Karkaraly Range

Karkaraly Range
Қарқаралы таулары
Landscape of the range
Highest point
Peak	Zhirensakal (Komsomol Peak)
Elevation	1,403 m (4,603 ft)
Coordinates	49°22′N 75°23′E / 49.367°N 75.383°E / 49.367; 75.383
Dimensions
Length	35 km (22 mi) N / S
Width	25 km (16 mi) E/ W
Geography
Karkaraly Range Location within Kazakhstan
Location	Kazakhstan
Range coordinates	49°22′N 75°22′E / 49.367°N 75.367°E / 49.367; 75.367
Parent range	Kazakh Uplands
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny
Rock type(s)	Granite, quartzite, porphyritic rock

Karkaraly Range (Kazakh: Қарқаралы таулары; Russian: Каркаралинские горы) is a range of mountains in Karkaraly District, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan.¹

The name Karkaraly means "arrow-headed" in the Kazakh language² Karkaraly city lies at the feet of the eastern slopes of the mountains and Karagaily village, a little further east. A large sector of the range is part of the Karkaraly National Park, a 112,120 hectares (277,100 acres) protected area established in 1998.³⁴

The Karkaraly Range is one of the subranges of the Kazakh Upland system (Saryarka). It rises to the northwest of the smaller, but higher, Kent Range, marking the southern limit the Karasor Basin. The larger Kyzyltas range rises to the southwest. The Karkaraly Range stretches from north to south for about 40 kilometers (25 mi). Its highest point is Zhirensakal (Komsomol Peak), a 1,403 meters (4,603 ft) high summit. The mountains are deeply dissected by valleys and ravines. There are numerous small lakes, such as Pasheno and Shaytankol within the range, as well as Bolshoye, Zhartas and Ashchykol at the feet of the mountains.¹⁵³

The main rivers having their sources in the range are the Karkaraly, flowing into lake Karasor, as well as the Sarsu and Tundak. The Taldy flows northwards, its valley forming the eastern limit of the range.⁵⁶³

The range is covered by pine forests as well as highland steppe vegetation made up of coarse feathergrass and forb grassland areas.¹