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106-632: On 30 October 1990, the Kirghiz SSR was renamed to the Socialist Republic of Kyrgyzstan ; on 15 December, after declaring its state sovereignty, it was renamed again to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan . On 31 August 1991, it transformed into independent Kyrgyzstan . The name Kyrgyz is believed to have been derived from the Turkic word for forty , in reference to the forty clans of Manas ,

212-637: A Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia . They primarily reside in Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , and China . A Kyrgyz diaspora is also found in Russia , Tajikistan , and Kazakhstan . They speak the Kyrgyz language , which is the official language of Kyrgyzstan. The earliest people known as "Kyrgyz" were the descendants of several Central Asian tribes, first emerging in western Mongolia around 201 BC. Modern Kyrgyz people are descended in part from

318-488: A 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.86/10, ranking it 13th globally out of 172 countries. The climate varies regionally. The low-lying Fergana Valley in the southwest is subtropical and extremely hot in summer , with temperatures reaching 40 °C (104 °F). The northern foothills are temperate and the Tian Shan varies from dry continental to polar climate , depending on elevation. In

424-583: A 95.98% turnout. However, this did not come to pass when the hardliners took control of Moscow for three days in August 1991 . Askar Akayev , the first president, unequivocally condemned the putsch and gained fame as a democratic leader. The country declared its independence on 31 August 1991 and the Soviet Union was formally dissolved on 26 December 1991. However, the 1978 constitution remained in effect after its independence until 1993. Similar to that of

530-692: A Mongol vassal until the late 14th century. Various Turkic peoples ruled them until 1685, when they came under the control of the Oirats ( Dzungars ), which lasted until 1757 . Many Kyrgyz tribes that had fled the Dzungars returned to modern Kyrgyzstan at this time. By the 16th century, the carriers of the ethnonym Kirgiz lived in South Siberia , Xinjiang, Tian Shan, Pamir-Alay , Middle Asia , Urals (among Bashkirs ), and in Kazakhstan . In

636-452: A coalition, and a new government was established under President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Felix Kulov . The nation's capital was looted during the protests. Political stability appeared elusive, as various groups and factions allegedly linked to organized crime jockeyed for power. Three of the 75 members of Parliament elected in March 2005 were assassinated, and another member

742-738: A legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the Uyghur Khaganate . The name Kyrgyzstan or Kirghizstan means 'land of the forty tribes', combined from three words: kyrg ( kyrk ) meaning 'forty', yz ( uz ) meaning 'tribes' in East Turkic, and -stan meaning 'land' in Persian . Politically, the name of the republic was the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic as stated in the 1937 and 1978 constitutions. From 30 October to 15 December 1990 it

848-837: A lot of the Kirghiz over the border to China, causing their population to increase in China. Compared to Russian controlled areas, more benefits were given to the Muslim Kirghiz on the Chinese controlled areas. Russian settlers fought against the Muslim nomadic Kirghiz, which led the Russians to believe that the Kirghiz would be a liability in any conflict against China. The Muslim Kirghiz were sure that in an upcoming war, that China would defeat Russia. The Kirghiz of Xinjiang revolted in

954-537: A mix of tribes. For instance, 63% of modern Kyrgyz men of Jumgal District are Haplogroup R1a1 . Low diversity of Kyrgyz R1a1 indicates a founder effect within the historical period. Other groups of Kyrgyz especially Southwest Kyrgyz show considerably lower haplogroup R frequencies and almost lack haplogroup N (except for the Kyrgyz from Pamir ). Depending on the geographical location of samples, West Eurasian mtDNA haplogroup lineages make up 27% to 42.6% in

1060-410: A new cabinet composed mainly of younger, reform-oriented politicians. In February 1991, the name of the capital, Frunze, was changed back to its pre-revolutionary name of Bishkek. Despite these political moves toward independence, economic realities seemed to work against secession from the Soviet Union. In a referendum on the preservation of the Soviet Union in March 1991, 88.7% of the voters approved

1166-802: A news conference that day and declared that there was no need for Russia to send in troops to quell the violence. There were at least 170 people left dead by 15 June 2010 but Pascale Meige Wagner of the International Committee of the Red Cross said the [official] death toll was an underestimate. The UN High Commissioner told reporters in Geneva that evidence suggested that the violence seemed to have been staged up. Ethnic Uzbeks threatened to blow up an oil depot in Osh if they failed to get guarantees of protection. The United Nations said it believed that

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1272-784: A part of the Mongol Empire in 1207. Issyk Kul Lake was a stopover on the Silk Road , a land route for traders, merchants, and other travelers from the Far East to Europe. Kyrgyz tribes were overrun in the 17th century by the Mongols, in the mid-18th century by the Manchu -led Qing dynasty of China, and in the early 19th century by the Uzbek Khanate of Kokand . In 1842, the Kyrgyz tribes broke away from Kokand and united into

1378-459: A press conference on 13 April 2010. On 15 April 2010, Bakiyev left the country and flew to neighboring Kazakhstan , along with his wife and two children. The country's provisional leaders announced that Bakiyev signed a formal letter of resignation prior to his departure. Prime Minister Daniar Usenov accused Russia of supporting the protests; this accusation was denied by Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin . Opposition members also called for

