Backgrounder: Basic facts about Kyrgyzstan

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, holds its 2006 summit in Shanghai Thursday.

The following is some basic information about Kyrgyzstan.

Geography: Located in Central Asia with an area of 198,500 square km, Kyrgyzstan borders with China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Population: About 5.1 million.

Capital: Bishkek

Natural resources: Its coal production output is among the largest in Central Asia and its output of antimony the third largest in the world. It is also the second largest producer of tin and mercury within the Commonwealth of Independent States.