Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County is a part of Hami Prefecture in Xinjiang and has an area of 38,445.3 km2 (14,843.8 sq mi). It forms part of the China–Mongolia border on the county's north, while bordering Yizhou District to the south, Yiwu County to the east and Changji's Mori Kazakh Autonomous County to the west.

Hami or Kumul is a prefecture-level city in eastern Xinjiang, China. It is well known for sweet Hami melons. In early 2016, the former Hami county-level city merged with Hami Prefecture to form the Hami prefecture-level city with the county-level city becoming Yizhou District. Since the Han dynasty, Hami has been known for its production of agricultural products and raw resources.