The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With 8,472 square miles (21,940 km2) and a population of more than 2.2 million people, it is the second-largest metropolitan area centered in Missouri (after Greater St. Louis) and is the largest metropolitan area in Kansas, though Wichita is the largest metropolitan area centered in Kansas. Alongside Kansas City, Missouri, these are the suburbs with populations above 100,000: Overland Park, Kansas; Kansas City, Kansas; Olathe, Kansas; Independence, Missouri; and Lee's Summit, Missouri.
Qiemo County is located in the southwest of Bayingol Mongolia Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region, the southeastern margin of Tarim Basin and the northern foot of Aljinshan. It is bordered by Ruoqiang County in the east, Minfeng in the west, Tibet in the south, and the Taklimakan Desert in the north, facing Yuli and Shaya County. Qiemo Town, the county seat, is 1270 kilometers away from Urumqi's highway. The total area of the county is 138680 square kilometers (the second largest county in the country), with a total population of 56627 (2003). With a total area of 138680 square kilometers, it is the second largest county in China after Ruoqiang County. Of the total area, the mountain area is 62300 square kilometers, accounting for 44.42%; the desert area is 53800 square kilometers, accounting for 38.37%; and the Piedmont inclined plain area is 24100.