgyzstan men's national ice hockey team won 2011 Asian Winter Games Premier Division dominating in all six games with six wins. It was the first major international event that Kyrgyzstan's ice hockey team took part in. The Kyrgyzstan men's ice hockey team joined the IIHF in July 2011.

Bandy is becoming increasingly popular. The national team took Kyrgyzstan's first medal at the Asian Winter Games, when they captured the bronze. They played in the Bandy World Championship 2012, their first appearance in that tournament. Kyrgyzstan's national basketball team had its best performance at the official 1995 Asian Basketball Championship where the team finished ahead of favorites including Iran, Philippines and Jordan.

XXI International Issyk-Kul Sports Games was held in 9–17 September 2022 in Baktuu-Dolonotu. The first three World Nomad Games were held in Cholpon-Ata. The 6th International Sports Festival Pearl of Kyrgyzstan were held in Issyk-Kul region in 2022.

The traditional national sports reflect the importance of horse riding in Kyrgyz culture. Very popular, as in all of Central Asia, is Ulak Tartysh, a team game resembling a cross between polo and rugby in which two teams of riders wrestle for possession of the headless carcass of a goat, which they attempt to deliver across the opposition's goal line, or into the opposition's goal: a big tub or a circle marked on the ground.

Other popular games on horseback include:

Public holidays

In addition to celebrating the New Year each 1 January, the Kyrgyz observe the traditional New Year festival Nowruz on the vernal equinox. This spring holiday is celebrated with feasts and festivities such as the horse game Ulak Tartish.

Public holidays in Kyrgystan:

1 January – New Year's Day

7 January – Orthodox Christmas

23 February – Fatherland Defender's Day

8 March – Women's Day

21–23 March – Nooruz Mairamy, Persian New Year (spring festival)

7 April – Day of National Revolution

1 May – Labor Day

5 May – Constitution Day

8 May – Remembrance Day

9 May – Victory Day

31 August – Independence Day

7–8 November – Days of History and Commemoration of Ancestors

Two additional Muslim holidays Orozo Ayt and Qurman (or Qurban) Ayt are defined by the lunar calendar.