A look at Kyrgyzstan, where dozens killed in anti-government protests

A look at Kyrgyzstan, where dozens die in protests

A look at Kyrgyzstan, a poor Central Asian nation hit by anti-government protests that have left dozens dead and hundreds wounded:

GEOGRAPHY: A largely mountainous country in the middle of Asia, a bit smaller than New Zealand or Nebraska, Kyrgyzstan borders China and three other former Soviet republics: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

POPULATION: About 5 million people; around 65 percent are ethnic Kyrgyz, 14 percent Uzbek, 13 percent Russian.

ECONOMY: It is mostly agricultural, and about half the population lives below the poverty line. Remittances sent home from Kyrgyz workers abroad are significant, and plunged during the global recession.

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE: It is a key supply center for the war efforts against the Taliban in nearby Afghanistan. The U.S. opened an air base in Kyrgyzstan in 2001 and Russia opened an air base in 2003. Kyrgyzstan is also seen as a relatively stable corner in a volatile region.

REASONS FOR VIOLENCE: President Kurmanbek Bakiyev came to power in street protests of 2005 dubbed the Tulip Revolution that forced his predecessor, Askar Akayev, to flee. But Bakiyev, like Akayev, has grown increasingly authoritarian and critics say he has sacrificed democratic standards to maintain peace. Anger at huge hikes in utility prices has galvanized opposition this year and fed public dissent.