North Canton, city (1990 pop. 14,748), Stark co., NE Ohio, a suburb of Canton; settled c.1815, inc. as a city 1961. Vacuum cleaners and industrial die castings are among the city's manufactures.

Canton, John, 1718-72, English physicist. He is known for his research in magnetism and in electricity, especially his experiments in electrostatic induction. Canton was the first in England to verify Benjamin Franklin's conclusions about lightning. He invented an electroscope and an electrometer and demonstrated the compressibility of water.

Canton Island: see Kanton.

Canton: see Guangzhou, China.

Canton. 1 City (1990 pop. 13,922), Fulton co., W central Ill., in the corn belt; inc. 1849. It is a trade and industrial center for a coal and farm area. 2 Town (1990 pop. 18,530), Norfolk co., E Mass., a suburb of Boston; settled 1630, inc. 1797. Rubber goods, textiles, plastics, and paper and electronics products are manufactured, and there is a state hospital for the handicapped. Paul Revere operated a copper-rolling mill here. 3 City (1990 pop. 84,161), seat of Stark co., NE Ohio, on Nimishillen Creek; inc. 1822. In an iron- and steel-producing area, it makes roller bearings, automated teller machines, office equipment, water softeners, and vaults. In the city are Malone College and the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Walsh College is in suburban North Canton, which manufactures vacuum cleaners. The McKinley State Memorial contains the grave of William McKinley.

Canton, river, China: see Pearl.

Political subdivision of Switzerland, France, and some other European countries. Each of Switzerland's 26 cantons and half-cantons has its own constitution, legislature, executive, and judiciary. Five preserve the ancient democratic assembly, in which all citizens meet; the remaining 21 have a cantonal legislature with elective representatives and usually proportional representation. In France, the canton is a territorial and administrative subdivision of an arrondissement but not an actual unit of local government.

Learn more about canton with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Kuang-chou conventional Canton

City (pop., 2003 est.: 4,653,131), capital of Guangdong province, China. Located on the Zhu (Pearl) River about 90 mi (145 km) from the sea, it is southern China's chief port. Incorporated into China's Qin empire (221–207 BC), it later became an important city under the Ming dynasty. The first Chinese seaport opened to foreigners, it was regularly visited by Arab and Hindu traders and, in the 16th century, by the Portuguese. The English arrived in the 17th century, followed by the French and Dutch. Guangzhou's resistance to the English opium trade led to war (1839–42), and it was occupied by the British and French in 1856–61. In the late 19th century it was the seat of revolutionary political ideas promoted by the Nationalist Party. It was bombed and then occupied by the Japanese in 1938–45. Its industrial growth subsequently expanded, and, with China's renewed ties to the West from the late 1970s, it became one of several economic investment areas for foreigners. One of China's largest cities, its expanding economy added to the region's growth.

Learn more about Guangzhou with a free trial on Britannica.com.