Four counties in Guangdong province, China- Taishan, , Enshan, Kaiping, and Xinhui- they are VERY significant because the bulk of the early immigrants from China to the US (late 1800s)came from these four counties, which were mainly an agricultural region. Thus, in the US many people whose families have been in the US for several generations can speak Taishanese a variety of Cantonese, and people coming from this area are one of the reasons why in general the Cantonese presence in the US and Canada is very strong. 60 to 70 percent of the cantonese speakers in the US are from the 4 counties.