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Images from Kyrgyzstan

March 15, 2007 | Pulitzer Center
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A Kyrgyz man selling bottles in Bishkek

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A Kyrgyz man

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A Soviet-era housing block

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Kyrgyz women socializing at the market

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The White House in Bishkek

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A young boy selling Russian salads at the Osh Market

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One of the main streets in Bishkek

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Alexandra Poolos in the nearby Tien Shien mountains, just outside Bishkek.

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A newstand in Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan, a small, mountainous country in Central Asia, is a new democracy, struggling to maintain reforms. Surrounded by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China, the country is home to the sole U.S. forward operating air base into Afghanistan. Struggling with extreme poverty and rampant corruption, Kyrgyzstan maintains strong relations with Russia and China. Islam is a growing influence in the country with many young people turning to mosques and Islamic schools to provide services the government can't. After a democratic revolution in 2005, Kyrgyzstan has seen many rollbacks to authoritarian rule.