Osh is the second largest city in
Kyrgyzstan, located in the
Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". It is the oldest city in the country (estimated to be more than 3000 years old), and has served as the administrative center of
Osh Region since 1939. The city has an ethnically mixed population of about 255,800 in 2012, comprising
Kyrgyz,
Uzbeks,
Russians,
Tajiks, and other smaller ethnic groups.