Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан), formally the Kyrgyz Republic, and sometimes known as Kirghizia, is a country in Central Asia. The country is landlocked (has no coast) and mountainous. It has borders with China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Its capital is Bishkek. It was a socialist republic of the Soviet Union, but became independent in 1991. The country was peaceful in the 1990s. Its president, Askar Akayev showed an autocratic and authoritarian character. 