Changsha (simplified Chinese: 长沙; traditional Chinese: 長沙; pinyin: Chángshā) is the provincial capital of Hunan province of the People's Republic of China. With a total area of 11,800 square kilometers, Its population in 2010 was 7,044,118, of whom 4,597,134 lived in the built-up area made of 6 urban districts (3,617,469 inhabitants) plus Changsha County largely being urbanized already. The city, located in the south-central China, is governed as prefecture-level city under Hunan government with 9 county-level divisions, 5 national development zones, and 9 provincial zones. Changsha is recognized as the political, economic, financial, cultural, educational and transportation center of Hunan province. The name of "Changsha" was first seen in the Zhou Dynasty. In later dynasties, Changsha was always an important city of Hunan and a key town in Southern China.