Sarybel District

Nura District lies to the west. River Ulken Kundyzdy and lake Shybyndy are located in the district.^[5][6]

During the industrialization of the Soviet Union in the 1930s, the central regions of the Kazakh SSR developed large coal and metallurgic industries, as well as large collective farms.^[7] On December 28, 1940, the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR passed a decree creating the Osakarov District.^[7] At the time of the decree, the newly formed district comprised nearly 40 collective farms and a handful of villages.^[7] These farms largely grew various cereals, but were also home to cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and poultry farming.^[7] Upon the outbreak of World War II, over 6,000 people in the district went to fight on the Eastern Front, 7 female Komsomol brigades took up work in their absence, and the district's furniture and record factories were converted into producing various equipment parts and linens for the front line effort.^[7] As part of the Virgin Lands campaign, a number of new farms were formed in the district during the 1950s and 1960s.^[7]

In 1993, 2002, and 2004, a number of villages in the district had their names changed from Russian-derived names to Kazakh-derived names.^[7]

The district reported 31,243 inhabitants as of 2019.^[2] Previously, the district's reported populations were 33,343 (2013 estimate);^[8] 35,221 (2009 census results);^[9] and 44,317 (1999 census results).^[9]