Karatau Mountains

Mountains in southern Kazakhstan

This article is about the range in southwestern Kazakhstan. For the range in southeastern Kazakhstan, see Wusun Mountains. For the town in Kazakhstan, see Karatau. For the town in Uzbekistan, see Karatau, Karakalpakstan.

Karatau

Қаратау жотасы

Karatau Nature Reserve, Kazakhstan

Highest point
Peak| Bessaz
Elevation| 2,176 m (7,139 ft)[1]
Coordinates| 42°53′20″N 69°58′50″E﻿ / ﻿42.88889°N 69.98056°E﻿ / 42.88889; 69.98056[2]
Dimensions
Length| 420 km (260 mi) NW/SE
Width| 90 km (56 mi) NE/SW
Geography

Karatau

Location in Kazakhstan

Location| Kazakhstan
Parent range| Tian Shan
Geology
Orogeny| Alpine orogeny
Rock type(s)| Shale, sandstone, limestone[1]
Climbing
Easiest route| From Kentau

The Karatau or Qaratau (Kazakh: Қаратау жотасы, Qaratau jotasy) is a mountain range located in southern Kazakhstan. The mountains have deposits of phosphorite, lead, and zinc.[3]

## Name

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Qaratau (Қаратау) is Kazakh for the "Black Mountain" or "Mountain Range". The English name Karatau derives from accounts of Russian exploration of the area.

## Geography

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The range extends for about 420 kilometres (260 mi) in a roughly NW/SE direction just north of the Syr Darya. The Muyunkum Desert lies to the north of the range. The Karatau is the westernmost prolongation of the Tian Shan. The summits of the mountains are smooth and the slopes are cut by snow-fed rivers.[3] The Shabakty, Kyrshabakty, Ushbas, Bugun and Asa, are among the rivers having their sources in the range.[4]

## World Heritage Status

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There are numerous ancient archaeological sites in the range that display the stages of cultural evolution from the early Paleolithic Age (1 million BP) to the Neolithic Age (6500 BP).[5] This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on September 24, 1998 in the Cultural category.[5]

## Nature Reserve

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The Karatau Nature Reserve is a protected area in the range established in 2004.[6]

## References

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1. ^ a b "Каратау (горн. хребет на Тянь-Шане)". Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian).
2. ^ Google Earth
3. ^ a b "Qarataū". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
4. ^ "K-42 Topographic Chart (in Russian)". Retrieved 27 October 2022.
5. ^ a b Paleolithic sites and geomorphology of Karatau mountain range - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
6. ^ Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the establishment of the state institution" Karatau State Nature Reserve "of the Committee for Forestry and Hunting of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan"; 1 March 2004

## External links

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* Media related to Karatau at Wikimedia Commons

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany