[1] The cities of Kokshetau, Shchuchinsk and Makinsk are located in the hill zone, as well as the Burabay resort town.

[2] The Kokshetau Hills are a northern subsystem of the Kazakh Uplands (Saryarka), limited to the north by the West Siberian Plain.

They are scattered across a vast area, with wide flat spaces in between of river valleys or lake basins.

[3] Numerous rivers originate in the Kokshetau Hills flowing in different directions, such as the Kylshakty, Shagalaly, Iman-Burluk, Akan-Burluk, Zhilandi, Zhabai and Boksyk.

Steppe vegetation, including grasses, Artemisia and Ephedra, grows on bare hillsides and in rock crevices.