Profile Guangdong Travel

Geography

Guangdong Province is located on the southernmost tip of the Chinese mainland.Its territory borders Fujian to the northwest, Jiangxi and Human to the north, Cuangxi to the west, with the Leizhou Peninsula lying by the Beibu Gulf, and the Hainan Province in the south on the other side of the Qiongzhou Strait.As the land, which faces the South China Sea and lies south of the Nanling(South Range) Mountains, was inhabited by an ancient people called Baiyue, Cuangdong is also known by other names, Nanyue(Southern Yue),Lingnan(South Nanling), or simplified as Yue.

The topography of Guangdong is generally high in the north and low in the south.Its highest peak,Shikengkong in northern Cuangdong is 1,902 metres above sea level.Lying in its southeast is a 4,300-kilometre coastline,longer than anyother province.Two-thirds of the province's cerritory is mountainous:There are mountains in northern Guangdong,highlands in western Guangdong, and hills in eastern gUANGDONG.The rest of the land consists of two plains-the Pearl Delta and the Chaozhou Plain and terrces.The Pearl River is one of the four major rivers in China.

Administration and Population

Chuangdong has a land territory of 179,000 square kilometres. Administratively, the province has 21 cities of prefecture level, 32 country level cities, and 46 counties, including three autonomous counties.Guangdong has more Special Economic Zones and open cities than any other province or region in the country, a fact that hs influenced the administration's blueprint to be centred on cities, and also laid the foundation for its economic take-off.

Guangdong has a population of 67.89 million, with people of different ethnic groups,including the Han,Yao,Zhuang,Hui,Manchu and She.

Climate

Most of the province is covered by the subtropical ocean climate zone,with long summers,warm winters,and a plentiful rainfall of 1,500-2,500 mm per year.The yearly average temperature is 22°c, the second highest for a province in China,next to Hainan.Monsoon season is between April and September,during which the coastal areas may bcattacked by typhoons.

Guangdong is a window to China through which the reforms ans opening up of the country as a whole is reflected.It is also the bridge to link China's inner land with Taiwan,HongKong,Macao,and the rest of the world.The province has an increasingly growing economic strength.The capital,Guangzhou, is one of the 10 largest cities in China and one of the three financial centres of the country.As the most prosperous trading port and the cultural centres of the country.As the most prosperous trading port and the cultural centre in South China,Guangzhou is also a renowned paradise for gourmets.Economic growth is increasing dramatically in the three Special Economic Zones,namely Shenzhen,Zhuhai and Shantou,and the Pearl River Delta,making the coastal areas in Guangdong the hottest spots for overseas companies to invest or do business.

Transportation

Guangdong has a developed transportation network,which,with Guangzhou at the centre,links the province with other parts of the country, as well as the outside world by land,air and sea.Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou is one of the three largest airports in China, Huangpu Port can accommodate ships of over 10,000 tons, with sailing lines reaching all parts of the world,crossing the province are several railways,includeing Beijing-Guangzhou,Beijing-Kowloon, Shanghia-Hongkong and Guangzhou-Shantou, the province's highways are among the best of the country.

Tourism

Guangdong abounds in tourist resources.More than 500 scenic areas,historical sites and amusement parks are scattered across the province.Tt has three national scenic areas,Star Lake,Danxia Mountain and Xipiao Mountain,and a dozen forest parks and nature resrves.The landscapes,sea bcachcs,poctic rural sccenes,energetic cities and the unique life styles of South China all together make Guangdong a world of attractions for travellers.