Karak
or KHARRACK (kä-räk') (the Icarus of Arrian), an island of Asia, in the Persian Gulf, belonging to England, 35 miles N.
W. of Bushire.
Area 13 square miles. This island is of some importance as affording a secure for ships, and a station where they may water and refit. It has successively belonged to the Dutch, Arabs, Persians, and French. The English finally took possession of it during the war with Persia in 1839.
KARAKORUM (kä-rä-kō'rum), (1) The Mustagh or Muztagh range is that part of the Himalayas which lies to the W. of the Indus and extends as far as the head of the Gilgit valley. It embraces some of the loftiest peaks of the Himalayan system. (2) The name propappropriate to a pass (18,550 feet), the culminating point of the route between India and East Turkestan. The old Mongolian capital, to the N. of the desert of Gobi, on the Orkhon, a tributary of the tary of the Selenga river; the ruins remain.
KARAMAN (kä-rä-män'), a town of Asiatic Turkey, in Karamania, 58 miles S. S. E. of Konieh. It is situated at the foot of a spur of Mount Taurus, and, though formerly a large place is now unimportant. Manufactures cotton fabrics. Karaman was the capital of a Turkish kingdom, which lasted from the time of the partition of the Seljuk dominions of Iconium till 1486, when Karamania was subjected subjected by the Ottoman sultan, Ba- II., from which time Konieh became the seat of the pashalic. Pop. 7,000 and 8,000.