In the post-Soviet era, Kyrgyzstan's health system has suffered increasing shortages of health professionals and medicine. Kyrgyzstan must import nearly all its pharmaceuticals.
The population of Kyrgyzstan was 5,264,000 according to the July 2005 census and 4,896,100 according to the census of 1999. The Kyrgyzstan population is mainly comprised of three ethnic groups, namely the Kyrgyz,the Russians and the Uzbek population.
Due to its topography the country is very much split into the northern and t southern part. In the north of the country, there are big valleys like the Chui-valley (where the capital Bishkek is situated), and the Talas-valley, as well as the lake Issyk-Kul The Kyrgyz also call the lake "Blue Pearl of the Tien-Shan" or "Sea of the Kyrgyz".