The city is located in the Chu valley at the northern foot of the Kyrgyz Ala Too range on a sloping plain at altitudes from 700 to 900 m above sea level (latitude 42^o52^l north, longitude 74^o37^l east).

  By its climatic conditions the area of Bishkek occupies the extreme southern position in the continental zone of the temperate latitudes climate. The number of sunny days in the year averages 322, or about 2,600 hours. The monthly sunshine time is the longest in July (332 hours) and the shortest in December (126 hours). The mean annual air temperature is 10.2°C. The coldest month is January (-4.6°C). The warmest month is July (24.5°C). The mean annual pressure is 929 hPa, the lowest mean monthly pressure (July) is 922 hPa; the highest mean monthly pressure (November) is 936 hPa.

             The city of Pishpek was funded in 1863 near the ruins of a Kokand fortress at the crossing of ancient caravan routes of the Great Silk Road .

            In 1926 Pishpek was renamed as Frunze.

            Due to the achievement of independence by the Kyrgyz Republic, in 1991 the city’s historic name – Bishkek – was restored.

The total population of Pishpek in 1880 numbered only 500. The 1897 census in Pishpek counted 7,000 people. In 1913 the city^, s inhabitants totalled 17,000.

             The city is divided into four administrative-territorial districts: Leninsky, Oktyabrsky, Pervomaisky and Sverdlovsky . The urban-type community Chon Aryk and the village Orto Say which are under the administration of the Leninsky district, as well as suburban villages with a population of 44,200 people (part of Alamedin, Privokzalnoye, Kyzyl Asker, Novopokrovka) also belong to the City Kenesh (council) of Bishkek. 30 sq km of land belonging to the Alamudun and Sokuluk districts are in the city’s use for new individual housing estates development.        

            Distribution of territory and population by district 

             Whereas in 1914 only 4 schools were functioning in Bishkek, in 1999 there were 114 schools, 28 higher educational institutions, 17 specialized secondary schools, the Academy of Sciences, research institutes, 8 theatres, 14 museums.

             The automobile is the major type of transport in Bishkek. Railway transport is comparatively weakly developed. Air transport is put away far out of the city. The trolleybus is used in the city as a pollution-free kind of transport. Motor transport exhaust contributes about 56% to the total volume of discharge in the city.

          Motor transport is the major source of noise in Bishkek. The most noise-polluted part of the city is its centre where traffic is the heaviest.

 The surface water resources of Bishkek are represented by two small rivers, the Alamedin and the Ala Archa, which rise in the glaciers of the Kyrgyz range, cross the city from the south to the north and flow into the Chu river. There are 18 man-made reservoirs with a total area of 127.4 ha, from which 5 have recreation value. The discharge of underground sources takes place in 8 reservoirs with a total area of 11 ha, located in the northern part of the city. The ground water resources of the city are represented by 2 large fields, Orto Alysh and Ala Archa, which are formed owing to the infiltration of surface run-off.

             The observations made by 7 stationary control stations of the Department of Hydrometeorology showed quite good self-purification of the city atmosphere from dust, medium – from sulphur dioxide and nitric oxides, low – from carbonic oxide and complete absence of self-purification quality from benz(a)pyrene.

             The major emissions into the city atmosphere are as follows:

Carbonic oxide – 55.86%; Sulphur dioxide – 15.03%; Suspended matters – 14.45%; Nitrogen dioxide – 7.98%; Carbohydrates – 5.69%.

            The most dust-polluted part of the city is its eastern industrial zone. The major pollution source is the heat power plant; the share of other contributors to the aggregate pollution is insignificant.

 The executive-administrative body dealing with the problems of the city population health protection is the Department of Health at the City Administration of Bishkek to which belong:

- 8 in-patient medical establishments, including 3 maternity homes, a prenatal centre, and a gynaecology hospital;

- 26 polyclinics (including 6 stomatological ones);

- specialized medical-preventive establishments: a first-aid station, a tuberculosis dispensary, a tuberculosis hospital, an endocrinology dispensary and two children^,s hospitals, a disinfection station, a babies^, home, a babies^, milk food centre, and others.

In 1999 the number of doctors per 10.000 city inhabitants was 32 (29.1 in the republic on the whole).

        There are 6 parks, 8 forest parks, 15 city gardens, botanical gardens, 35 recreation squares, 5 boulevards and avenues.

            There are more than a million trees and shrubs in the city. The city^, s recreation squares and parks are rich in various species and forms of decorative plants. About 150 species and forms of trees and shrubs, over 80 species and varieties of floral decorative plants grow in the city.