Changsha (simplified Chinese: 长沙; traditional Chinese: 長沙; pinyin: Chángshā) is the capital of Hunan Province in south-central China, located on the lower reaches of the Xiang River, a branch of the Yangtze River. Its municipality covers an area of 11,819 square kilometres (4,563 sq mi) and, according to the 2010 Census, a population of 7,044,118 inhabitants.