Everything you need to know about Kyrgyzstan: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Kyrgyzstan: Central Asian Country and Former Soviet Republic
The native Kyrgyz were the Turkic pastoral nomad people who were the first to settle in the Tien Shan Mountains. The Russian colonialisation in beginning of 20th century forced these pastoral nomadic people to surrender before the mighty Russians after the deadliest battle of 1916. The Kyrgyzstan became part of the Soviet Federated Socialist Republic in 1924 and was made an autonomous republic in 1926. It became a constituent republic of the USSR in 1936. Due to its vast fertile land Russians introduced modern farming and industrial production techniques in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan became an independent nation after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Kyrgyzstan has since adopted several economic reforms in order to accelerate its economy.
Kyrgyzstan Profile: Overview of Facts and Figures
Geographical Information on Kyrgyzstan:
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked and mountainous country located in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan on the north and northwest, Uzbekistan in the southwest, Tajikistan in the south, and China in the southeast.
The climate of Kyrgyzstan varies regionally. The Southwestern Fergana Valley is subtropical and extremely hot in summer with high temperatures. The northern foothills are temperate and the Tian Shan varies from dry continental to polar climate, depending on elevation.
Culture, Cuisine and Tradition of Kyrgyzstan:
Kyrgyz culture has been greatly influenced by their nomadic heritage. It is reflected in the way a household was run, in customs and rites. People decorated their homes with items that were both beautiful and practical and they are collected from nature. The traditional Kyrgyz believe in the power of nature so they worshiped fire, water and many other natural elements.
The Cuisine of Kyrgyzstan reflects the nature of its people, its history, customs and traditions. The main component of Kyrgyz food is the meat or flesh from the livestock. The traditional way of preparation with bread products make it a delicate and enticing recipe. Refreshments include black tea and traditional milk-derived drinks such as ayran, shubat and kymyz
Tourist Attraction of Kyrgyzstan:
The continuous terrain of Kyrgyzstan remains the center of attraction among the trekkers and campers. The vast expansion of Kyrgyzstan gives ample of natural beauty in various forms of flora and fauna.
Ak-Beshim is the historical Kyrgyz that remains the center of attraction due its historical importance and provides glimpse of age old Kyrgyzstan Civilization.
The Ala-Archa canyon is the center of the Ala-Archa National Park, one of the main tourist attractions in Kyrgyzstan. The Ala-Archa is also famous for its miles of snow-stretched peaks. The scenic beauty of this place is heightened by the abundant varieties of trees.
Major Sight-seeing Places in Kyrgyzstan include:
London, May 6 (IANS) Posters expressing support for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the second man charged with last month's bombings at the Boston Marathon, have been put up on walls in Chechnya's capital Grozny, BBC reported.
New York, May 5 (ANI): Investigators have discovered radical Islamic materials and an al Qaeda magazine on the computer of Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow, and have also found explosive residue throughout their house.
Bishkek, May 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Parts of the pilots' bodies have been discovered at the site of Friday's US military plane crash in Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz emergencies ministry said.
Bishkek, May 4 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A US military Boeing KC-135 refuelling aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in Kyrgyzstan for unspecified reasons, the US Air Force said. The fate of the crew remained unclear.
Almaty (Kazakhstan), Apr. 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said here that there could be a coalition government in Pakistan, but it was too early to come to any conclusion.
Almaty (Kazakhstan), April 26 (IANS) India said Friday it wants to see Afghanistan as a "possible driver of economic growth in the region" and warned that the "greatest challenge" posed to Afghanistan is the "persistent threat of terrorism that emanates from beyond its borders", a clear reference to the Taliban and other extremists operating from Pakistan.
Washington, April 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Long before twin bombs rocked the Boston Marathon, the trajectories of the suspects' lives had already made them susceptible to radicalized ideology that could turn violent, psychology and terrorism experts have said.
New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) External Affairs Minister will travel to Almaty, Kazakhstan, to participate in the April 26 Heart of Asia ministerial conference on the Istanbul Process on regional security and cooperation for a secure and stable Afghanistan, an official said Tuesday.
Boston, April 23 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Echoes of Chechnya are everywhere at this small suburban Boston homestead. Traditional ram's wool hats hang on the walls, a computer monitor glows with the green of the Chechen flag, and the sapling of a medlar, an ancient fruit-bearing tree rare in America but common in the North Caucasus, awaits summer in a backyard garden.
Bishkek, April 23 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the deadly bombing of the Boston marathon, was born in Kyrgyzstan but left the country in 2001, a minister said.
