Osh

City and capital of Osh duban (oblast), southwestern Kyrgyzstan, at the eastern end of the Fergana Valley, 50 km/31 mi southeast of Andijon in Uzbekistan; population (1999) 208,500. Osh is Kyrgyzstan's second-largest city, and yet has a very high Uzbek population. It has the largest textile complex in Central Asia, as well as cotton, wool, and silk mills, and stands at an important highway junction; the Pamir Highway runs from here to Tajikistan. Coal, zinc, and lead are mined nearby.

Osh is one of the most ancient towns of Central Asia, dating from around the 5th century BC. It was long a crossroads and market centre on the Silk Route. It was sacked by the Mongols in the 13th century.

Osh

Large oblast (region) in southwestern Kyrgyzstan; area 73,900 sq km/28,533 sq mi; population (1996) 1,324,000. The capital is Osh. Coal is mined, and oil and gas extracted; there are textile (silk) and food industries.

Geography The Fergana Valley lies in the extreme west, with mountain ranges to the north and south. Lake Karakul lies in the north of the region. The principal river is the Naryn.

History The region witnessed bloody confrontations between Uzbek and Kyrgyz groups during the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1990; in the worst atrocity, some 300 people were slaughtered in Uzgen, near the city of Osh.