The west side of this region, along with Chaoshan, was also the source of much Chinese emigration from the 19th to the mid 20th centuries, including to the Western world, where they formed many Chinatowns.

Today, much of the Chinese diaspora in the US, Canada, Australia, Latin America, and much of Southeast Asia traces their ancestry to the west side of this region.

The Xi Jiang begins exhibiting delta-like characteristics as far west as Zhaoqing, although this city is not usually considered a part of the PRD region.

The 2010/2011 State of the World Cities report, published by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, estimates the population of the delta region at 120 million people; it is rapidly urbanising.

New transport links between Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai in the PRD are expected to open up new areas for development, further integrate the cities, and facilitate trade within the region.

Until 1985, the PRD had been mainly dominated by farms and small rural villages, but after the economy was reformed and opened, a flood of investment turned it into the land's economic powerhouse.

Lately there have been extreme labour shortages in the region due to runaway economic growth which caused wages to rise by about 20 to 30 percent in the past two years.

The abundance of employment opportunities created a pool of wealthy, middle-income, professional consumers with an annual per capita income that puts them among China's wealthiest.

[14] Dongguan, Zhongshan, Nanhai, and Shunde are the four cities known as the Four Guangdong Dragons for their high growth rates and rapid development from late the 1980s to the 2000s.

[15] These figures show the remarkable level of economic development to which the Pearl River Delta has been subjected in order to become an 'Economic Zone', as well as the international orientation of the region's economy.

This orientation has attracted numerous investors from all over the world who use the Greater Pearl River Delta region as a platform for serving global and Chinese markets.

As of 2008, the Central Government has introduced new labor laws, environmental and other regulations to reduce pollution, industrial disputes, produce safer working conditions and protect the environment.

[16] The Pearl River Delta established itself as the factory location of choice for global companies that were headquartered in Hong Kong in the 1980s.

[17] Today urban areas with the assistance of the municipal governments in the Pearl River Delta are attempting to rebrand industrial output as originating from "the world's tech lab" or "design studio".

Districts: Yuexiu, Liwan, Haizhu, Tianhe, Baiyun, Huangpu, Panyu, Huadu, Nansha, Zengcheng, ConghuaNew Area: Nansha Districts: Futian, Luohu, Nanshan, Yantian, Bao'an, Longgang, Pingshan, Longhua, GuangmingNew District: Dapeng Districts: Xiangzhou, Doumen, JinwanNew Area: Hengqin Districts: Chancheng, Nanhai, Shunde, Sanshui, Gaoming Subdistricts: Dongcheng, Guancheng, Nancheng, WanjiangTowns: Chang'an, Changping, Chashan, Dalang, Dalingshan, Daojiao, Dongkeng, Fenggang, Gaobu, Hengli, Hongmei, Houjie, Huangjiang, Humen, Liaobu, Machong, Qiaotou, Qingxi, Qishi, Shatian, Shijie, Shilong, Shipai, Tangxia, Wangniudun, Xiegang, Zhangmutou, Zhongtang Subdistricts: Dongqu, Nanqu, Shiqi, Xiqu, Wuguishan Subdistrict, ZTHIDZ (Zhongshangang)Towns: Banfu, Dachong, Dongfeng, Dongsheng, Fusha, Gangkou, Guzhen, Henglan,l Huangpu, Nanlang, Nantou, Minzhong, Sanjiao, Sanxiang, Shaxi, Shenwan, Tanzhou, XiaolanNew Area: Cuiheng Districts: Jianghai, Pengjiang, XinhuiCounty-level Cities: Enping, Taishan, Kaiping, Heshan Districts: Huicheng, HuiyangCounties: Boluo, Huidong, Longmen Districts: Duanzhou, Dinghu, GaoyaoCounties: Guangning, Huaiji, Fengkai, DeqingCounty-level City: Sihui Districts: Central and Western, Eastern, Southern, Wan Chai, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin, Yau Tsim Mong, Islands, Kwai Tsing, North, Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long Freguesia: Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Santo António, São Lázaro, Sé, São Lourenço, Nossa Senhora do Carmo, São Francisco XavierZone: Cotai A 2011 article in British newspaper The Telegraph reported on a "Turn The Pearl River Delta Into One" project.

In travel literature the Pearl River Delta has been titillated as among the most attractive "pollution day trips from Hong Kong".

[24] On 22 March 2007 the World Bank approved a $96 million loan to the PRC government to reduce water pollution in the Pearl River Delta.

[27] These substances are associated with a long list of health problems such as cancer, endocrine disruption, renal failure and damage to the nervous system as well being known to harm the environment.

Board Co. Ltd. and Techwise Qingyuan Circuit Co. Ltd. ) contained concentrations of chemicals which exceeded the limits set by Guangdong provincial effluent standards.

Although it is hard to estimate overall greenhouse gas emissions from such a large megacity, scientists have shown that Pearl River Delta exhibits one of the strongest anomalies in carbon dioxide concentration around the world.

5The claimed province of Taiwan no longer have any internal division announced by Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, due to lack of actual jurisdiction.