1484-529: A prominent role at funerals, memorials, and other ceremonies and rituals. This split between the northern and southern Kyrgyz in their religious adherence to Muslim practices can still be seen today. Likewise, the Sufi order of Islam has been one of the most active Muslim groups in Kyrgyzstan for more than a century. The Kyrgyz population of Afghanistan was 1,130 in 2003, all from eastern Wakhan District in

1590-468: A result of clashes with police. A transition government had been established, led by former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva ( Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan ), that by 8 April 2010 had taken control of state media and government facilities in the capital, but Bakiyev had not resigned from office. President Bakiyev returned to his home in Jalal-Abad and stated his terms of resignation at

1696-408: A shortage of food and other essential commodities with more than 200 killed and 1,685 people hurt, as of 12 June 2010 . The Russian government, however, said it would be sending humanitarian aid to the troubled nation. According to local sources, there was a clash between two local gangs and it did not take long for the violence to spread to the rest of the city. There were also reports that

1802-468: A standardized tax system, with higher taxes for nomads to discourage the wandering livelihood and they divided the Central Asia region into five nation-states. Kyrgyzstan developed considerably in cultural, educational, and social life, literacy was greatly improved. Economic and social development also was notable. Under Stalin a great focus was put on Kyrgyz national identity . The Soviet state

1908-444: A state of emergency. Police and special services arrested many opposition leaders. In response, protesters took control of the internal security headquarters (former KGB headquarters) and a state television channel in the capital, Bishkek. Reports by Kyrgyzstan government officials indicated that at least 75 people were killed and 458 hospitalized in bloody clashes with police in the capital. Reports say that at least 80 people died as

2014-427: A variety of cultures and empires. Although geographically isolated by its highly mountainous terrain, Kyrgyzstan has been at the crossroads of several great civilizations as part of the Silk Road along with other commercial routes. Inhabited by a succession of tribes and clans, Kyrgyzstan has periodically fallen under larger domination, for example the Turkic nomads , who trace their ancestry to many Turkic states. It

2120-479: Is a landlocked country in eastern Central Asia , lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the capital and largest city . Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north , Uzbekistan to the west , Tajikistan to the south , and China to the east and southeast . Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country's over 7 million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians . Kyrgyzstan's history spans

2226-1018: Is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States , the Eurasian Economic Union , the Collective Security Treaty Organization , the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe , the Organisation of Turkic States , the Türksoy community and the United Nations . It is a developing country ranked 117th in

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2332-475: Is commonly used, while its former name Kirghizia is rarely used. The Kyrgyz state reached its greatest expansion after defeating the Uyghur Khaganate in 840 AD. From the tenth century, the Kyrgyz migrated as far as the Tian Shan range and maintained their dominance over this territory for about 200 years. There is a storytelling tradition of the Epic of Manas , which involves a warrior who unified all of

2438-544: Is in Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) at 132 meters and the highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. Peak Jengish Chokusu , at 7,439 m (24,406 ft), is the highest point and is considered by geologists to be the northernmost peak over 7,000 m (22,966 ft) in the world. Heavy snowfall in winter leads to spring floods which often cause serious damage downstream. The runoff from

2544-511: Is located on the road from Osh (Kyrgyzstan) to Khodjaabad (Uzbekistan) about 4 kilometres (2 miles) north-west from the Kyrgyz–Uzbek border in the direction of Andijan . Barak is administratively part of Kara-Suu District in Kyrgyzstan's Osh Region . Kyrgyz people The Kyrgyz people (also spelled Kyrghyz , Kirgiz , and Kirghiz ; / ˈ k ɪər ɡ ɪ z / KEER -giz or / ˈ k ɜːr ɡ ɪ z / KUR -giz ) are

2650-537: Is predominant in most Kyrgyz living in Kyrgyzstan. East Eurasian ancestry makes up roughly two-thirds with exceptions of Kyrgyz living in Tajikistan and the western areas of Kyrgyzstan, where it forms only half. A 2022 study and report found that Kyrgyz people from China were found to have more West Eurasian ancestry than the Kyrgyz from Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz people from China clustered more closely with Europeans and South Asians. Kyrgyz are predominantly Muslims of

2756-760: Is the ancient town of Osh , located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. The principal river is the Kara Darya , which flows west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Across the border in Uzbekistan it meets another major Kyrgyz river, the Naryn . The confluence forms the Syr Darya , which originally flowed into the Aral Sea . As of 2010 , it no longer reaches the sea, as its water

2862-551: Is withdrawn upstream to irrigate cotton fields in Tajikistan , Uzbekistan , and southern Kazakhstan . The Chu River also briefly flows through Kyrgyzstan before entering Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan contains seven terrestrial ecosystems: Tian Shan montane conifer forests , Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe , Gissaro-Alai open woodlands , Tian Shan foothill arid steppe , Pamir alpine desert and tundra , Tian Shan montane steppe and meadows , and Central Asian northern desert . It had

