Kyrgyzstan, the Switzerland of Central Asia

A country of about 6 million people located in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan (also referred to as the Kyrgyz Republic and formerly called Kirghizia) borders China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Roughly the size of South Dakota, the former Soviet republic is picturesque with the Tian Shan Mountains covering over 80 percent of the Kyrgyz Republic and it is home to the second largest mountain lake in the world, Issyk-Kul. Owing to this beautiful scenery, the country is sometimes referred to as the “Switzerland of Central Asia” and its population has settled in mostly rural areas. Even the capital and largest city, Bishkek, does not top one million people.

Although there are over 80 ethnic groups, the primary is, as one would expect, Kyrgyz. This semi-nomadic Turkic group has lived in the region for millennia and still herd sheep, horses, and yaks with herders spending their summers in a mountain pasture (known locally as a jailoo) and then retiring to villages and cities in the colder months. Other groups have always lived in the region, most notably the Uzbeks who still make up almost 15 percent of the country’s population and Russians who comprise over 6 percent. The Russian population, however, has decreased significantly since the dissolution of the Soviet Union from 916,000 in 1989 to just under 370,000 in 2014. Yet the Russians’ influence is still noticeable as Russian remains an official language (along with Kyrgyz).

Largely due to Soviet state atheism, religious identities are more rooted in culture than regular practice. The US State Department estimates that up to 80 percent of Kyrgyz citizens identify as Muslim while 17 percent are Russian Orthodox. Comparatively more open than other former Soviet nations and guaranteeing free religious expression in its constitution, small Jewish, Buddhist, Catholic, and Seventh-Day Adventist communities also practice in the country. Despite being overwhelmingly Muslim, the state does not overtly support any one religion.

Economically, the country has struggled since leaving the Soviet Union, only ranking above Tajikistan among the former republics in terms of wealth. The United Nations Development Programme estimated that 31% of the population lives under the poverty line and the economy is greatly dependent on remittances. In 2010 a Russian investment bank estimated that 800,000 Kyrgyz nationals were working and living in Russia and that their remittances made up 40% of the nation’s GDP. The country is rich in mineral resources, in particular gold which makes up 43 percent of the Kyrgyz Republic’s exports, but lacks fossil fuels and the infrastructure to exploit available resources. As a result, the country is reliant on agriculture, an industry in which almost half of the population is employed.

Next, I will write about the city I will live in, Tokmok. Although I will be posting regularly this week, once I start teaching my posts will be less frequent. In between posts, check my Instagram for pictures, and Twitter for Kyrgyz news and updates on my travel.