It has an area of 10,620 km2 (4,100 sq mi) and a population of 69,900, 90.4% of which are Tibetan people.[2]
Geography
Ruo'ergai County is found in the easternmost sections of the Tibetan Plateau. The county is primarily a highland basin made up of the Zoigê Marsh between the Min Mountains and Amne Machin. The western border of the county, shared with Maqu County in Gansu, is formed by the first major bend of the Yellow River where it changes course nearly 180 degrees and heads back towards Qinghai.
Climate
Ruo'ergai has an alpine subarctic climate (KöppenDwc), featuring very cold nights even in summertime, and very cold winters with extreme diurnal temperature ranges. Snow can fall any time of the year and usually does not melt until summer due to repeated nightly freezing even when maxima are above 0 °C (32 °F). Therefore, access to Ruo'ergai is heavily restricted during the winter months from late October to early May. Sitting at an altitude of more than 11,000 feet, high-altitude sickness is another common problem for tourists.
Climate data for Ruo'ergai, elevation 3,441 m (11,289 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010)