Location: situated in the central part of Gansu province, on the east end of Hexi Corridor, between north latitude 3723' - 3812' and east longitude 10159' - 10323'
Neighboring Areas: Qinghai province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Physical Features: higher south and lower north; sloping from southwest to northeast; leaning on Qilian Mountain in the south and bordering the Tengger Desert in the north; the juncture of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Loess Plateau and Mongalian-Xinjiang Plateau
Population: 1.93million
Urban Population: 509,600
Area: 33,000 square kilometers (12,741 square miles)
Nationalities: Han, Hui, Mongolian and Tujia