2968-541: The History of Yuan , concerns 40 women born on a steppe motherland. The earliest records of the ethnonym appear to have been the Chinese transcriptions Gekun ( 鬲昆 , LH * kek-kuən < Old Chinese : * krêk-kûn ) and Jiankun ( 堅昆 , LH * ken-kuən < OC : * kên-kûn ). Those suggest that the original ethnonym was * kirkur ~ kirgur and/or * kirkün , and another transcription Jiegu ( 結骨 , EMC : * kέt-kwət ) suggests * kirkut / kirgut . Yury Zuev proposed that

3074-647: The Akto Turkmen , a former Kyrgyz tribe, now speaks Uyghur . A peculiar group, also included under the "Kyrgyz nationality" by the PRC official classification, are the so-called " Fuyu Kyrgyz ". It is a group of several hundred Yenisei Kirghiz ( Khakas people ) people whose forefathers were relocated from the Yenisei river region to Dzungaria by the Dzungar Khanate in the 17th century, and upon defeat of

3180-683: The Badakhshan Province of northeastern Afghanistan. They still lead a nomadic lifestyle and are led by a khan or tekin . The suppression of the 1916 rebellion against Russian rule in Central Asia caused many Kyrgyz later to migrate to China and Afghanistan. Most of the Kyrgyz refugees in Afghanistan settled in the Wakhan region. Until 1978, the northeastern portion of Wakhan was home to about 3–5 thousand ethnic Kyrgyz. In 1978, most Kyrgyz inhabitants fled to Pakistan in

3286-707: The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and the entire bureau and secretariat resigned. This was followed by the Supreme Soviet vote declaring independence from the Soviet Union on 31 August 1991 as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan . According to a 2013 Gallup poll, 62% of Kyrgyz people say that the collapse of the Soviet Union harmed their country, while only 16% said that the collapse benefitted it. In October 1991, Akayev ran unopposed and

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3392-642: The Hanafi school of Sunni Islam . Islam was first introduced by Arab traders who travelled along the Silk Road in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the 8th century, orthodox Islam reached the Fergana Valley with the Uzbeks . However, in the 10th-century Persian text Hudud al-'Alam , the Kyrgyz were still described as a people who "venerate the Fire and burn the dead". The Kyrgyz began to convert to Islam in

3498-519: The History of Yuan . This may have led to the adoption of Kyrgyz and its mythical explanation. During the 18th and 19th centuries, European writers used the early Romanized form Kirghiz – from the contemporary Russian киргизы – to refer not only to the modern Kyrgyz, but also to their more numerous northern relatives, the Kazakhs . When distinction had to be made, more specific terms were used:

3604-573: The Human Development Index , and is the second poorest country in Central Asia after neighbouring Tajikistan. The country's transitional economy is heavily dependent on deposits of gold , coal and uranium . Kyrgyz is derived from the Turkic word for "We are forty", believed to refer to the forty clans of Manas , a legendary hero who united forty regional clans. The Persian suffix -stan means "place of". The 40-ray sun on

3710-671: The Jewish Autonomous Oblast ). In June 1990, ethnic tensions between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz surfaced in the Osh Region (southern Kyrgyzstan), where Uzbeks form a minority of the population. The tensions between Kyrgyzs and Uzbeks in Osis led to 186 deaths. Attempts to appropriate Uzbek collective farms for housing development triggered the Osh Riots . A state of emergency and curfew were introduced and Askar Akayev ,

3816-829: The Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast of the RSFSR , it was transformed into the Kirghiz ASSR (Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic) on 1 February 1926, still being a part of the RSFSR. The borders were not drawn along ethnic or linguistic lines, however. On 5 December 1936, with the adoption of the 1936 Soviet Constitution , it became a separate constituent republic of the USSR as the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic during

3922-718: The Kara-Kyrgyz Khanate  [ ky ] , led by Ormon Khan . Following Ormon's death in 1854, the khanate disintegrated. In the late nineteenth century, the eastern part of what is today Kyrgyzstan, mainly the Issyk-Kul Region , was ceded to the Russian Empire by Qing China through the Treaty of Tarbagatai . The territory, then known in Russian as "Kirghizia", was formally incorporated into

4028-462: The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic was formed to become a constituent republic of the Soviet Union . Following Mikhail Gorbachev 's democratic reforms in the USSR, in 1990 pro-independence candidate Askar Akayev was elected president. On 31 August 1991, Kyrgyzstan declared independence from the USSR and a democratic government was established. Kyrgyzstan attained sovereignty as a nation state after

4134-721: The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan . They are found around the Little Pamir . The Kyrgyz form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China . There are more than 145,000 Kyrgyz in China . They are known in Mandarin Chinese as Kē'ěrkèzī zú ( simplified Chinese : 柯尔克孜族 ; traditional Chinese : 柯爾克孜族 ). In the 19th century, Russian settlers on traditional Kirghiz land drove

4240-475: The Tian Shan range and maintained their dominance over this territory for about 200 years. In the 12th century, however, Kyrgyz domination had shrunk to the Altai and Sayan Mountains as a result of Mongol expansion. With the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, the Kyrgyz migrated south. In 1207, after the establishment of Yekhe Mongol Ulus (Mongol empire), Genghis Khan's oldest son Jochi occupied Kyrgyzstan without resistance. The state remained

