Population: 66.1 million
Urban population: 17 million
Nationalities: Han, Yao, Zhuang, Hui, Manchu and SheArea: 180,000 square
kilometers
Coastline: 4,300 kilometers long
Climatic features: subtropical-tropical, humid monsoon climate; rainy season from
April to September; typhoons from May to November
Average temperature: 8oC to17oC in January, 27oC
to 29oC in July
Annual average rainfall: over 1,500 mm; high precipitation on the southern side of
mountains; 40 percent of the rain falls during the summer
Physical features: situated on the Tropic of Cancer; hills in the north and
lowlands in the south; hills scattered along the coastline; faces the South China Sea;
includes the Pearl (Zhujiang) River Delta; the Leizhou
Peninsula extends to the southwest
Mountains: from west to east arranged in an arc, are the Yunwu, Nanling, Jiulian,
and Lianhua Mountains.
Rivers: Pearl River, which is the confluence of the Xijiang, Beijiang and Dongjiang
Rivers from the west, north, and east, respectively
Products: rice, potatoes, corn, sorghum, millet, wheat, sugar cane, peanuts,
soybeans, sesame, tea; silk cocoons, ambary hemp, jute; sun-cured tobacco; bananas,
oranges, lychees, pineapples, tongans, and other tropical and subtropical fruits; rubber,
oil palm, sisal hemp; coffee, cocoa, lemongrass, pepper; oyster, abalone, pearl, sea
horse, and other sea products; timber; wolfram, tin, antimony, bismuth, molybdenum,
copper, lead, zinc, oil shale, salt, sulphur
Administrative divisions: 15 cities, 73 counties, and 3 autonomous counties
Capital: Guangzhou
Neighboring areas: Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Hainan Provinces; Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region, Hong Kong and Macao
Major cities: Guangzhou, Shantou, Foshan, Zhanjiang, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shaoguan
Tourist attraction: Seven Star Crags in Zhaoqing
Comments: Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou are three of China's four special economic
zones established in early 1980's
The Pearl River Delta covers an area of 11,000 square
kilometers and includes the cities of Xinhui, Gaoming, Sanshui, Zencheng, Dongguan, and
Shenzhen. It is a densely populated, economically prosperous, and fertile region.
Originally a bay with many islands, the delta was formed by sand brought down by the
tributaries of the Pearl River. Gradually an alluvial plain accumulated in the bay, and
the original islands became hills on the delta. Today the land continues to grow into the
sea, pushing back the water 10-15 meters every year. The plain is crossed in the west by
the Xijiang and Beijiang Rivers and in the east by the Dongjiang and the Pearl Rivers.
The saying "four seasons of flowers and three winters
without snow" accurately describes this region. The temperature seldom drops below 0ºC,
even when the region is struck by a cold wave from the north. However, flooding is
frequent, especially from May to July.
In addition to being a fishing region, the delta is an
important production base for sugar cane and a major silkworm base. Other delta products
include rice, wheat, potatoes, peanuts, jute, lychees, longans, and ornamental plants and
flowers.
Situated to the east of the mouth of the Pearl River, Hong Kong is a key outpost; it
guards international navigation lines and is the gate to South China. It is composed of
Kowloon Peninsula, its adjacent islands including Hong Kong and Dahao, and part of the
Dapeng and Shenzhen Bays. Hong Kong has an area of 1,062 square kilometers with a
population of 5.6 million (1988). Its urban core covers the northern part of Hong Kong
Island and the southern part of Kowloon Peninsula. A deepwater port lies between the two
areas.
In 1898, Britain obtained from China's Qing government a 99-year lease on Hong Kong. On
December 19, 1984, the Chinese and British Governments signed a joint declaration
concerning Hong Kong stating that Britain would restore Hong Kong to China on July 1,
1997.
Macao is located on the tip of Macao Peninsula in the southern part of the Pearl River
Delta and includes Dangzai and Luhuan Islands in its domain. The territory's 16 square
kilometers are inhabited by 426,400 (by the end of 1986) people, 96 percent of which are
Chinese. It has been a Portuguese colony since the 16th century when some Portuguese
businessmen made a landing on the pretext of sunning their water-soaked goods. The Chinese
and Portuguese Governments signed a joint declaration on April 13, 1987 concerning Macao,
stating that Portugal would restore Macao to China on December 20, 1999. |
