Wikipedia
Karkaraly (, Karkaraly, Karkaralinsk) is the oldest town in Karaganda Oblast ( Karaganda Region). Karkaraly is also known as Karkaralinsk. Population:
Its history began as a small steppe village. Caravans from Central Asia would travel through Karkaraly on their way to Siberia. The name Karkaraly is derived from the word "qarqara"- a precious decorative Kazakh headpiece. According to a legend, long ago a beautiful girl dropped her Karkara in the area that is now Karkaraly. Her search was in vain and the qarqara remained on the steppe. The legend states that though the beautiful karkara was lost, the beauty of the land will remain forever. According to another legend, this is the site where the great Ablai Khan was proclaimed khan.
Karkaraly is the administrative center for Karkaraly District. By demography and economy, Karkaraly district is one of the largest in Karaganda Region. The district has an area of 35 million hectares and a population of 42,500 people. 75% of that population live outside the city limits of Karkaraly. 16 ethnic groups are represented within the Karkaraly district. Of these, the largest ethnic group is Kazakh (96.2%), followed by Russian (2.23%), and Ukrainian (0.49%).