The current municipality was separated from Sichuan province on 14 March 1997 to help develop the central and western parts of China.[12] The Chongqing administrative municipality has a population of over 30 million.[13] The city of Chongqing, comprising 9 urban and suburban districts, has a population of 8,750,000 as of 2018.[14] According to the 2010 census, Chongqing is the most populous Chinese municipality,[15] and also the largest direct-controlled municipality in China, containing 26 districts, eight counties, and four autonomous counties.