4346-403: The Turkic word kyrk ("forty"), with - iz being an old plural suffix, so Kyrgyz literally means "a collection of forty tribes". It also means "imperishable", "inextinguishable", "immortal", "unconquerable" or "unbeatable", as well as its association with the epic hero Manas , who – according to a founding myth – unified the 40 tribes against the Khitans . A rival myth, recorded in 1370 in

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4452-402: The Yenisei Kyrgyz that lived in the Yenisey river valley in Siberia . The Kyrgyz people were constituents of the Tiele people , the Göktürks , and the Uyghur Khaganate before establishing the Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate in the 9th century, and later a Kyrgyz khanate in the 15th century. There are several theories on the origin of ethnonym Kyrgyz . It is often said to be derived from

4558-536: The breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. After independence, Kyrgyzstan was officially a unitary presidential republic . After the Tulip Revolution it became a unitary parliamentary republic ; however, it gradually developed an executive president and was governed as a semi-presidential republic before reverting to a presidential system in 2021. Throughout its existence, the country has continued to endure ethnic conflicts, revolts, economic troubles, transitional governments and political conflict. Kyrgyzstan

4664-399: The collapse of the Soviet Union harmed their country, while only 16% said that the collapse benefited it. The poll also showed that well-educated Kyrgyz people were more likely to say that the breakup harmed their country. 42°52′N 74°36′E  /  42.867°N 74.600°E  / 42.867; 74.600 Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic ,

4770-711: The collectivization of agriculture , including the creation of huge " kolkhoz " collective farming systems, needed to feed the new workers in the industries. Because of the plan's reliance on rapidity, major economic and cultural changes had to occur, which led to conflicts. In Kyrgyzstan, Russian settlers acquired the best pasture land, creating much hardship for most of its original inhabitants, Kazakh , Kyrgyz and Turkmen nomads, who were also forced to settle down on soil that hadn't enough agricultural potential. The changes caused unrest, and between 1928 and 1932, nomads and peasants made it clear through methods like passive resistance that they did not agree with these policies, in

4876-408: The flag of Kyrgyzstan is a reference to those same forty tribes and the graphical element in the sun's center depicts the wooden crown, called tunduk, of a yurt —a portable dwelling traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The country's official name is Kyrgyz Republic , used in international arenas and foreign relations. In the English-speaking world, the spelling Kyrgyzstan

4982-553: The 1932 Kirghiz rebellion , and also participated in the Battle of Kashgar (1933) and again in 1934 . They are found mainly in the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture in the southwestern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a smaller remainder found in the neighboring Wushi (Uqturpan) , Aksu , Shache ( Yarkand ), Yingisar, Taxkorgan and Pishan ( Guma ), and in Tekes , Zhaosu (Monggolkure), Emin (Dorbiljin), Bole ( Bortala ), Jinghev ( Jing ) and Gongliu County in northern Xinjiang. In Akto County ,

5088-419: The Council of Ministers led the legislative branch. In 1926, the republic had a population of 1,002,000 people. In 1939, 1,458,000 people were recorded. The population grew significantly in the decades after World War II; the republic had 2,065,837 people in 1959, 2,932,805 people in 1970, and 3,529,030 people in 1979. In the final Soviet census of 1989, the republic had grown to 4,257,755 people. The majority of

5194-444: The Dzungars by the Qing dynasty , they were relocated from Dzungaria to Manchuria in the 18th century, and who now live in Wujiazi Village in Fuyu County , Heilongjiang Province. Their language (the Fuyü Gïrgïs dialect ) is related to the Khakas language . Certain segments of the Kyrgyz in China are followers of Tibetan Buddhism . Kyrgyz are the only Turkic people native to Pakistan. The Kyrgyz in Pakistan live mostly in

5300-451: The Empire in 1876. The Russian takeover was met with numerous revolts, and many of the Kyrgyz opted to relocate to the Pamir Mountains and Afghanistan . In addition, the suppression of the 1916 rebellion against Russian rule in Central Asia caused many Kyrgyz later to migrate to China. Since many ethnic groups in the region were, and still are, split between neighboring states at a time when borders were more porous and less regulated, it

5406-429: The Kara-Suu district of Osh Oblast. This National Commission, including representatives of many ethnic groups, was established by a presidential decree. President Roza Otunbayeva also said in August 2010 that an international commission would be formed to investigate the clashes. The international commission conducted an extensive investigation and prepared a report—The Independent international commission of inquiry into

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5512-509: The Kirgiziya area also guerrilla opposition occurred. The region suffered relatively more deaths from collectivization than any other. The early years of glasnost , in the late 1980s, had little effect on the political climate in Kyrgyzstan. However, the Republic's press was permitted to adopt a more liberal stance and to establish a new publication, Literaturny Kirghizstan , by the Union of Writers. Unofficial political groups were forbidden, but several groups that emerged in 1989 to deal with

5618-451: The Kyrgyz population are Muslims and speak a Turkic language. Bishkek had the largest concentration of Russians in the country, some 22% of the population by independence, with Uzbek minorities in the Fergana Valley especially constituting some 13% of the population. In 1990, violent clashes between the Uzbek and Kyrgyz peoples broke out in the Osh Region; ethnic tensions still remain in the region. Under Soviet rule, Islam in Kirghizia

