consin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
John M. O'KEEFE embassy: 171 Prospect Mira,
use embassy street address telephone:
Flag description: red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40
rays representing the 40 Kyrgyz 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

Economy Kyrgyzstan

Economy - overview: Kyrgyzstan is a small, poor, mountainous country
with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, wool, and meat are
the main agricultural products and exports. Industrial exports include
gold, mercury, uranium, and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been one of
the most progressive countries of the former Soviet Union in carrying
out market reforms. With fits and starts, inflation has been lowered to
an estimated 7% in 2001. Much of the government's stock in enterprises
has been sold. Drops in production had been severe since the breakup
of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995 production began
to recover and exports began to increase. Growth was held down to
2.1% in 1998 largely because of the spillover from Russia's economic
difficulties, but moved ahead to 3.6% in 1999, 5% in 2000, and 5% again
in 2001. Despite these gains, poverty indicators are no better in 2001
than in 1996. On the positive side, the government and the international
financial institutions have embarked on a comprehensive medium-term
poverty reduction and economic growth strategy. In November 2001,
with financing assurance from the Paris Club, the IMF Board approved a
three-year, $93 million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $13.5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,800 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38% industry: 27% services:
35% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: 55% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 40.5 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 2.7 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 55%, industry 15%, services 30%
(2000 est.)

Unemployment rate