Shenzhen深圳市的前身是原宝安县。宝安历史悠久，早在新石器时代就有人类在此生息繁衍，秦代时属番禺，晋朝始设宝安，以后其名称和隶属关系几经变动，直到民国时期重称宝安县，解放后一直沿用。宝安历史上有"粤省前哨"之称，有着光荣的革命传统。鸦片战争时期林则徐在这里布防。孙中山领导的"三洲田庚子起义"就在深圳沙头角镇三洲田村发起。抗日战争时期，威震南疆的东江纵队在这里发祥和活动。宝安县于1949年10月15日解放。1979年3月，改为深圳市。1980年8月，深圳经济特区正式成立。1981年7月，深圳市升格为副省级。1988年10月，国务院批准深圳市计划单列。
深圳是一座美丽的海滨城市。地理位置优越，是内地惟一与香港接壤的城市，是香港与内地的重要通道。全市总面积1948.69平方公里，其中经济特区391.71平方公里。深圳东临大鹏湾，西连珠江口，南与香港接壤，北与东莞、惠州市为邻。地势东南高，西北低，多为低丘陵地，间以平缓的台地，西部沿海一带是滨海平原。主要河流深圳河全长35公里。年平均降雨量1933毫米。矿产资源已发现的有23种，81个矿点，部分已探明具有一定的工业储量。深圳属亚热带海洋性气候，年平均气温22.4℃，一年四季，绿草如茵，鲜花盛开。
深圳市辖6个县级建制区，即特区内的罗湖、福田、南山、盐田区和特区外的宝安、龙岗区，市政府驻福田区。特区内已于1992年完成了农村向城市、农民向居民的"两个转变"。深圳是一个移民城市。2003年末，总人口557.4万人，其中户籍人口150万人，暂住人口407.4万人。深圳市市花为簕杜鹃。
深圳物产丰富，盛产龙岗"三黄鸡"、南头荔枝、南山桃、石岩沙梨、金龟桔、龙华方柿等农副产品。栖息、繁衍的国家级野生保护动物有虎纹蛙、蟒蛇、猕猴、大灵猫、金钱豹、穿山甲等。深圳海岸线长230公里，海域产品丰富，沙井蚝是深圳特产。
深圳市已形成一个具有地方特色、自然特色、文化特色的旅游景点体系，主要景点（景区）有深圳西部海上田园旅游区、野生动物园、华侨城旅游度假区、观澜湖高尔夫球会、明思克航母世界等50多处。其中华侨城旅游度假区和观澜湖高尔夫球会是中国首批最高等级的AAAA级旅游景区。
Shenzhen Municipality was known as Bao'an County. As early as in the Neolithic Age, human beings were found to live on this land. Shenzhen was under the jurisdiction of Panyu County in the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC) and was upgraded to a County in the Jin Dynasty (265 - 420). After repeated changes of names and subordinate relationship in the following dynasties, it was renamed as Bao'an County during the period of the Republic of China (1912-1949). Bao'an County was known for its revolutionary tradition and reputed as "vanguard of Guangdong". During the two Opium Wars (1840-1842 and 1856-1860), it was here in Bao'an that imperial envoy Lin Zexu from the Qing Court deployed defense against the opium smugglers from overseas. The 1900 Sanzhoutian Uprising (known as the start of China's democratic revolution against the royal court of the Qing Dynasty) led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866 -1925) was originated in Sanzhoutian Village, Shatoujiao Town in Bao'an. During the Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945), Dongjiang River Guerrilla, which was then known widely for their military prowess in the South China, started and expanded from here. Bao'an County was liberated on October 15th 1949. In March 1979, it was changed into Shenzhen City. In August 1980, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was officially established. In July 1981, Shenzhen was upgraded to the sub-provincial status (with more authorities). In October 1988, Shenzhen was approved by the State Council to pursue its independent economic development plan.
Shenzhen is a beautiful coastal city in a superb location; the only place in the mainland bordering on Hong Kong and it is an important passage linking Hong Kong with the mainland. Covering a total area of 1,948.69 square kilometers, including 391.71 square kilometers of Special Economic Zone, Shenzhen verges on Dapeng Bay (Mirs Bay) in the east, the outlet of the Pearl River in the west, Hong Kong in the south, and Dongguan and Huizhou in the north. Its landscape is mainly low hills with occasional plain tableland, declining from the southeast to the northwest. The western part of Shenzhen comprises coastal plains. The Shenzhen River is 35 kilometers in length. The annual average rainfall totals 1,933 mm. Found in Shenzhen are 23 types of mineral reserves and 81 ore occurrences, part of which is found to have commercially viable reserve. Shenzhen is an evergreen place in the subtropical marine climate with an annual average temperature of 22.4C.
Shenzhen governs six county-level administrative districts known as Luohu, Futian, Nanshan, Yantian within the SEZ and Bao'an and Longgang outside the SEZ. The Municipal Government is seated at Futian District. In 1992, Shenzhen realized its goal of "two changes" --turning rural villages into downtowns and farmers into urban dwellers. Shenzhen is a city of immigrants. By the end of 2003, the total population reached 5.574 million with 1.5 million household registered population and 4.074 million temporary residents. The city flower is azalea.
Shenzhen is rich in its native produce, such as "three yellow chickens" from Longgang, litchi from Nantou, peach from Nanshan, pear from Shiyan, mandarin orange from Jinggui, square persimmons from Longhua. Wildlife in the list of state protection is tiger-striped frogs, boas, rhesus monkeys, zibets, leopards, and pangolins. Shenzhen has 230 kilometers long coastline with a wealth of aquatics, of which oyster from Shajing is a special native produce.
A system of tourist attractions characterized by distinctively local and natural and cultural touches has taken shape in Shenzhen. There are 50 attraction sites inluding, among others, such as the offshore field in the west, the sarafi park, Overseas Chinese Town Holiday Resort and Golf Club at Guanlanhu (the two Grade AAAA attractions), Aircraft Carrier Minsk.