Guangzhouisthecapitalandthesub-provincialcityofGuangdongProvinceinthesouthernpartofthePeople'sRepublicofChina.ThecityisalsoknownbyanolderEnglish-languagename,Canton.ItisaportonthePearlRiver,navigabletotheSouthChinaSea,andislocatedabout120kmnorth-westofHongKong.Asofthe2000census,thecityhasapopulationof6million,andametropolitanpopulationof12.6million,[citationneeded]makingitthemostpopulouscityintheprovinceandthethirdmostpopulousmetropolitanareainChina.
WiththeGuangzhouMetro,openedin1999,GuangzhouisthefourthcityinChinatobuildanundergroundrailwaysystem.Currentlytherearefourlinesoperationalwithanambitiousplantoexpandrapidlywiththreelinesunderconstructionandfourlinesthatarebeingplanned.
Guangzhou'smainairportistheNewBaiyunInternationalAirportinHuaduDistrict,thatopenedon5August2004replacingoldBaiyunInternationalAirportclosetothecitycentre