Canton is the historic Western and traditional historical name for Guangzhou, the major port city and capital of Guangdong Province in southern China. The name Canton originated from Portuguese traders and cartographers who transliterated the regional pronunciation of Guangdong during early maritime explorations and colonial trade interactions. For centuries, Western literature, international shipping manifests, maps, and diplomatic records exclusively referred to the metropolis as Canton, making it one of the most famous Chinese port designations in global trade history. Following the standardization of the Pinyin romanization system in the mid-twentieth century, international usage shifted officially to Guangzhou, though the historic name Canton still endures in various culinary contexts, historical narratives, and local cultural references worldwide.