Shenzhen (; ) is a major city in Guangdong Province, China. Situated immediately north of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the area became China’s first and one of the most successful Special Economic Zones (SEZ). It currently also holds sub-provincial administrative status, with powers slightly less than a province. According to the Government report for 2014, Shenzhen had a population of 10,628,900 and a metropolitan area population of over 18 million.