Back in the 50s of the last century, archaeologists found evidence that in the territory, which is now known as the Osh region, people lived 3000 years ago. The Kyrgyz who came from the Yenisei have lived here for only 500 years. It was on the slopes of the sacred mountain Sulaiman-Too, which in 2009 became a World Heritage Site, settlements dating back to the Bronze Age were found.
The area of the area often changed
The mountain is located near the village of Osh, in southern Kyrgyzstan. Osh is considered one of the oldest cities in Central Asia and is the second largest in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. In 1939, on November 21, it becomes the administrative center of the region of the same name.
In 1959, the Jalal-Abad territorial unit was attached to it, and the greatly expanded Osh region occupied the entire southwestern part of the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic. Throughout its existence in the USSR, the territory of this administrative unit has been changing all the time. In its current form, an area of 29.2 thousand square kilometers occupies the south of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
Mountain area
In the southeast, the region borders on China. Its northeastern part is located on the Ferghana Range (spurs of the Tien Shan). From the south and west it is surrounded by the ranges of Turkestan, Altai, Zaaltai, belonging to the mountains of the Pamir-Altai.
Mount Suleiman-Too, towering directly above the city and at the foot of which for centuries believers have built mosques and minarets, is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims. And in the cave of the mountain is a museum.
Water resources of the region
The river network consists of 900 permanent and temporary rivers and rivulets, the total length of which is 7 thousand km. From the Ferghana and Alai ranges to the Ferghana Valley, their waters are Kara-Darya (Tar) and Iasi, Gulcha, Ak-Burra and Kyrgyz-Ata. The Kyzyl-Suu River is a tributary of the river. Vakhsh (Tajikistan).
The most full-flowing watercourse of the region is Kara-Daria. There are also underground waters of the valleys Aulie-Atin and Kurshab, Akbuura and Osh, Tuya-Muyun and Madyn. They are used for irrigation and drinking needs. The mountain lake Kulun (4.6 sq. Km) is the largest of the 100 existing in this territory. The largest of the artificial reservoirs is the Papan reservoir (7 thousand sq. Km). In the Osh region, there are about 1.5 thousand glaciers. The area they occupy is 1546.3 square meters. km There are many waterfalls in the region, more than 20 mineral and thermal springs are known.
Favorable geographical position
Osh oblast, located at the junction of the fertile Fergana and Alai valleys, is the main breadbasket of the republic.
Once here ran the Great Silk Road. The area was crossed by its trade routes. Such a favorable geographical location in many senses provided the region with the role of a locomotive of the economy of independent Kyrgyzstan.
Area population
The population of Osh Oblast, the largest in the republic by this indicator, is equal to a quarter of the population of the whole country, and totals 1229.6 thousand people, of which 53% are able-bodied. It so happened historically that many peoples moving along the Silk Road settled on these fertile lands, and therefore now this administrative-territorial unit is the most multinational. Osh Oblast has 80 nationalities and nationalities.
Cities and areas
The region includes the following number of settlements - 3 cities, 2 urban-type villages, 469 villages.
The region is administratively divided into seven districts - Alai and Aravan, Kara-Kuldzhinsky and Kara-Suus, Nookat, Uzgen and Chon-Alai. The cities of Osh oblast - Uzgen, Kara Suu (satellite city of Osh) and Naukat (Nookat) are the settlements of regional subordination. Urban-type settlements include Sary-Tash and Naiman.
Osh city
The administrative center of the Osh region is a city of republican subordination. More than 240 thousand people live in it. This second largest after Bishkek settlement of the republic is rightly called the "Southern Capital". The city is famous for its ancient mosques and the sacred mountain Sulayman-Too. The industry is represented by the cotton and manufacturing industries.
There are more Uzbeks in this village than the Kyrgyz; the third largest ethnic group is Russians. The city gained notoriety in 1990, as a result of a conflict between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz, dubbed the Osh massacre. Major riots in 2010 cemented this status.
Two other cities of the region
The city of Uzgen, located 53 km from Osh, is famous for the architectural complex of the 11th-12th centuries, which includes the Uzgen tower 27.5 meters high and a group of mausoleums. The inter-regional highway Bishkek-Osh-Kara-Suu-Urumqi (China) passes through the city of Kara-suu. The railway Jalalabad - Kara-Suu - Andijan also passes through it. These routes connect the countries of the CIS, East Asia and Europe. It is not surprising that it is in this city that the largest, one of the main in the southern region of Central Asia, Kara-Sui market is located, which, in fact, is a transshipment base for Chinese goods.
Mineral deposits
Where the Osh region is located, there are all conditions for the successful development of agriculture, therefore this region is agrarian. But industry is also developing here, especially mining, energy, transport and tourism. Osh Oblast, located at an altitude of 500 m above sea level, is rich in minerals. In large quantities, there are such mineral resources as gold, silver, ores of mercury, antimony, copper, tungsten, molybdenum, tin, lead and zinc. There are many deposits of cut and semi-precious stones, such as jasper, onyx, amethyst and many others. The region is rich in building materials everywhere - marble, limestone, shell rock.
Alai and Chon-Alai districts
Osh Oblast, the regions of which are characterized by socio-economic differences, seeks to develop them in accordance with the greatest benefit for everyone. So, the main economic sector in the Chon-Alai region, located along the Kyzyl-Suu mountain river, is cattle breeding and sheep breeding. The village of Daarut-Kurgan is a district center. Occupied area - 4860 square meters. km, or 16.6% of the area. The district is divided into three districts (ayyla): Jekendi, Chon-Alai and Kashka-Suu. Of the 25 thousandth population, 99.9% are Kyrgyz. The district was formed in 1992 by separating from the Alai region, the center of which is the village of Gulcha. The area occupied by this administrative unit is 7582 square meters. km Here lives 72 thousand people. Its territory is divided into 13 aiyls (districts), 60 settlements are located on it. The area is located in the Alai and Gulchinsky valleys. The main industry is livestock. The village of Nura became widely known after the 8-magnitude earthquake of 2008, which killed 75 people.
One more
The high-mountainous region of the Kara-Kulchinsky region with the administrative center of the same name is located at the junction of the Ferghana and Alai ranges. The main economic sectors are traditional livestock and fodder crops. The district is divided into 12 aiyl okrugs. On its territory in 5712 square meters. km live 88 thousand inhabitants.
Industrial area of the region
The multinational city of regional subordination Nookat, located at an altitude of 1802 meters above sea level, is the administrative center of the district of the same name, located in the Nookat Depression. The population of Osh Oblast in this region is represented by Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Hemsheels, Turks, Russians and Tatars. There are other nationalities. This area is industrial.
Here the food and woodworking, coal and light industries are developing. The population has a little less than 240 thousand inhabitants. The district is divided into 16 rural districts. In the urban village of Nyman, along with the above industries, ecological tourism is developed.
Split in two
The Aravan region consists of two parts (western and eastern), separated by the Nookat region. The administrative center is the village of Aravan. This administrative-territorial unit itself is a densely populated agricultural valley in which Kyrgyz, Azerbaijanis, Tajiks and Tatars live, the total number of which exceeds 106 thousand people.
Kara-Suut and Uzgen regions
Uzgen district with an area of 3.4 thousand square meters. km and a population of almost 230 thousand people is also agricultural and multinational. It is divided into 19 rural districts and the city of Uzgen, which is the administrative center.
The last of the seven, the Kara-Suut district is the most densely populated. About 350 thousand people live in it. Its territory stretches from north to south. The region has a small weight in the region’s economy, but is famous for its, as noted above, the largest wholesale market.
