The capital city is Lanzhou. Plateaus are the main feature of the landscape. There are lofty mountains along its southern border and rich agricultural land in the Huang He valley. The Gobi Desert merges with Gansu in the north.
Earthquakes are frequent in eastern Gansu.
Chinese are the main racial group. Among the other ethnic groups in the province are Turks, Mongols, and Tibetans. Despite the presence of petroleum and coal deposits, Gansu is poor. Agriculture is the primary economic activity, and wheat is the main crop. A program of industrialization has resulted in the emergence of petrochemical industries.