Osh is a major city in Kyrgyzstan. It is situated on the Akbura River where it emerges from the Alay foothills at an elevation of 1,000 metres and has a population of around 250,000. It's industries include silk and cotton textiles and food processing, and cotton, tobacco, cereal grains, and melons are grown on irrigated land. It is the starting point of the Osh-Khorugh road, the main Pamirs Highway. The city has a teacher-training institute, a branch of the Bishkek Polytechnic Institute, a theatre, a museum, and a botanical garden.