The name Karatau means Black Mountain in the Kazakh language.

As part of the de-russification of the Kazakh language, Karatau will be re-written with Latin scripts in 2025 and spelled Qaratau.

[4] During the Soviet Union times, the main functioning industrial enterprise in the town was the phosphorite factory.

Length, about 420 km (260 mi); maximum altitude, 2,176 m (7,139 ft) at Mount Bessaz.

The range is composed of shale, sandstone, and a considerable amount of limestone and dolomite, in which karst formations are well developed.