5724-436: The Kyrgyz proper were known as the Kara-Kirghiz ("Black Kirghiz", from the colour of their tents), and the Kazakhs were named the Kirghiz-Kaisak  [ kk ] or "Kirghiz-Kazak". The Kyrgyz are a Turkic ethnic group . Recent linguistic, genetic and archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest Turkic peoples descended from agricultural communities in Northeast China who moved westwards into Mongolia in

5830-497: The Kyrgyz, with haplogroup mtDNA H being the most predominant West Eurasian mtDNA haplogroup at about 14.2% (range 8.3% Talas to 21.3% Sary-Tash) among the Kyrgyz. However, the majority of Kyrgyz belong to East Eurasian mtDNA haplogroups, with mtDNA haplogroup D (approx. 20.2%, range 14.6% Talas to 25.5% Sary-Tash ) and D4 in particular (approx. 18.5% ) being the most frequent Eastern Eurasian lineage among them. A 2011 study of autosomal ancestry found that East Eurasian ancestry

5936-509: The Soviet Union ceased to exist. In 1992, Kyrgyzstan joined the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). On 5 May 1993, the official name changed from the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to the Kyrgyz Republic following the adoption of a new constitution . In 2005, an uprising known as the " Tulip Revolution ", took place after the parliamentary elections in March 2005, forcing President Askar Akayev 's resignation on 4 April 2005. Opposition leaders formed

6042-452: The Soviet authorities. The tradition of bride kidnapping , which remains illegal to this day, was suppressed by the Soviet regime. It is debatable whether bride kidnapping is actually traditional. Some of the confusion may stem from the fact that arranged marriages were traditional, and one of the ways to escape an arranged marriage was to arrange a consensual "kidnapping". According to a 2013 Gallup poll, 62% of Kyrgyz people said that

6148-458: The Tian Shan and Xinjiang area, the term Kyrgyz retained its unifying political designation, and became a general ethnonym for the Yenisei Kirgiz and aboriginal Turkic tribes that presently constitute the Kyrgyz population. Though it is impossible to directly identify the Yenisei and Tien Shan Kyrgyz, a trace of their ethnogenetical connections is apparent in archaeology, history, language and ethnography. A majority of modern researchers came to

6254-491: The Union would cease to exist and proclaimed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in its place. On 21 December 1991, Kyrgyzstan agreed with the other four Central Asian Republics, Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , Kazakhstan to the Alma-Ata Protocols , formally entering the Commonwealth with Armenia , Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan , Moldova , and Ukraine . Finally, Kyrgyzstan gained full independence on 25 December 1991. The following day, on 26 December 1991,

6360-405: The acute housing crisis were permitted to function. According to the last Soviet census in 1989, ethnic Kyrgyz made up only 22% of the residents of the northern city of Frunze (now Bishkek), while more than 60% were Russians, Ukrainians, and people from other Slavic nations. Nearly 10% of the capital's population were Jewish (a rather unique fact, for almost any place in the Soviet Union, except

6466-441: The aftermath of the Saur Revolution . They requested 5,000 visas from the United States consulate in Peshawar for resettlement in Alaska , a state of the United States which they thought might have a similar climate and temperature with the Wakhan Corridor . Their request was denied. In the meantime, the heat and the unsanitary conditions of the refugee camp were killing off the Kyrgyz refugees at an alarming rate. Turkey , which

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6572-416: The anniversary of its declaration of independence in 1991. Since independence, Kyrgyzstan has made developments such as creating genuinely free news media and fostering an active political opposition. In late April 2021, a conflict over water escalated into one of the most serious border clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan since independence in 1991. In September 2022, armed clashes, including

6678-402: The armed forces supported ethnic Kyrgyz gangs entering the city, but the government denied the allegations. The riots spread to neighboring areas, and the government declared a state of emergency in the entire southern Jalal-Abad region. To control the situation, the interim government gave special shoot-to-kill powers to the security forces. The Russian government decided to send a battalion to

6784-459: The attacks were "orchestrated, targeted and well-planned". Kyrgyz officials told the media that a person suspected to be behind the violence in Jalal-Abad had been detained. On 2 August 2010, a Kyrgyz government commission began investigating the causes of the clashes. Members of the National Commission, led by former parliament speaker Abdygany Erkebaev, met with people from the predominantly ethnic Uzbek villages of Mady, Shark, and Kyzyl-Kyshtak in

6890-454: The closing of the US-controlled Manas Air Base . Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev ordered measures to ensure the safety of Russian nationals and tighten security around Russian sites in Kyrgyzstan to protect them against possible attacks. The 2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes occurred between the two main ethnic groups—the Uzbeks and Kyrgyz—in Osh , the second-largest city in the country, on 11 June 2010. The clashes incited fears that

6996-434: The coldest areas, winter temperatures drop below freezing for approximately 40 days, and even some desert areas experience constant snowfall during this period. In the lowlands the temperature ranges from around −6 °C (21 °F) in January to 24 °C (75 °F) in July. There is one exclave , the tiny village of Barak (population 627), in the Fergana Valley . The village is surrounded by Uzbek territory. It

