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Pearl River Delta

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Pearl River Delta is a huge, busy area in Southern China.

Canton Macau and Hong Kong MKL Bd. 9 1890 (130810410)
Canton Macau and Hong Kong MKL Bd. 9 1890 (130810410)

It sits right where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea. Many people call this place a megacity because it is so large. It is also known as the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. This region is one of the wealthiest parts of China. It sits near other wealthy areas like the Yangtze River Delta.

Guangzhou Twin Towers
Guangzhou Twin Towers

The land is very low and flat. It is a very crowded place to live.

This delta was made by three big rivers. These are the Xi Jiang, the Bei Jiang, and the Dong Jiang.

Administrative Division Guangzhou 2
Administrative Division Guangzhou 2

These rivers flow through the land and split into many smaller paths. These smaller paths are called distributaries. The rivers create a network of water across the flat ground. In the past, saltwater crocodiles lived in the river mouth. The rivers join together to empty into the sea. This constant movement of water shaped the land over a long time.

Until 1985, this area was mostly made of small villages and farms.

Canton factories
Canton factories

Everything changed after the economy was reformed and opened. Many companies from Hong Kong moved their factories here. This brought a huge amount of money and new jobs. Because of this, the region grew very fast. It became a powerful center for business and making goods. Now, it is a very important part of the global economy.

There are many important cities in this region.

Administrative Division Shenzhen 2
Administrative Division Shenzhen 2

Shenzhen is a very large city with over 17 million people. Guangzhou is another huge city with more than 18 million people. Hong Kong and Macau are also very important parts of the area. In 2022, the nine largest cities had 86 million people combined. This makes it one of the largest urban areas on Earth.

Administrative Division Zhuhai 2
Administrative Division Zhuhai 2

The region is so big that its economy is as large as Canada.

Because there are so many people and factories, the area is very busy.

华强电子世界 2
华强电子世界 2

People call it the "factory of the world" because it makes so many things. You can find electronics, clothes, and plastic goods made here. To get around, people use many different metro systems.

Skyscrapers in Dongguan, China 2019 15-36-25
Skyscrapers in Dongguan, China 2019 15-36-25

There are also high-speed trains that connect all the cities. Huge bridges, like the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, help people travel easily. This connects the many different parts of the delta together.

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🖼️ Images & Media (26)
File:Canton Macau and Hong Kong MKL Bd. 9 1890 (130810410).jpg
Canton Macau and Hong Kong MKL Bd. 9 1890...
File:华强电子世界 2.jpg
华强电子世界 2.jpg
File:Canton factories.jpg
Canton factories.jpg
File:Administrative Division Guangzhou 2.png
Administrative Division Guangzhou 2.png
File:Guangzhou Twin Towers.jpg
Guangzhou Twin Towers.jpg
File:Administrative Division Shenzhen 2.png
Administrative Division Shenzhen 2.png
File:Futian District 2017.jpg
Futian District 2017.jpg
File:Administrative Division Zhuhai 2.png
Administrative Division Zhuhai 2.png
File:Lover's Avenue in Zhuhai.jpg
Lover's Avenue in Zhuhai.jpg
File:Administrative Division Foshan.png
Administrative Division Foshan.png
File:39459-Foshan.jpg
39459-Foshan.jpg
File:Administrative Division Dongguan.png
Administrative Division Dongguan.png

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