Based on the analysis of land reso urces and current po pulation status and the characteristics in the Qing hai Lake area, the ultimate and the maximal population carrying capacity of land, and population carrying capacity of cultivated land and grassland and its proportion in each county are estimated. Results show that the ultimate population carrying capacity of land in the Qinghai Lake area is 695 973,in which the capacity for cultivated land is 483 720 and for grassland, 212 703,with the capacity ratio being 69. 44% and 30. 56%, respectively. The total maximal population carrying capacity of land is 324, 620, in which the capacity for cultivated land is 181 219 and for grassland, 143 410, with the capacity ratio being 55. 82% and 44.18%,respectively. The maximal population carrying capacity is found to be diffident in each county: Gong he county is 70 176, Haiyan is 60 049, Gangcha is 59640, and Tianjun is 332.