Điện Biên Province

Điện Biên Province (Vietnamese: Tỉnh Điện Biên) is the westernmost province of Vietnam. It is located in the North Western Region and is bordered by the provinces of Lai Châu to the north and Sơn La to the east. It also borders the Phongsaly Province of Laos to the west, and China to the north.

Its capital and largest city is Điện Biên Phủ, located in the west of the province. The province is one of the most isolated and sparsely populated in all of Vietnam.

Geography
The province is highly mountainous. Like many other provinces in the region, there are large, steep valleys that criss-cross the province. Most of the land area is covered in dense temperate rainforest.

The capital of Điện Biên Phủ is located in the Mường Thanh Valley, a large oval-shaped flat base valley in the west. The rest of the province is sparsely populated, comparable to the population density in neighbouring Laos.

The Black River forms the north-eastern border of the province.