7102-405: The conclusion that the ancestors of Kyrgyz tribes had their origin in the most ancient tribal unions of Sakas / Scythians , Wusun / Issedones , Dingling , Mongols , and Huns . 18th-century Qing administrators referred to the Kyrgyz by the name Bulute . The oldest notes about a definite mention of the Kyrgyz ethnonym originate from the 6th century. There is a certain probability that there

7208-421: The country could be heading towards a civil war. Interim leader Otunbayeva sent a letter to the Russian president, Dimitry Medvedev, asking him to send Russian troops to help the country control the situation. Medvedev's Press Attaché, Natalya Timakova , said in a reply to the letter, "It is an internal conflict and for now Russia does not see the conditions for taking part in its resolution". The clashes caused

7314-400: The country to protect Russian facilities. Otunbayeva accused the family of Bakiyev of "instigating the riots". AFP reported "a veil of smoke covering the whole city". Authorities in neighboring Uzbekistan said at least 30,000 Uzbeks had crossed the border to escape the riots. Osh became relatively calm on 14 June 2010, but Jalal-Abad witnessed sporadic incidents of arson. The entire region

7420-473: The daughter of Askar Akayev , the former President of Kyrgyzstan, stated that Islam was increasingly taking root, even in the northern regions which had been under communist influence. She emphasized that many mosques have been built and that the Kyrgyz are "increasingly devoting themselves to Islam". Many ancient indigenous beliefs and practices, including shamanism and totemism , coexisted syncretically with Islam. Shamans, most of whom are women, still play

7526-537: The ethnonym possibly means 'field people, field Huns ' (cf. Tiele tribal name 渾 Hún < MC * ɣuən ). Peter Golden reconstructs * Qïrğïz < * Qïrqïz < * Qïrqïŕ and suggests a derivation from Old Turkic qır 'gray' (horse color) plus suffix -q(X)r/ğ(X)r ~ k(X)z/g(X)z . Besides, Chinese scholars later used a number of different transcriptions for the Kyrgyz people: these include Gegu (紇骨), Jiegu (結骨), Hegu (紇骨), Hegusi (紇扢斯), Hejiasi (紇戛斯), Hugu (護骨), Qigu (契骨), or Juwu (居勿), and then, during

7632-643: The events in southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010 (KIC). It stated that "The Provisional Government, which had assumed power two months before the events, either failed to recognize or underestimated the deterioration in inter-ethnic relations in southern Kyrgyzstan". The KIC concluded that the "Provisional Government had the responsibility to ensure that the security forces were adequately trained and appropriately equipped to deal with situations of civil unrest" but were unable to take necessary measures. As of today, Kyrgyzstan celebrates its Independence Day annually on August 31,

7738-582: The final stages of the national delimitation in the Soviet Union . At the time of formation of Kirghizia, its territory was divided into districts (raions). On November 21, 1939, five oblasts (regions) were created: Jalal-Abad , Issyk Kul , Osh , Tyan Shan , and Frunze Oblast]s. In 1944, Talas Oblast was established from Frunze but was abolished in 1956. In 1959 the Frunze, Issyk-Kul and Jalal-Abad oblasts were abolished. Frunze and Issyk-Kul became territories under direct republic jurisdiction while Jalal-Abad

7844-692: The former Second Turkic Khaganate . With the rise to power, the center of the Kyrgyz Khaganate moved to Jeti-su , and brought about a spread south of the Kyrgyz to Tian Shan and Xinjiang , bringing them into contact with the existing peoples of what is now Western China , especially the Tibetan Empire . The khagans of the Yenisei Kirghiz Khaganate claimed descent from the Han Chinese general Li Ling , which

7950-461: The late 3rd millennium BC, where they adopted a pastoral lifestyle. By the early 1st millennium BC, these peoples had become equestrian nomads . In subsequent centuries, the steppe populations of Central Asia appear to have been progressively Turkified by an East Asian dominant minority moving out of Mongolia. The Yenisei Kyrgyz , whose 9–10th century migration to the Tienshan area

8056-484: The later was merged with Osh. However, in 1990 they were restored and at the same time, Jalal-Abad and Chüy (formerly Frunze) were reestablished. The Osh Massacre in 1990 undermined the position of the first secretary. That same year, on 15 December, the Kirghiz SSR was reconstituted as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan after declaring its sovereignty. On 17 March 1991, Kirghizia supported the Union preservation referendum with

8162-536: The mid-17th century. Sufi missionaries played an important role in the conversion. By the 19th century, the Kyrgyz were considered devout Muslims and some performed the Hajj . Atheism has some following in the northern regions under Russian communist influence. A few cultural rituals of Shamanism are practiced to this day, particularly in Central Kyrgyzstan. During a July 2007 interview, Bermet Akayeva ,

8268-540: The mid-1920s by the Russians to distinguish them from the Kazakhs , who were also referred to as Kirghiz. On 5 December 1936, the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic was established as a constituent Union Republic of the Soviet Union . After the Russian Civil War , the period of the New Economic Policy (NEP), began, which lasted roughly to 1928. The Bolsheviks made an effort to establish

