Guangdong

Introduction
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Climate
- Soils
- Plant and animal life
People
- Population composition
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture
- Resources and manufacturing
- Transportation
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
History

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Long bridge with a tall white pylon spans the water between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, with green mountains in the background.

At a Glance

Guangdong summary

Related Questions

How did Guangzhou grow as a trade port during the Tang dynasty?
How did ancestor worship influence village life in Guangdong?
How did migration from northern China change Guangdong after 1126?
How did the Qin dynasty first bring Guangdong into the Chinese empire?
How do railroads and highways link Guangdong with Hong Kong and other parts of China?
How do waterways help connect different parts of Guangdong?
How does annual rainfall vary across Guangdong province?
How does the Pearl River Delta support farming in Guangdong?
How important is fishing to Guangdong’s economy?
What are Yue Opera and Chao Opera?
What caused the First Opium War in 1839?
What is the capital city of Guangdong province?
What landforms cover most of Guangdong province?
What makes Cantonese cuisine distinctive?
What were the 13 factories in Guangzhou?
When did the Han dynasty extend control over all of present-day Guangdong?
When do typhoons most often affect Guangdong?
Where did many emigrants from Guangdong settle during the 1800s?
Where is Guangdong province located in China?
Where is Southern Min spoken in Guangdong?
Which body of water lies along Guangdong’s southern coast?
Which cities are Guangdong’s major ports?
Which crops are important to agriculture in Guangdong?
Which foreign traders formed communities in Guangzhou during the Tang dynasty?
Which fruits are widely grown in Guangdong?
Which mineral resources supported Guangdong’s heavy industries?
Which provinces and regions border Guangdong province?
Which religions and belief systems are practiced in Guangdong?
Who were the earliest known inhabitants of the Guangzhou area?
Why can farmers grow two rice crops each year in most of Guangdong?
Why can the Pearl River Delta produce three rice crops in some years?
Why did Guangdong become a source of emigration by the late 1600s?
Why did Guangdong develop a distinct cultural identity from much of China?
Why did Guangzhou become a major trading center?
Why did light industry grow rapidly in Guangdong during the 1980s?
Why has Guangdong been important to trade in southern China?
Why is level land in Guangdong mainly found in river deltas?
Why is rice farming in Guangdong especially intensive?
Why is seafood important in Cantonese cuisine?
Why were lineage groups important in traditional Guangdong villages?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?
What caused the Russo-Japanese War?
Where was the Russo-Japanese War fought?
How did the Russo-Japanese War end?
What is the climate in Guangzhou?
What UNESCO World Heritage site is found at the heart of Beijing?
What are the major ethnic groups in China?

Geography & Travel States & Other Subdivisions

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Guangdong - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Guangdong

province, China

Also known as: Kuang-tung, Kwangtung

Written by

Victor C. Falkenheim

Emeritus Professor and Former Chairman, Department of East Asian Studies, University of Toronto. Editor of Citizens and Groups in Contemporary China.

Victor C. FalkenheimAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

Guangdong, sheng (province) of South China. It is the southernmost of the mainland provinces and constitutes the region through which South China’s trade is primarily channeled. Guangdong has one of the longest coastlines of any province, fronting the South China Sea to the southeast and south (including connections to the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau). It is also bounded by the Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi to the west and by...

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