a) 132 m highest
point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

Natural resources: abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold
and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas;
other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% note: Kyrgyzstan has the
world's largest natural growth walnut forest (1998 est.) other: 93%

Irrigated land: 10,740 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

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

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Geography - note: landlocked;
entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range; many tall peaks,
glaciers, and high-altitude lakes

People Kyrgyzstan

Population: 4,822,166 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.4% (male 838,224; female 821,230) 15-64
years: 59.4% (male 1,403,328; female 1,459,914) 65 years and over: 6.2%
(male 113,861; female 185,609) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.45% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 26.11 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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:
0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 75.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 67.98 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 3.16 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Kyrgyzstani(s) adjective: Kyrgyzstani

Ethnic groups: Kyrgyz 52.4%, Russian 18%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%,
German 2.4%, other 11.8%

Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Languages: Kyrgyz - official language, Russian - official language note:
in December 2001, the Kyrgyzstani legislature made Russian an official
language, equal in