Guangdong

History

Guangdong is a coastal province in South China, on the north shore of the South China Sea with Guangzhou as the capital. With a population of 127.06 million (as of 2023) across a total area of about 179,800 km2 (69,400 sq mi), Guangdong is China's most populous province and its 15th-largest by area, as well as the third-most populous country subdivision in the world. Guangdong's economy is the largest of any provincial-level division in China, with a GDP of CN¥14.16 trillion (US$2.0 trillion in GDP nominal) in 2024, contributing approximately 10.5 percent of mainland China's economic output. It has a diversified economy, and was known as the starting point of ancient China's Maritime Silk Road. It is home to the production facilities and offices of a wide-ranging set of Chinese and foreign corporations. Guangdong has benefited from its proximity to the financial hub of Hong Kong, which it borders to the south. Guangdong also hosts the largest import and export fair in China, the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou. The Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, a Chinese megalopolis, is a core for high tech, manufacturing and international trade.