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Other names of Guangdong:
Canton (Old name), the name is also applied to the City of Guangzhou
Yue (short form)
Adjective: Cantonese (usually referring to the language)
Geography
Guangdong is a subtropical coastal province of China. The Pearl
River Delta consists of alluvial lowlands deposited by the Beijiang (the
North Pearl River), the Xijiang (West Pearl River), and Dongjiang (East
Pearl River). The region has been transformed in the last 30 years
from mostly rice paddies and fishing villages to a very dense urban
metropolitan region. The northern highlands and the rugged coasts
are relatively sparsely inhabited (by Chinese standard).
History
Historically Guangdong had been a poor
province. Imperial China had always been dominated culturally and
economically by the northern cities, or along the Changjiang (Yangtse)
River, with the exception of periods of internal division, when China
was divided into many separate states. Guangdong became an area of
interest by Western colonists. The Portuguese arrived in the Pearl
River Delta and soon settled in Macau in 1453 (Ming Dynasty). The
Spanish tried to establish settlements there too. In the 1800's,
the British arrived and established the opium trade, among other
exchanges. China's defeat in the Opium War spelled the beginning of Hong
Kong as a crown colony in 1842, followed by the official Portuguese
sovereignty over Macau. In the early 1900's, the French
established a colony in Kwangchou-Wan (presently the Leizhou
Peninsula). Colonial trade made Guangdong a rich province,
bringing along with it ideas of democracy and cultural influence.
The Republic of China, est. 1911, was founded by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, a
native of Zhongshan, near Macau. He was educated in Hong
Kong. During the rule of Chairman Mao, construction of
infrastructures went inlands to areas out of reach by potential Western
naval invasion. It was not until Deng Xiaoping's "Open
Door" Policy that coastal Cantonese cities became affluent again.
Culture
Guangdong is almost entirely Han Chinese. Although Mandarin is the
only official language in China, the Pearl River Delta Region is
culturally quite distinct, partly due to the heavy influences from Hong
Kong, especially after the 1980's. Cantonese Opera is one of the
most well-preserved and well-documented forms of performing art in
China. Unlike many other Chinese local languages where Mandarin
words and phrases find their way into the daily conversations, Cantonese
remains distinct. People of the Chaosan (Chiu-san, or Chiuchow)
region speaks a language very similar to Minnan of Southern Fujian
Province.
Guangdong Today
Guangdong has become the factory of the
world. Factories of all kinds and sizes dominate the landuse map
in the Pearl River Delta Region. As costs of labour, rent and
living rises, manufacture starts to radiate out to other areas. Problems and
Challenges
The Pearl River Delta experiences very severe air pollution
problems, much of it comes from illegal production of electricity by
burning low-grade coal. Water pollution and shortages have
recently emerged as potential problems. Flooding due to summer
monsoon rain and typhoons pose significant risks to the people.
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for permission
Johomaps
2005