Dubai, April 23 (IANS/WAM) Flydubai, Dubai's innovative low-cost airline, has made its maiden flight to Juba, capital of South Sudan.
Boston, April 20 (IANS) Captured after a 23-hour massive manhunt, the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, 19-year-old Dzhokar Tsarnaev, is in serious condition in the hospital, according to police.
Boston, April 20 (IANS) A 23-hour massive search for the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings ended Friday night with the capture of Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19, a Russian American, after a massive manhunt that virtually shut down one of America's oldest cities and its suburbs like Cambridge, where Harvard University is located.
Washington, April 19 (IANS) The two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings, one of whom was killed and the other is on the loose, are brothers of Chechen origin -- with at least one a legal permanent resident of the US, according to various media reports.
Shymkent (Kazakhstan), April 18 (IANS) Former sub-junior National Champion Prayag Chauhan (60kg) Thursday continued his winning spree at the ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championships underway here.
Shymkent (Kazakhstan), April 16 (IANS) Indian colts made a resounding start to their campaign at the ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championships here in Kazakhstan.
Moscow, April 15 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia could introduce tighter passport regulations for citizens of former Soviet states crossing Russia's borders this year, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said.
Onboard special aircraft, April 14 (ANI): Stating that India enjoyed excellent bilateral and cultural relations with Tajikistan, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Sunday said the issue of terrorism is a matter of deep concern to both countries.
Shimla, April 14 (IANS) They still take the traditional Silk Route. Only, unlike ancient traders and travellers, they take wings.
New Delhi, April 11 (ANI): The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Professor P.J.Kurien, has been unanimously elected the chairman of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) today in Bangkok.
Hanoi (Vietnam), April 10 (IANS) Vietnamese national women's football team is expected to rank in the top five of the Asia Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup, and to win one of five Asian berths in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2015.
Bishkek, April 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Police in Kyrgyzstan have detained the editor-in-chief of the country's largest Uzbek-language newspaper on suspicion of his involvement in deadly ethnic clashes in the country in 2010 that killed about 500 people.
Manila, March 27 (IANS) The Philippines defeated Turkmenistan 1-0 to earn a spot in next year's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup in the Maldives.
Greater Noida, March 14 (IANS) Uzbekistan's Muradian Halmuratov and Kazakh Daniil Fominykh won a gold each in the road races of the Hero Asian Cycling Championship being held here at the Buddh International Circuit Thursday.
Kolkata, Feb 14 (IANS) With an aim to rapidly increase trade with Eurasia, negotiations have started between India and Eurasian countries for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), an official said Thursday.
Bishkek, Feb 12 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A military court in Kyrgyzstan Tuesday sentenced ousted former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev in absentia to 24 years in high security prison over office abuse while being in power.
Islamabad, Feb 6 (IANS) In their bid to prepare for the Asian Football Confederations (AFC) Challenge Cup qualifiers, Pakistan's national football team will be playing international friendlies against Nepal and Maldives.
Chandigarh, Jan 31 (IANS) Upgraded to an international crafts fair, the Surajkund Crafts Mela will be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday (Feb 2) in Haryana's Faridabad district, adjoining New Delhi.
Dushanbe, Jan 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Around six tonnes of drugs were seized in Tajikistan in 2012, a spokeswoman for the country's drug control agency said Monday.
Guide (China), Jan 12 (IANS) The third International Extreme Race of Winter Swimming across Yellow River started here in northwest China's Qinghai Province Saturday.
Bishkek, Jan 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Several hundred residents from the Uzbek enclave of Sokh Sunday attacked a Kyrgyz border guard base, reports said Monday.
Moscow, Dec 20 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed an action programme be worked out to minimise possible risks involved in the upcoming reduction of the international military presence in Afghanistan.
Peshawar, Dec. 19 (ANI): A provincial Information Minister of Pakistan has said that the identities of the terrorists involved in the attack on the Peshawar airport and the gunfight that ensued the following day, have been identified.
Bishkek, Dec 19 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has signed a law ratifying an agreement with Russia on the presence of a joint military base in the Central Asian republic, the presidential press service said.
Moscow, Dec 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to join Glonass, Russia's global positioning system.
Moscow, Dec 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose association of post-Soviet nations, have reaffirmed their resolve to intensify their joint counter-terrorism training programmes, the Russian presidential spokesman said.
Bishkek, Dec 5 (IANS) India and Pakistan Wednesday expressed their willingness to become members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Bishkek, Nov. 14 (Xinhua-ANI): Kyrgyz special services have uncovered operations of a clandestine printing shop providing fake passports to international terrorists, the National Security Committee said Wednesday.
