Điện Biên Province

Điện Biên (listen) is a province in the Northwest region of Vietnam. It is bordered by Lai Châu to the northeast, Sơn La to the southeast, Pu'er City, Yunnan, China, to the northwest, and Phongsaly Province in Laos to the west.

For the district, see Điện Biên District.

Điện Biên Province

Tỉnh Điện Biên
Province
Mường Ảng district
Nickname(s): 
Stable frontier
Location of Điên Biên within Vietnam
Coordinates: 21°23′N 103°1′E
Country Vietnam
RegionNorthwest
CapitalĐiện Biên
Area
 • Total9,560 km2 (3,690 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total567,000
 • Density59/km2 (150/sq mi)
Demographics
 • EthnicitiesVietnamese/Kinh, H'Mông, Dao, Thai
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
Area codes215
ISO 3166 codeVN-71
Websitewww.dienbien.gov.vn

History

The name "Điện Biên" means "stable frontier" (referring to Điện Biên's location on the border between Lan Xang and Vietnam).[1] Điện Biên has various ancient monuments including the caves Thẩm Khương, as well as Thẩn Búa in Tuần Giáo. The original settlers were the Ai Lao or Tai people who are a direct ancestor of Lao people in Laos today. The names of some villages and towns still use words of Lao origin, such as Mường (city) and Tham (cave).

In the 9th and 10th centuries, the Lự ở Mường Thanh people were the most developed in the area and controlled Sìn Hồ, Mường Lay, and Tuần Giáo.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, Tai (not to be confused with the Thai people of Thailand) people from Mường Ôm and Mường Ai occupied Mường Lò in Nghĩa Lộ and Mường Thanh in Điện Biên. They eventually gained control of the whole area between Mường Lò and Mường Thanh (Điện Biên).

Administrative divisions

Điện Biên is subdivided into 10 district-level sub-divisions:

Second Tier
subdivisions		 Area
(km²)		 Third Tier subdivisions
Ward Township Commune
Điện Biên Phủ city64.2772
Mường Lay town114.0321
Điện Biên District1639.8525
Điện Biên Đông District1206.39113
Mường Ảng District443.5219
Mường Chà District1199.42111
Mường Nhé District1573.7311
Nậm Pồ District1498.0015
Tủa Chùa District679.41111
Tuần Giáo District1136.29118

They are further subdivided into five commune-level towns (or townlets), 116 rural communes, and nine wards.

Places in Điện Biên

References
  1. "Điện Biên, hành trình trở về cội nguồn" (in Vietnamese).


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