Gansu province, referred to as Gan or Long, is located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in western China, with a total area of 425,900 km2. There are over 12 prefecture-level cities, two autonomous prefectures and 86 counties (cities and districts included) within its jurisdiction. The provincial capital is Lanzhou city. With a resident population of 26.37 million, Gansu is a multi-ethnic province, where ethnic minorities account for 9.98% of the permanent population. Yugu, Baoan and Dongxiang are ethnic groups unique to Gansu.