Islamabad, Nov 13 (IANS) Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday called upon regional countries to chalk out a joint strategy to deal with narcotics, Xinhua reported.
Islamabad, Nov 12 (IANS) More than a dozen countries, including India, China and Iran, are participating in a conference here to counter the menace of illicit drugs.
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Nov 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Kyrgyz rescuers found four bodies in the rubble of a collapsed public toilet at one of the country's biggest markets, an official said.
Bishkek, Oct 13 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Former Kyrgyzstan president Kurmanbek Bakiyev's son has been arrested in London following accusations of grave crimes, the Kyrgyz presidential press service has reported.
Moscow, Oct 8 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Kyrgyzstan's former military prosecutor Kubatbek Kozhonaliyev has been arrested over an alleged coup attempt, his lawyer said Monday.
Moscow, Oct 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Law enforcement officers have found around 300 illegal migrants living in an apartment building in western Russia, the interior ministry said.
Moscow, Oct 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian and Central Asian military pilots are currently carrying out joint exercises to repel missile strikes over the region, a military spokesman said.
New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Kazakhstan has large energy sources and is ready to help meet India's hunger for coal, oil and hydrocarbons, the country's envoy said here Thursday.
Bishkek, Sep 28 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A Kyrgyzstan court Friday banned a documentary on gay Muslims from being shown in the country.
Bishkek, Sep 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Putin peak, a mountain in Kyrgyzstan named in honour of the Russian president, has been summited for the first time, an official said Friday.
Bishkek, Sep 13 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan will conduct joint air defence drills in October, the Kyrgyz defence ministry said Thursday.
Minsk, Sep 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Belarus has refused to extradite a brother of Kyrgyzstan's ex-president who is wanted in the country on murder charges, a Belarusian official said.
Astana, Sep 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Nearly 200 kg of heroin has been confiscated on the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border by Kazakh customs officers.
Bishkek, Sep 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Kyrgyz acting Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov has tendered his resignation, the government press service said Saturday.
Washington, Aug 31 (ANI): Uzbekistan's approval for a new bill that bans any foreign military base on its territory maybe seen as a move by the country to ease concerns of China and Russia, which are both influential in Central Asia.
Bishkek, Aug 29 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Relatives of victims of the 2010 uprising in Kyrgyzstan threw stones at the embassy of Belarus here, demanding extradition of the former Kyrgyz president and his brother who are accused of mass murder.
Moscow, Aug 27 (IANS) A court in Russia has sentenced a foreigner to six years in a high security prison for trafficking 14.5 kg of heroin in the country, RIA Novosti reported.
Istanbul, Aug 25 (IANS) Turkey will not attend the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran later this month, local media Saturday cited Turkish diplomatic sources as saying.
Kyrgyzstan is once again moving towards political instability as the President Almazbek Atambayev has signed a decree Friday sacking the government, says the reports of the state press service.
Bishkek, Aug 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev signed a decree Friday sacking the government, the state press service said.
Moscow, Aug 15 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A woman from Kyrgyzstan faces up to 10 years in prison in Russia after she tried to sell her four-month old daughter for 35,000 rubles (about $1,000), prosecutors said.
London, Aug 12 (IANS) India's Sushil Kumar has steadily worked his way to the Olympic silver medal. His success graph in the last three years, after he won the bronze at the Beijing Games, shows how assiduously he has pieced it all to the London climax.
Moscow, Aug 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The transfer of power in Russia's political system must be gradual and continuity in the political succession is important, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
Bishkek, July 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A court in the Kyrgyz city of Osh, where violent ethnic clashes claimed hundreds of lives in 2010, has banned an Uzbek-language rap song for promoting separatism and inciting hatred between Kyrgyz and Uzbek people.
New Delhi, July 1 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will leave for Tajikistan on Monday on a two-day visit.
A little noticed but major Indian policy initiative was unveiled in distant Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, last week.
Bishkek, June 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Kyrgyzstan's parliament approved a draft law Thursday scrapping entry visa requirements for the citizens of 44 states for a stay of less than 60 days.
Canberra, June 14 (ANI): The U.S. still hopes to reopen NATO supply routes to Afghanistan through neighbouring Pakistan despite securing new transit deals with three Central Asian states, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said.
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), June 12 (IANS) India Tuesday unveiled its Connect Central Asia policy that is aimed at greater political, economic and people-to-people engagement with the energy-rich Central Asian countries, both bilaterally and collectively.
New Delhi, June 10 (IANS) Stepping up its diplomatic footprints in energy-rich Central Asia, India is set to replicate the success of the Pan Africa e-network by creating a similar project of tele-education and tele-medicine that will span all the states of the strategically important region.
