Guangdong boasts rich mineral resources. By the end of 2005, a total of 129 minerals have been discovered, and the reserves of 92 minerals have been proven.

By the end of 2005, 237 forest, wetland and wildlife reserves had been established, covering a total area of 1.07 million hectares.

The province has extensive access to the sea together with a network of interconnected waterways with many reservoirs and fish ponds. It is rich in aquatic products. Its marine breeding areas cover 780,000 hectares and it has a further 430,000 hectares of freshwater breeding areas. The main crops are rice, vegetables and fruit. Zhanjiang is the main center for sisal hemp while fruit production is predominately based around Maoming. Among the 200 varieties of fruit grown in Guangdong are pineapples, bananas and litchi, together with longans and oranges.

The province faces a shortage of water resources. At the end of 2005, the water storage in large reservoirs totaled 13.98 billion cubic meters. The annual water consumption stood at 47 billion cubic meters.

The year 2005 saw a reduction of 94,139 hectares of cultivated land as a result of construction, disasters and readjustment of agricultural structures.

China.org.cn