Maduo belongs to Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province. It is located in the south of Qinghai Province, the northwest of Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, adjacent to Dulan County in the north by Buqingshan branch of Jishi Mountain, adjacent to Xinghai County and Maqin County in the east, bordered by Dari County and Shiqu County in the south, bounded by Qumalai County in the west, and bounded by Bayankhara Mountain in the southwest by Chengduoxian County, with a total area of 25,253 square kilometers. The total population is 14,400, with a single ethnic group. Tibetans are the main ethnic group, accounting for more than 90% of the total population. As of October 2021, Maduo County has jurisdiction over 2 towns and 2 townships, and the county government is located at 22 West Street.

Maduo means "source of Yellow River" in Tibetan. In 1957, Dayi County, Gander County disestablished Maduo County. In 1962, it was restored to the Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Located in the core hinterland of the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, the average altitude of the county is more than 4500 meters, which is one of the worst living environment of human beings. The Yellow River originates from here and is known as "the source of the Yellow River", "the county of thousands of Lakes" and "the Water Tower of China". Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake are listed as important wetlands by the United Nations Convention on Wetlands. In 2019, the People's government of Qinghai Province approved Maduo's withdrawal from the list of poverty-stricken counties.

In 2021, the GDP of Maduo County was 36,680,600 yuan, down by 5.2% (calculated at 2020 constant prices). The added value of the primary industry is 90,604,400 yuan, the secondary industry 104,845,100 yuan and the tertiary industry 166,235,100 yuan. Per capita GDP was 25,700 yuan.