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Kazakh small hills.

Traveling in the nature of Kazakhstan.

“In joy or sadness flowers are our constant friends” 

Kakuzō Okakura, The Book Of Tea.

Wildlife Tours Kazakh in small hills.

Long since the extensive elevated territory of Central Kazakhstan is called Saryarka. In literal translation from the Kazakh language Saryarka means "yellow back", but semantic interpretation is quite different - "extensive upland".
Saryarka, or Kazakh Low Hill Land, occupies the largest part in Central Kazakhstan. In the west it is adjacent to Turgai plateau and Turan lowland, in the east it connects with the mountain system Saur-Tarbagatai, in the north it borders on the Western-Siberian valley, in the south – with Balkhash Lake and Betpakdala.
Saryarka stretches from the west to the east for 1,200 km. In the west its width reaches 900 km, and in the east it is 350 km. The average height is 500 - 600 m. The highest mountains in the eastern part of Saryarka are Aksorgan (1,565m), Karkaraly mountains (1,403m), Chingiztau (1,305m), in the western part – Ulytau (1,133m), as well as low mountains of Saryarka (in Kokshetau, in Bayanaul etc.).
Sary-Arka (the Great Steppe) is the Kazakh name for the area stretching from the West Siberian lowlands in the north to the Balkhash-Alakul lowlands in the south, from the spurs of the Altai, Sauyr and Tarbagatai in the cast to the Turgai valleys in the west. And it is indeed a vast, endless steppe, covering 2,000 sq. km in the centre of the Eurasian continent.
Central Kazakhstan also has several places of archaeological and ethnographical interest. The Ulytau region has a special place in the history of Eurasia's nomads. It was in this natural temple that the Kazakh people achieved unity when the three Kazakh zhuzes (clans) joined together as a single state.
The Tanbalytas stone, carved with the signs (tamgas) o
f thousands of clans, eloquently tells the story. There are many mausoleums, tombs and caves in this open-air history museum. Ulytau's highest point is 1,134 m. The region is full of lakes, springs and rivers. Mountains in Karkaraly, Bayanaul and Kokshetau are especially picturesque.
Sharpened by the wind and rains, rocks captivate with the fantastic shapes. Here you can see beautiful “towers”, “castles”, “sleeping knight”, “horseman” and magnificent “sphinx” that rises from the depths of the lake. The mirrors of blue transparent lakes shine between the mountains.
Pine-trees and birches, famous “Zhumbaktas”, the rock-enigma, peaks of Kokshetau fabulously decorate them. That is why these places are called “Kazakh Switzerland”. Some Kazakhstan toponymists are inclined to interpret the word "sary" as adjective.
AIso there are many other opinions. One thing is certain: this huge  by occupied area upland in Central Kazakhstan is land of plenty. Here you can see wonderful summer and winter pastures, there are natural shelters from furious winter winds for people and cattle in inter-hill hollows, and elevation is more humidified than Turansky lowland adjoining to it in the west.
Geographers call this region as Kazakh small -hills and geologists often call it as Kazakh folded country. Saryarka stretches from the west to east from Ulytau Mountains (Ulutau) to Tarbagatai for 1000 kilometers, from the north from Kokshetau Mountains to the south to Balkhash -nearly for 900 kilometers.
Saryarka is alternation of low hills which rise over elevated plain by 300 - 500 meters and have inter-hill hollows. Low mountain massifs, hills, groups of hills, ranges and small ridges are scattered over elevation without a visible order: in some places there are small mountains and the most space is occupied by plains.
In extreme north of Saryarka there are Kokshetau mountains (Kokchetavsky) with Sinyuha summit (947 m). in vicinities of these mountains there are the  most beautiful Lakes Borovoe and Shcuchie (Shortandy). Round the lakes there are many camps, rest houses and sanatoria which use very popularity owing to picturesque landscape and salubrious air suffused with fragrance of coniferous woods and grasses.
ountains in this region are covered with pine woods, and in clefts both birches and aspens and various bushes can be met. Lakes are basically fresh-water and full of fish and the woods abounds in berries and mushrooms.
Some granite rocks due to strong aeration have got freakish forms reminding ruins of castles, figures of animals and people. They are "Sphinx", "SIeeping knight" and "Camel". Many rocks are connected with national legends and stories, for example "Okzlletpes" ("The arrow will not reach the target").
In extreme east Saryarka is closed up with Chingiztau Mountains which height is more than 1077 meters, and Akshatau ( up to 1305 m). Northeast slopes of these mountains are usually abrupt, and south-west are rather flat. They consist of basically very ancient metamorphic.
Precambrian rocks and volcanic and sedimentary thicknesses of Paleozoic. Mountains  are surrounded by semi-deserts, but steppe vegetation prevails in mountains and a little bit lower birch-aspen small forests with the meadow-sweet and pea shrub are widespread.
Saryarka is diverse and land of plenty of Kazakhstan: here the mountains rise against steppes, semi-deserts and deserts and each mountain has its own "face" and natural beauty. In hollows between small hills big and small plains with fertile soils and agricultural grounds are spread.
Saryarka is expanse for pedestrian, horse, automobile tourism, for fishers, hunters and mushroom pickers. Freakish rocks attract rock-climbers. Saryarka is the main well of ore and [טוl minerals not only in Kazakhstan, but also in Central Asia.
There is almost everything in the region except for oil and gas. The largest black coal reserves are in Karaganda and Ekibastuz basin; copper ore deposits are concentrated in Zhezkazgan and Northern Pribalkhashie.
Saryarka is rich in complex ore, iron and manganese ore. There are aluminum ores (bauxites), tungsten, molybdenum, nickel and gold. On northern periphery of Saryarka diamonds placers have been found.

Authority:
“Central Asia Mountains”. 2009, Almaty,Publishing house “Mektep”. Authos Aldar Gorbunov, Anna Ivachenko, Sharipa Bisarieva.

Photos
Alexander Petrov.