8374-636: The mountains is also used for hydro-electricity . As the Soviet Union respected other cultures even after delimitation, there are a wide variety of cultural items in Kirghizia listed here: Apart from celebrating the New Year each 1 January, Kirghizia, like all Soviet Republics, observed the Great October Socialist Revolution on 7 November. Its festivals and traditions such as Nowruz and Ulak Tartish were suppressed by

8480-442: The mountains is also used for hydro-electricity . Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of metals including gold and rare-earth metals . Due to the country's predominantly mountainous terrain, less than 8% of the land is cultivated, and this is concentrated in the northern lowlands and the fringes of the Fergana Valley . Bishkek in the north is the capital and largest city, with 937,400 inhabitants (as of 2015 ). The second city

8586-439: The name "Kyrgyz" as Jiegu (Kirgut), and their tamga was depicted as identical to the tamga of the present-day Kyrgyz tribes Azyk, Bugu, Cherik, Sary Bagysh and a few others. The 11th-century New Book of Tang described the Kyrgyz (結骨) with red hair, white skin, and green eyes. Contemporary Persian writer Gardizi recounted a legend that ascribed these traits to Saqaliba ancestry in the tribe. The Yenisei Kyrgyz lived in

8692-565: The north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca . The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal Too range, forming the Chinese border. Peak Jengish Chokusu , at 7,439 m (24,406 ft), is the highest point and is considered by geologists to be the northernmost peak over 7,000 m (22,966 ft) in the world. Heavy snowfall in winter leads to spring floods which often cause serious damage downstream. The runoff from

8798-579: The other Soviet republics, Kirghizia's government took place in the framework of a one-party socialist republic with the Communist Party of Kirghizia as the sole legal political party. The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kirghizia served as the head of the party, while the Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet functioned as the executive heads of state and the Chairmen of

8904-410: The outside lying between latitudes 39° and 44° N , and longitudes 69° and 81° E . It is farther from the sea than any other individual country, and all its rivers flow into closed drainage systems which do not reach the sea . The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country, with the remainder made up of valleys and basins. Issyk-Kul Lake , or Ysyk-Köl in Kyrgyz , in

9010-570: The population were ethnic Kyrgyz people . However, because large numbers were sent there in deportations, at times there were other significant ethnic groups. Between March and May 1944 alone, it was reported in the Kremlin that 602,193 residents of the North Caucasus region had been deported to the Kirghiz and Kazakh SSRs, of which 496,460 were Chechens and Ingush , 68,327 of which were Karachays and 37,406 were Balkars . The majority of

9116-561: The proposal to retain the Soviet Union as a "renewed federation". Nevertheless, secessionist forces pushed Kyrgyzstan's independence through in August of that same year. On 19 August 1991, when the State Emergency Committee assumed power in Moscow, there was an attempt to depose Akayev in Kyrgyzstan. After the coup collapsed the following week, Akayev and Vice President German Kuznetsov announced their resignations from

9222-508: The reign of Tang Emperor Wuzong , Xiajiasi (黠戛斯), said to mean "red face". Edwin G. Pulleyblank surmises that "red face" was possibly a folk etymology provided by an interpreter who explained the ethnonym based on Turkic qïzïl ~ qizqil , meaning 'red'. By the time of the Mongol Empire , the ethnonym's original meaning had apparently been forgotten – as was shown by variations in readings of it across different reductions of

9328-649: The scattered tribes into a single nation in the 9th century. The trilogy, an element of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List , expresses the memory of the nomadic peoples . In the 12th century, the Kyrgyz dominion had shrunk to the Altay Range and Sayan Mountains as a result of the Mongol expansion . With the rise of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century, the Kyrgyz migrated south. The Kyrgyz peacefully became

9434-480: The sea . The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia", as a result), with the remainder made up of valleys and basins. Issyk-Kul Lake , or Ysyk-Köl in Kyrgyz , in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca . The lowest point

9540-704: The upper Yenisey River valley, central Siberia . In late antiquity , the Yenisei Kyrgyz were a part of the Tiele people . Later, in the Early Middle Ages , the Yenisei Kyrgyz were a part of the confederation of the Göktürks and the Uyghur Khaganate . In 840, a revolt led by the Yenisei Kyrgyz brought down the Uyghur Khaganate, and brought the Yenisei Kyrgyz to a dominating position in

9646-484: The use of artillery, erupted along much of the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia , bordering Kazakhstan , China , Tajikistan and Uzbekistan . It lies between latitudes 39° and 44° N , and longitudes 69° and 81° E . It is farther from the sea than any other individual country, and all its rivers flow into closed drainage systems which do not reach

9752-524: The violence. Media agencies reported on 14 June 2010 that the Russian government was considering a request by the Kyrgyz government. An emergency meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) was held on the same day (14 June) to discuss the role it could play in helping to end the violence. Ethnic violence waned, according to the Kyrgyz government, by 15 June 2010 and Kyrgyz president Roza Otunbayeva held

9858-720: The youngest of five sons born into a family of collective farm workers (in northern Kyrgyzstan), was elected president in October of that same year. By then, the Kyrgyzstan Democratic Movement (KDM) had developed into a significant political force with support in Parliament. On 15 December 1990, the Supreme Soviet voted to change the republic's name to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. The following January, Akayev introduced new government structures and appointed

