map
Our Affiliates
Listen In 28 LanguagesRFE/RL Radio
In 28 Languages

'Berlin Wall's Lessons For Today'

In an op-ed for "USA Today," Jeffrey Gedmin discusses RFE and the role of free media in societies living under repressive regimes. More
More Articles

RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service

Online and on air, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service has been a consistent and dependable provider of independent information in Kyrgyzstan for over 50 years. Today, Radio Azattyk is a trusted source within Kyrgyzstan, with its stories -- both broadcast and online -- regularly cited and reprinted by local and regional media.

News

More Articles

Features & Multimedia

Pressure Grows For Kyrgyzstan To Reverse Ban

More than 10 years since Kyrgyzstan became the first Central Asian state to suspend the death penalty, arguments for reinstating the punishment are gaining traction. More

Before The Autumn Revolutions, The Moscow Spring

Before the autumn revolutions in Eastern Europe, there was the Moscow Spring in the Soviet Union. In 1989, Mikhail Gorbachev's reform policies hit their high-water mark, as the USSR held its first competitive elections, press freedom flourished, and civil society awakened. More

It's Not Easy Being An Environmentalist In Turkmenistan

A court in Turkmenistan has overturned a five-year jail sentence handed down last week to a biologist whose environmental organization was shut down by the state in 2003. The case marks the second time in three years that Andrei Zatoka has been sentenced and detained before being released, and highlights the difficulties activists commonly encounter in Central Asia. More

Kyrgyz President's Son's New Role

When Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev put the finishing touches on his restructured government last week, he entrusted the country's future economic course to a person he has known for decades -- his youngest son, Maksim Bakiev. More

Russia Is Dying To Learn Its Census Data

The news that the next Russian census will be held in 2010 is welcome news indeed. There had been considerable speculation that the census had been delayed largely for political reasons, and it is encouraging to think that the opinions of experts who say the census information is crucially needed were heeded in this case. More
More Articles

Local Language

www.azattyk.kg

Subscribe In English

Subscribe to Central Asia Report

Subscribe to a weekly update of news, features, and analysis on Central Asia.

Facts & Stats

Map of Kyrgyzstan

Population
5.4 million

Ethnic Groups:
Kyrgyz 65%
Uzbek 14%
Russian 12%
Dungan 1%
Ukrainian 1%
Uyghur 1%

Religions:
Muslim 75%
Russian Orthodox 20%
Other 5%

Languages:
Kyrgyz (official) 65%
Uzbek 14%
Russian (official) 13%
Dungun 1%
Other 8%

Products and services:

RSSMail SubscriptionMobile