PEARL RIVER DELTA

Chinese (WadeGiles) Chu Chiang San-chiao-chou, (Pinyin) Zhu Jiang Sanjiaozhou, also called Canton Delta extensive low-lying area formed by the junction of the Hsi, Pei, Tung, and Pearl (Chu) rivers in south Kwangtung province, China. It covers an area of 2,900 square miles (7,500 square km) and stretches from the city of Canton (north) to the special administrative region of Macau (south). The delta is a maze of streams and canals between small rice paddies that, because of the 12-month growing season, commonly support three rice crops annually. It is one of the most crowded areas of China. Fishing, silk weaving, and the raising of hogs and poultry supplement the farm-crop income.