Kyrgyzstan (Кыргызстан, formally the Kyrgyz Republic (Кыргыз Республикасы) is a Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions. Landlocked and mountainous, it borders Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the southeast. Annexed by Russia in 1876, it achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

History

The Kyrgyz are descendants of tribes from the Tuvan region of Russia, which migrated to the area now known as Kyrgyzstan in the 13th century, during the rise of the Mongol empire. In 1876 the area was incorporated into the Russian empire and later the Soviet Union. When that union dissolved in 1991, Kyrgyzstan became independent. In March, 2005 a popular uprising known as the Tulip Revolution forced Soviet-era President Askar Akayev to flee the country. He was replaced by President Kurmanbek Bakiev. Current concerns include privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of democracy and political freedoms, interethnic relations, and combating terrorism.