Kyrgyzstan

KYRGYZSTAN

A. THE COUNTRY

Kyrgyzstan Republic, located in Central Asia, is landlocked and
mountainous.  Since independence from USSR in 1991, subsequent regimes
brought about greater corruption, crime and poverty.  Frequent
demonstrations indicate widespread disillusionment and the 2010 protests
and coup illustrated this.  Government is a presidential democracy.
There is little optimism for the future in the midst of the ethnic,
political and communal tensions.  Widespread poverty and unemployment
have caused up to 500,000 to seek work abroad.  Kyrgyzstan is
predominantly agricultural but with potential in mining of the rich
mineral resources, hydro-electricity and tourism.

B. THE PEOPLE

The population is ~5,600,000 and official languages Krygyz and Russian.
There is great ethnic diversity relative to its population.
~82.8% are Turkic, ~14.4% European, ~1.6% East Asian, ~1.2% Other.

C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM

This secular state has placed greater restrictions and scrutiny of all
religious practice which it feels may cause social or political
instability.  Registration is commonly denied churches and expatriate
work permits are limited.  Resurgent Islamism persecutes evangelicals.
~88.73% are Muslims, ~5.3% Non-religious, ~5.27% claim to be Christian,
~0.42% Buddhist, ~0.2% Ethnoreligionist, ~0.05% Jewish, ~0.03% Baha’i.
In the Christian category:
~4.34% are Orthodox, ~0.44% Protestant. ~0.38% Independent, ~0.01%
Catholic.  Evangelicals represent ~0.7% of the population.
Charismatics represent ~0.6% and of those ~0.4% are Pentecostals.
Donna Siemens