Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous and landlocked country, with a population of five million (UNSKR, 2003, p. 9). The great majority of its people live around the periphery of the country, near its boarders and away from the massive mountain ranges that occupy most of the central area of the country. The Tian Shan mountain range creates natural divisions and the peripheral areas have closer links with neighbouring countries than with each other. The capital Bishkek, lying in the north of the country, has strong links with Kazakhstan. The second largest city after Bishkek, Osh, is located in the south of the country on the edge of the Fergana Valley, which stretches into Uzbekistan.