9964-456: Was joined into Osh. Tyan Shan was the last oblast to be abolished in 1962, and by this point, the rest of the republic with the exception of Osh was divided into districts of republican subordination. In 1970, Issyk-Kul and Naryn (formerly Tien Shan) oblasts were restored, and in 1980 so was Talas. In 1988, the Naryn and Talas oblasts were again abolished; the former was merged with Issyk-Kul, while

10070-649: Was assassinated on 10 May 2006 shortly after winning his murdered brother's seat in a by-election. All four were reputed to have been directly involved in major illegal business ventures. On 6 April 2010, civil unrest broke out in the town of Talas after a demonstration against government corruption and increased living expenses. The protests became violent, spreading to Bishkek by the following day. Protesters attacked President Bakiyev's offices, as well as state-run radio and television stations. There were conflicting reports that Interior Minister Moldomusa Kongatiyev had been beaten. On 7 April 2010, President Bakiyev imposed

10176-590: Was common to move back and forth over the mountains, depending on where life was perceived as better; this might mean better rains for pasture or better government during oppression. Soviet power was initially established in the region in 1919, and the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast was created within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SFSR). The phrase Kara-Kirghiz was used until

10282-635: Was elected president of the new independent republic by direct ballot, receiving 95 percent of the votes cast. Together with representatives of seven other Republics that same month, he signed the Treaty of the Economic Community . The new leaders of three out of four Soviet Union's founding republics, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, on 8 December 1991 signed the Belavezha Accords , denouncing the Union Treaty of 1922 , declaring that

10388-439: Was fighting tribalism: its social organization based on patrilineal kinship contradicted the concept of the modern nation state. In a region that did not previously know national institutions or consciousness, the process of nation-building was, from the indigenous perspective, a difficult and ambivalent one. By the end of the 1920s, the Soviet Union developed a series of five-year plans , centered around industrialization and

10494-484: Was first established as the Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate . Later, in the 13th century, Kyrgyzstan was conquered by the Mongol Empire and under several Mongol dynasties ; it regained independence, but was later invaded by the Dzungar Khanate . After the fall of Dzhungars , Kyrgyz and Kipchaks were an integral part of Kokand Khanate . In 1876, Kyrgyzstan became part of the Russian Empire , and in 1936,

10600-573: Was heavily suppressed with people actively encouraging atheism .Soviet authorities permitted limited religious activity in all the majority-Muslim Soviet republics. Most of the Russian population of Kirghizia were atheist or Russian Orthodox . After independence, the country enjoyed greater religious freedom and remains to this day a secular state. Kirghizia, a landlocked republic in Soviet Central Asia shared its borders with Kazakhstan , Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as China on

10706-634: Was mentioned in the diplomatic correspondence between the Kirghiz khagan and the Tang dynasty emperor, since the Tang imperial Li family claimed descent from Li Ling's grandfather, Li Guang . The Kirghiz qaghan assisted the Tang dynasty in destroying the Uyghur Khaganate and rescuing the Princess Taihe from the Uyghurs . They also killed a Uyghur khagan in the process. Then Kyrgyz quickly moved as far as

10812-536: Was of "particularly great importance for the formative process" of the Kyrgyz, have their origins in the western parts of modern-day Mongolia and first appear in written records in the Chinese annals of the Sima Qian 's Records of the Grand Historian (compiled 109-91 BCE) as Gekun ( 鬲昆 , 隔昆 ) or Jiankun ( 堅昆 ). The Middle Age Chinese composition Tang Huiyao of the 8–10th century transcribed

10918-405: Was relations between Kyrgyz and Gegunese already in the 2nd century BC and between Kyrgyz and Khakas since the 6th century AD, but there is a missing unique mention. The Kyrgyz as an ethnic group are mentioned quite unambiguously during the time of Genghis Khan 's rule (1162–1227), when their name replaces the former name Khakas. The genetic makeup of the Kyrgyz is consistent with their origin as

11024-568: Was renamed the Socialist Republic of Kyrgyzstan (or Kirghizia ). Afterwards, the socialist prefix was dropped and it became the Republic of Kyrgyzstan . Officially, in Russian, the name of the country in Kyrgyz, Kyrgyzstan , began to be used instead of the Russian Kirghizia . Later, the official name of the state was changed to the Kyrgyz Republic , which was retained after independence. Established on 14 October 1924 as

11130-426: Was still under a state of emergency as Uzbeks were reluctant to leave their houses for fear of attacks by the mobs. The United Nations decided to send an envoy to assess the situation. Temir Sariyev , deputy chief of the interim government, said there were local clashes and that it was not possible [for the government] to fully control the situation. He added that there were not sufficient security forces to contain

11236-835: Was under the military coup rule of General Kenan Evren , stepped in, and resettled the entire group in the Lake Van region of Turkey in 1982. The village of Ulupamir (or "Great Pamir" in Kyrgyz) in Erciş in Van Province was given to these, where more than 5,000 of them still reside today. The documentary film 37 Uses for a Dead Sheep – the Story of the Pamir Kirghiz was based on the life of these Kyrgyz in their new home. Some Kyrgyz returned to Wakhan in October 1979, following

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