Selenium (Se) was determined in 754 composite surface soil samples (0–20 cm) collected across Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, China, in order to establish how the element is distributed in the region and which factors govern its accumulation. GIS-based spatial analysis was combined with correlation analysis and principal component analysis to examine the spatial pattern of Se and its relationships with soil parent material and soil physicochemical properties.In the study area, Se contents ranged from 0.033 to 1.42 mg/kg and averaged 0.41 mg/kg, well above the corresponding averages for China and for Guangdong Province. Among the soil properties examined, total organic carbon (TOC) and pH showed the closest links to Se (r= 0.63 and ?0.48); Al?O? and Fe?O? were also positively related to Se. Principal component analysis further showed that Se, total organic carbon and N loaded on the same principal component, implying that organic matter, Fe–Al-bearing constituents and the acidic soil environment may all be involved in the enrichment and retention of Se.Soils developed on different parent materials differed in their mean Se contents, from 0.54 mg/kg on volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks to 0.22–0.30 mg/kg on Quaternary alluvial deposits. These results describe the regional differentiation of Se in the surface soils of Chaozhou and its dependence on several environmental factors, and they provide a geochemical basis for the investigation and assessment of Se-enriched land resources and for research on their potential for agricultural use.