Location: Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 75 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
total: 198,500 sq km
land: 191,300 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries:
total: 3,878 km
border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870
km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical
in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Terrain: peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins
encompass entire nation

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kara-Darya 132 m
highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

Natural resources: abundant hydroelectric potential; 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%
permanent pastures: 44%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 45% (1993 est.)
note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut forest

Irrigated land: 9,000 sq km (1993 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: Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: landlocked

People

Population: 4,546,055 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 804,502; female 788,076)
15-64 years: 59% (male 1,308,145; female 1,362,140)
65 years and over: 6% (male 105,442; female 177,750) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.68% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 21.83 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.74 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 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: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 75.92 deaths/1,000 l