Bishkek

	Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
	Precipitation totals in mm
	Source: World Meteorological Organization

Bishkek
Climate chart (explanation)
	Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
	Precipitation totals in mm
	Source: World Meteorological Organization
Imperial conversion
	Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
	Precipitation totals in inches

Bishkek
Bishkek; Бишкек
	Ceety
Kyrgyz transcription(s)
• ISO 9	biškek
• BGN/PCGN	bishkek
• ALA-LC	bishkek
	Ala-Too Square
	Banner Coat airms
	Bishkek Location in Kyrgyzstan
	Coordinates: 42°52′29″N 74°36′44″E / 42.87472°N 74.61222°E
Kintra	Kyrgyzstan
Shaar	Bishkek (It is, housomeviver, the caipital o the Chuy Province)
Raion	Destricts Leninsky; Oktyabrsky; Pervomaysky; Sverdlovsky;
Govrenment
• Mayor	Isa Omurkulov
Area
• Total	127 km2 (49 sq mi)
Elevation	800 m (2,600 ft)
Population (1999)
• Total	762,308
• Estimate (2007)	1,250,000
• Density	6,000/km2 (16,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+6 (UTC+6)
Area code(s)	312

Bishkek (in Kyrgyz an Roushie: Бишкек), umwhile Pishpek an Frunze, is the caipital an the lairgest ceety o Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is an aa the admeenistrative centre o Chuy Province which surroonds the ceety, even though the ceety itsel is no pairt o the province but rather a province-level unit o Kyrgyzstan.

The name is thocht tae derive frae a Kyrgyz wird for a churn uised tae mak fermentit mare's milk (kumis), the Kyrgyz naitional drink. Foondit in 1825 as the Kyrgyz-Khokand fortress o "Bishkek", then, in 1862, named as the Russian fortress Pishpek (крепость Пишпек),^[4] in 1926 the ceety wis renamed Frunze (Фрунзе), efter the Bolshevik military leader Mikhail Frunze. In 1991, the Kyrgyz parliament restored the ceety's historical name.

Bishkek is situatit at aboot 800 metres (2,600 ft) altitude juist aff the northren fringe o the Kyrgyz Ala-Too range, an extension o the Tian Shan muntain range, which rises up tae 4,855 metres (15,928 ft) an provides a spectacular backdrop tae the ceety. North o the ceety, a fertile an gently undulatin steppe extends far north intae neighborin Kazakhstan. The Chui River drains maist o the aurie. Bishkek is connectit tae the Turkestan-Siberie Railway bi a spur line.

Bishkek is a ceety o wide boulevards an marble-faced public buildings combined wi numerous Soviet-style apairtment blocks surroondin interior courtyards an, especially ootside the ceety centre, thoosans o smawer privately biggit hooses. It is laid oot on a grid pattern, wi maist streets flanked on baith sides bi narrae irrigation channels that watter the innumerable trees which provide shade in the hot simmers.

History

Oreeginally a caravan rest stop (possibly foondit bi the Sogdians) on ane o the branches o the Silk Road through the Tian Shan range, the location wis fortified in 1825 bi the Uzbek khan o Kokhand wi a mud fort.

The Kyrgyz legend says that the place wis a burial site o the hero Bishkek, the local Kyrgyz war lord who fought for the Kyrgyz unthirldom in the 18t century.

In 1862, the fort wis conquered an razed when Tsarist Roushie annexed the aurie. The site became a Roushie garrison an wis redeveloped an named "Pishpek" frae 1877 onward bi the Roushie government, which encouraged the dounset o Roushie peasants bi givin them fertile black soil farms tae develop. In 1926, the ceety became the caipital o the newly establisht Kirghiz ASSR an wis renamed "Frunze" efter Mikhail Frunze, Lenin's close associate who wis born in Bishkek an played key roles durin the 1905 an 1917 revolutions an durin the Roushie ceevil war o the early 1920s.

The early 1990s wur tumultuous. In Juin 1990, a state o emergency wis declared follaein severe riots in soothren Kyrgyzstan which threatened tae spread tae the caipital. The ceety wis renamed Bishkek on 5 Februar 1991 an Kyrgyzstan achieved unthirldom later that year durin the breakup o the Soviet Union. Afore unthirldom, Bishkek wis a "Roushified" ceety, the majority o its population being ethnic Roushies. In 2004, Roushies made up approximately 20% o the ceety's population.^[5]

The day, Bishkek is a rapidly modrenisin ceety, wi mony restaurants an cafes an lots o seicont-hand European an Japanese caurs an minibuses croudin its streets. At the same time Bishkek still preserves its umwhile Soviet feel, wi Soviet-period biggins an gairdens prevailin ower newer structures.

Bishkek is an aa the kintra's financial centre, wi aw o the kintra's 21 commercial baunks featurin offices in the ceety. Durin the Soviet era, the ceety wis hame tae a lairge nummer o industrial plants, but maist hae been shut doun or operate the day on a muckle reduced scale. Ane o the day's Bishkek's lairgest employment centres is Dordoy Bazaar, which is ane the major entrepôts for Cheenese guids importit intae CIS kintras.