Pearl River Delta

Major cities of the Pearl River Delta region
Map of East Asia highlighting the location of the Pearl River Delta in southern China, marked in orange near the South China Sea. Surrounding countries such as India, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia are labeled, with a small inset globe in the corner showing the region's position in the world.
Pearl River Delta, China

extensive low-lying area formed by the junction of the Xi, Bei, Dong, and Pearl (Zhu) rivers in southern Guangdong province, China. It covers an area of 2,900 square miles (7,500 square km) and stretches from the city of Guangzhou (Canton) in the north to the Macau Special Administrative Region in the south. The delta is a maze of streams and canals between small rice paddies that, because of the 12-month growing season, commonly support three rice crops annually. It is one of the most densely populated areas of China and the world, where modern industry and agriculture have been rapidly developed since the 1980s.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Ethan Teekah.
Citation Information
Article Title: Pearl River Delta
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 12 December 2025
Access Date: November 13, 2026