Maqin County is located in the southeast of Qinghai Province, the northeast of Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, is a national "Three Rivers Source" ecological protection area. In 2019, the county covers a total area of 13,460.12 square kilometers, including grassland area of 1,175,700 hectares and available grassland area of 1,085,300 hectares, accounting for 92.3% of the total grassland area. It is a typical type of plateau and mountain with an average altitude of 4,100 meters above sea level. It now has jurisdiction over 35 administrative villages and 96 animal husbandry cooperatives in 6 townships and 2 towns. The administrative area covers 13,400 square kilometers. At the end of 2019, the registered population of Maqin County was 48,445.

In December 2016, it was listed in the third batch of national comprehensive pilot areas for new urbanization. On December 29, 2018, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission named the sixth batch of national Ethnic unity and progress demonstration zone (unit). On April 21, Maqin County was removed from the poverty-stricken county. In October 2020, it was awarded as the 2019 Advanced Group in Poverty alleviation.
In 2019, the GDP of Maqin County was 168.749 million yuan, the added value of the primary industry was 266.24 million yuan, the added value of the secondary industry was 523.12 million yuan, the general public budget revenue was 41.02 million yuan, and the general public budget expenditure was 1679.12 million yuan.