Part 409

Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: NEGL% meadows and pastures: 42% forest and woodland: 0% other: 51%

Irrigated land: 10,320 sq km (1990)

Environment: current issues: water pollution; many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA

Geographic note: landlocked

People ------

Population: 4,529,648 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 37% (male 847,859; female 828,889) 15-64 years: 57% (male 1,263,044; female 1,312,040) 65 years and over: 6% (male 100,524; female 177,292) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.07% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 26.02 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 8.83 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -16.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 77.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.86 years male: 59.18 years female: 68.77 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.22 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Kyrgyz(s) adjective: Kyrgyz

Ethnic divisions: Kirghiz 52.4%, Russian 21.5%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%, German 2.4%, other 8.3%

Religions: Muslim NA%, Russian Orthodox NA%

Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) - official language, Russian - official language note: in March 1996, the Kyrgyz legislature amended the constitution to make Russian an official language, along with Kyrgyz, in territories and work places where Russian-speaking citizens predominate

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.) total population: 97% male: 99% female: 96%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy local short form: none former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code: KG

Type of government: republic

Capital: Bishkek

Administrative divisions: 6 oblasttar (singular - oblast) and 1 city* (singular - shaar); Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek), Jalal-Abad Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty, Ysyk-Kol Oblasty (Karakol) note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from oblast name

Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: National Day, 2 December; Independence Day, 31 August (1991)