The 1994 CIA World Factbook

by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Names:
conventional long form:
Kyrgyz Republic
conventional short form:
Kyrgyzstan
local long form:
Kyrgyz Respublikasy
local short form:
none
former:
Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
KG
Type:
republic
Capital:
Bishkek
Administrative divisions:
6 oblasttar (singular - oblast); Chuy Oblasty, Jalal-Abad Oblasty,
Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty, Ysyk-Kol Oblasty
note:
the administrative center for Chuy Oblasty is Bishkek; the
administrative center for Ysyk-Kol Oblasty may be Ksyk-Kol or Karakol;
all other oblasttar have administrative centers of the same name as
the oblast
Independence:
31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
National Day, 2 December; Independence Day, 31 August (1991)
Constitution:
adopted 5 May 1993
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Askar AKAYEV (since 28 October 1990); election last held 12
October 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Askar AKAYEV won in
uncontested election with 95% of vote and with 90% of electorate
voting; note - president elected by Supreme Soviet 28 October 1990,
then by popular vote 12 October 1991; note - AKAYEV won 96% of the
vote in a referendum on his status as president on 30 January 1993
head of government:
Prime Minister Apas DZHUMAGULOV (since NA December 1993); First Deputy
Prime Minister Almambet MATURBRAIMOV (since NA)
cabinet:
Cabinet of Ministers; subordinate to the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Zhogorku Keneshom:
elections last held 25 February 1990 for the Supreme Soviet (next to
be held no later than NA November 1994 for the Zhogorku Keneshom);
results - Communists 90%; seats - (350 total) Communists 310
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Social Democrats, Ishenbai KADYRBEKOV, chairman; Kyrgyzstan Democratic
Movement (KDM), Kazat AKHMATOV, chairman; National Unity, German
KUZNETSOV; Communist Party, Dzhumalbek AMANBAYEV, chairman; Erkin
(Free) Kyrgyzstan Party, Topchubek TURGUNALIYEV, chairman
Other political or pressure groups:
National Unity Democratic Movement; Peasant Party; Council of Free
Trade Unions; Union of Entrepreneurs; Agrarian Party
Member of:
CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IOC, NACC, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
(vacant)
chancery:
(temporary) Suite 705, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
(202) 347-3732/3
FAX:
(202) 347-3718
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward HURWITZ
embassy:
Erkindik Prospekt #66, Bishkek 720002
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
7-3312 22-29-20, 22-26-93, 22-29-89
FAX:
7-3312 22-35-51
Flag:
red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing
the 40 Krygyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run
counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the sun
is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized
representation of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt

@Kyrgyzstan, Economy

Overview:
Kyrgyzstan is one of the smallest and poorest states of the former
Soviet Union. Its economy is heavily agricultural, producing cotton
and tobacco on irrigated land in the south, grain in the foothills of
the north, and sheep and goats on mountain pastures. Its small and
obsolescent industrial sector, concentrated around Bishkek, is heavily
dependent on Russia and other CIS countries for customers and for
inputs, including most of its fuel. Since 1990, the economy has
contracted by almost 40%. Kyrgyzstan's inflation was high in 1993,
about 23% per month, but rates were declining at the end of the year.
Kyrgyzstan introduced its national currency, the som, in May 1993, it
has privatized 28% of its former state assets, and plans call for a
massive voucher privatization in 1994. Although Kyrgyzstan will
receive relatively large flows of foreign aid, ongoing economic
restructuring will continue to be painful with an anticipated increase
in unemployment as uneconomic enterprises close. President AKAYEV will
be under strong political pressure to backtrack on some reform
measures.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $11.3 billion (1993 estimate from
the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and
published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as
extrapolated to 1993 using official Kirghiz statistics, which are very
uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)
National product real growth rate:
-13.4% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$2,440 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
23% per month (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
0.2% includes officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of
unregistered unemployed and underemployed workers
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$100.4 million to countries outside the FSU (1993 est.)
commodities:
wool, chemicals, cotton, ferrous and nonferrous metals, shoes,
machinery, tobacco
partners:
Russia 70%, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and others
Imports:
$105.8 million from countries outside the FSU (1993 est.)
commodities:
grain, lumber, industrial products, ferrous metals, fuel, machinery,
textiles, footwear
partners:
other CIS republics
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate -27% (1993 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
4,100,000 kW
production:
11.8 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
2,551 kWh (1992)
Industries:
small machinery, textiles, food-processing industries, cement, shoes,
sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, and rare
earth metals
Agriculture:
wool, tobacco, cotton, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle), vegetables,
meat, grapes, fruits and berries, eggs, milk, potatoes
Illicit drugs:
illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS
consumption; limited government eradication program; used as
transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe and North
America from Central and Southwest Asia
Economic aid:
recipient:
$80 million in 1993 and an anticipated $400 million in 1994
Currency:
introduced national currency, the som (10 May 1993)
Exchange rates:
NA
Fiscal year:
calendar year

@Kyrgyzstan, Communications

Railroads:
370 km; does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
total:
30,300 km
paved and graveled:
22,600 km
unpaved:
earth 7,700 km (1990)
Pipelines:
natural gas 200 km
Ports:
none; landlocked
Airports:
total:
52
usable:
27
with permanent-surface runways:
12
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
4
with runways 1,060-2,439 m:
13
note:
a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
Telecommunications:
poorly developed; 342,000 telephones in 1991 (also about 100,000
unsatisfied applications for household telephones); 76 telephones per
1,000 persons (31 December 1991); microwave radio relay is principal
means of intercity telephone links; connections with other CIS
countries by landline or microwave and with other countries by leased
connections with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite;
2 satellite earth stations - 1 GORIZONT and 1 INTELSAT (links through
Ankara to 200 other countries and receives Turkish broadcasts);
broadcast receivers - radios 825,000, TVs 875,000, radio receiver
systems with multiple speakers for program diffusion 748,000

@Kyrgyzstan, Defense Forces

Branches:
National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops), Civil
Defense
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,123,959; fit for military service 912,516; reach
military age (18) annually 44,528 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP

@Laos, Geography

Location:
Southeastern Asia, between Vietnam and Thailand
Map references:
Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
236,800 sq km
land area:
230,800 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries:
total 5,083 km, Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand
1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
boundary dispute with Thailand
Climate:
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December
to April)
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Land use:
arable land:
4%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
3%
forest and woodland:
58%
other:
35%
Irrigated land:
1,200 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion
natural hazards:
subject to floods, drought, and blight
international agreements:
party to - Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but
not ratified - Law of the Sea
Note:
landlocked

@Laos, People