Yongzhou (Chinese: 永州; pinyin: Yǒngzhōu) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, located on the southern bank of the Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and bordering Guangdong to the southeast and Guangxi to the southwest. With a history of 2000 years, Yongzhou is one of the four ancient counties in Hunan. Its total area is 22,441 square kilometres (8,665 sq mi), and it has a total population of nearly 5.8 million people.[citation needed]