CANTON

political subdivision in France, Switzerland, and other European countries. In France the canton, a subdivision of the arrondissement, is a territorial division rather than a genuine unit of local government; it is only a convenient administrative subdivision for purposes of elections, tax collection, and the gendarmerie. The cantons were created by a law of Dec. 22, 1789, but their governmental character was taken away by the consular constitution of the year VIII (Dec. 24, 1799). In Switzerland, canton is the name given to each of the 23 states comprising the Swiss Confederation. Three cantonsUnterwalden, Basel, and Appenzellare subdivided into demicantons, or half cantons, which function as full cantons; thus, there is often reference to 26 states of Switzerland. Each of the cantons and half cantons has its own constitution, legislature, executive, and judiciary. Obwalden, Nidwalden, Glarus, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, and Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden have preserved their ancient democratic assemblies (Landsgemeinden), in which all citizens of full age meet annually for the purpose of legislation, taxation, and the election of an annual administrative council and of the members of the cantonal supreme court. In the remaining cantons the legislature (Kantonsrat, Grosser Rat, or Grand Conseil) is composed of representatives chosen by universal suffrage and usually by proportional representation. These councils deal with legislation and all questions not reserved to the federal government. They decide on cantonal taxes and appoint judges as well as cantonal representatives to the federal Stnderat (Council of States) unless the cantonal constitution demands public elections. All cantons have the referendum and the popular initiative, the application of which varies. Chinese (Wade-Giles) Kuangchou, (Pinyin) Guangzhou city, capital of Kwangtung sheng (province), southeastern China. It is situated just upstream of the head of the Pearl River estuary, more than 90 miles (145 km) inland from the South China Sea. Because of its geographic position, Canton has long been one of China's main commercial and trading centres and a portal for foreign influence. The city is also a historic centre of learning, and, as the centre of Sun Yat-sen's political activities, it was the cradle of the Nationalist revolution. The old city centre of Canton stretches along a waterfront (the Chang Ti, or Long Quay), which runs for 5 miles (8 km) from east to west along the Pearl River. The Old City (dating to the Ming Dynasty) lies on the north bank, and industrial and residential suburbs are located on both banks. Canton has three seasons: a hot and humid summer with frequent, though usually benign, typhoons; a mild and snow-free winter; and a muggy spring. Canton's heavy industries include the production of machinery, chemicals, iron and steel, ships, and trucks and tractors. Since 1950 there has been substantial growth of such light industries as the manufacture of textiles, newsprint, refined sugar, processed foods, and small appliances. Traditional handicrafts, such as handmade porcelain and embroidery and the carving of ivory and jade objects, continue to thrive. Canton is the trade centre of Kwangtung and Kwangsi provinces. Among the city's exports are fruits, sugar, and silk; manufactured goods are transshipped via Canton into the interior. In 1984 Canton was designated one of China's open cities in the new open-door policy inviting foreign investment. Old Canton was a crowded city of narrow, winding streets and polluted canals. A vigorous modernization program was carried out in the 1920s and '30s, resulting in a more livable city of wide, tree-lined streets, modern sewers, parks, and a landscaped waterfront. The communist government has continued this program with the construction of new housing, modern shops, and handsome government buildings. The main north-south thoroughfare of Chieh-fang Lu (Liberation Avenue) is bisected by the east-west Chung-shan Lu (Sun Yat-sen Avenue). Hai-chu Square overlooks the waterfront and is bordered by exhibition halls used for trade fairs. Institutions of higher learning include Sun Yat-sen University, Chinan University, Kwangtung University, and various technical, medical, and scientific institutes. The city's many museums and libraries include the Canton Municipal Museum, with its historical exhibits, the Sun Yat-sen Museum, the museum of the Peasant Movement Institute, and the Sun Yat-sen Library of Kwangtung province, with its large collection of works in Cantonese. Buses, bicycles, and cars are the principal means of city transportation. Oar-propelled sampans, steamers, and