Beijing, June 8 (IANS) China has pledged a $10 billion loan to support economic development in the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Beijing, June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded its Beijing summit on Thursday at the Great Hall of the People, with member states agreeing to further cooperation in a variety of fields.
Beijing, June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): Any attempts to resolve the Iranian issue by force are unacceptable, said the heads of state of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Thursday.
Beijing, June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded its Beijing summit on Thursday at the Great Hall of the People, with member states agreeing to further cooperation in a variety of fields.
Beijing, June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): Any attempts to resolve the Iranian issue by force are unacceptable, said the heads of state of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Thursday.
Beijing, June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): Leaders of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) said Thursday that they oppose armed intervention or forced "regime change" and disapprove of unilateral sanctions.
Beijing, June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has decided to grant Afghanistan observer status, and accept Turkey as a dialogue partner, Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Thursday.
Beijing, June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday called for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to be built into an effective platform for increasing international exchange and influence.
Beijing, June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): Chinese President Hu Jintao has promised that China will offer a loan of 10 billion U.S. dollars to support economic cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Beijing, June 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday proposed establishing an anti-terrorism centre within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Beijing, June 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) China is ready to allocate $10 billion worth of loans to members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), President Hu Jintao said Thursday at the 12th meeting of the Council of SCO Heads of State.
Islamabad, June 6 (IANS) President Asif Ali Zardari would pitch for Pakistan's full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during the two-day meeting of the regional grouping that starts Wednesday, it was reported here.
Beijing, June 6 (IANS) The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) follows "new trends" in security and development to increase regional cooperation and fight interventionism, Chinese President Hu Jintao has said.
Beijing, June 5 (IANS) The presidents of Pakistan and Iran, Asif Ali Zardari and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tuesday arrived in Beijing to attend the Beijing summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Beijing, June 5 (IANS) The annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leadership summit convened here Tuesday with President Hu Jintao scheduled to meet 10 heads of state visiting China for the meeting.
Washington, June 5 (ANI): The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has reportedly signed a deal with three key Central Asian countries to evacuate military equipment and vehicles from Afghanistan.
New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) India and China are expected to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Beijing later this week to review the progress of some key initiatives like firming up the contours of a maritime dialogue and discuss the Iranian nuclear row.
Tehran, June 3 (IANS) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will attend the 12th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Beijing, where India and Pakistan are observer states, Press TV reported.
Moscow, May 30 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The US ambassador to Russia should remain diplomatic in his public comments and not jeopardise his country's ties with Russia, a Russian presidential aide said.
New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) A selection of antique carpets, rugs, kilims, runners, tapestries and fragments from the famous weaving regions around Central Asia - known for their ancient wool weaving traditions - will be auctioned in Bangalore June 11 by Indian auction house Bid & Hammer.
New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) India will pitch for a greater role in the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and an expanded partnership with it in stabilising Afghanistan when External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna goes to Beijing to participate in the grouping's 12th summit June 6-7.
London, May 24 (IANS) Human rights violations -- including harassment to journalists for exposing abuses -- are still widespread across countries of the former Soviet Union, rights group Amnesty International has said.
Beijing, May 13 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China in June and attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a guest of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Beijing, May 12 (IANS) Russia wants the process of India and Pakistan's membership to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) speeded up, RIA Novosti reported.
Beijing, May 12 (IANS) Russia has given a call to speed up the process of India and Pakistan's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), an intergovernmental mutual-security organisation, RIA Novosti reported.
Moscow, May 11 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Around 24,000 women were kidnapped and forced into marriage in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan in the past three years, an official report said.
Moscow, May 9 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A migrant couple in Moscow has been arrested for trying to sell their newborn child for 150,000 rubles ($3,000).
Hangzhou (China), May 7 (Xinhua-ANI): China and five Central Asian nations held a cooperation forum on Monday in Tongxiang of east China's Zhejiang province.
Bikshkek, April 27 (IANS) Kyrgyzstan Thursday paid tributes to the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, 26 years after the world's worst nuclear disaster.
Beijing, April 26 (Xinhua-ANI): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members will hold a joint military exercise in Tajikistan in June, a Ministry of Defense spokesman said Thursday.
Beijing, April 18 (IANS) China and Russia will hold a joint naval exercise in the Yellow Sea this weekend, the Chinese defence ministry said.
Moscow, April 15 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Four Russian warships from the Pacific Fleet, as well as support vessels, warplanes, helicopters and naval infantry, will leave the country's Vladivostok city Sunday for a joint exercise with Chinese naval forces, said a spokesman for the fleet.