motor launches travel on the city's canals. Canton, a focal point of coastal and ocean navigation, enjoys well-developed land transportation as well; it is served by three railroads and one of China's most extensive highway networks. Canton's municipal airport is the largest in South China. Area municipality, 6,431 square miles (16,657 square km). Pop. (1990) city, 2,914,281; (1989 est.) municipality, 5,854,300. city, Fulton county, west-central Illinois, U.S., in the Illinois River valley. Founded in 1825 by Isaac Swan, a native of Vermont, it was named in the belief that it was diametrically opposite Canton, China. It developed as a centre for the manufacture of farm tools and became the site of one of the largest tillage-implement factories in the Midwest when, in 1919, the International Harvester Company absorbed the P. & O. Plow Works; the plant ceased production in 1983. Other economic activity includes bituminous-coal mining and farming (corn , wheat, and livestock). Wee-Ma-Tuk, a recreation area covering 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of reclaimed strip-mining land, is 10 miles (16 km) west. Spoon River (junior) College was established in Canton in 1959. Inc. 1849. Pop. (1991 est.) 14,058. town (township), Norfolk county, eastern Massachusetts, U.S., lying just south of Boston along the Neponset River. Settled in 1650, it was known by its Algonquian name, Punkapoag, and was part of Stoughton. Separately incorporated in 1797, it was renamed because of local belief that the town was antipodal to Canton, China. It was an early industrial centre, where Paul Revere established a gunpowder factory during the American Revolution and built (1808) the first copper rolling mill and brassworks in the United States. The town is mainly residential, and services account for a large share of employment, but light manufacturing is still important. Canton is the site of the Massachusetts Hospital School (1907), and Massasoit Community College (1966) has a campus there. Area 20 square miles (52 square km). Pop. (1990) 18,530; (1996 est.) 20,314. city, Madison county, central Mississippi, U.S. The city lies on a low divide between the Pearl and Big Black rivers. It was established as the county seat in 1834. Cotton has been the economic mainstay, but diversification has added livestock, poultry, pecans, wood products, and textiles. The Mississippi Petrified Forest, the Natchez Trace Parkway, and the Ross Barnett Reservoir are nearby. Inc. town, 1836; city, 1911. Pop. (1990) 10,062. Chinese (Wade-Giles) Kuangchou, (Pinyin) Guangzhou, city, capital of Kwangtung sheng (province), southeastern China. It lies near the head of the Pearl River Estuary (Chu Chiang K'ou), more than 90 miles (145 kilometres) inland from the South China Sea. Because of its position at the meeting point of inland rivers and the sea, it has long been one of China's main commercial and trading centres. It has served as a doorway for foreign influence since the 3rd century AD and was the first Chinese port to be regularly visited by European traders. The city is also a historic centre of learning and, as a centre of political activity for the Chinese Nationalist leader Sun Yat-sen, it was the cradle of the Chinese revolution. Additional reading General references include Fredric Kaplan, Julian Sogin, and Arne De Keijzer, The China Guidebook, 6th ed. (1985); and Nagel Publishers, China, English version by Anne L. Destenay, 4th ed. (1982). More detailed information is contained in Shann Davies et al., Canton and Guilin (1980); China Travel And Tourism Press, Guangzhou (1983); and Fifteen Cities in China, published by China Reconstructs. For geography, see George Babcock Cressey, China's Geographic Foundations: A Survey of the Land and Its People (1934); and for an economic geography, see T.R. Tregear, China, A Geographical Survey (1980). Historical references may be found in W.C. Hunter, The Fan Kwae at Canton Before Treaty Days, 18251844 (1882, reprinted 1970); Leang-Li T'ang, The Inner History of the Chinese Revolution (1930, reprinted 1977); and Immanuel C.Y. Hs, The Rise of Modern China , 3rd ed. (1983). S. Bernard Thomas, Proletarian Hegemony in the Chinese Revolution and the Canton Commune of 1927 (1975), examines the impact of the commune's failure; and Stanley Rosen, Red Guard Factionalism and the Cultural Revolution in Guangzhou (Canton) (1982), analyzes the Red Guard movement in the city. Ezra F. Vogel, Canton Under Communism (1969, reprinted 1980), is a study of the changes in the 1950s and 1960s. Cantonese language, culture, and food are discussed in Leo J. Moser, The Chinese Mosaic: The Peoples and Provinces of China (1985). Ping-chia Kuo Zhong Gong-fu