Điện Biên

Tỉnh Điện Biên
Provincial capital:	Điện Biên Phủ
Region:	Northwest
Surface:	9,562.9 km²
Residents:	557,400 (2016)
Population density :	58 inhabitants / km²
Districts:	10 1 provincial town, 1 town at the district level, 8 rural districts
ISO-3166-2 code :	VN-71
Post Code:	38xxxx
Telephone code:	215 (since 2017, previously 23)
License plate :	27
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Điện Biên ( listening ^{? / I} ) is a province ( tỉnh ) of Vietnam . It is located in the north-west of the country in the Tây Bắc Bộ region . The province emerged in 2004 from the western and southern parts of Lai Châu Province . The provincial capital is Điện Biên Phủ .

geography

Black river at Mường Lay

The province's landscape is predominantly mountainous. The highest point of the massif in the center of Điện Biên is 2179 meters high. The river Ma (Sông Mã) has its source in this province. The Black River (Sông Đà) forms the border between Điện Biên and the province of Lai Châu. In addition, Điện Biên borders on Sơn La , the Lao provinces of Phongsali and Luang Prabang, and the Chinese province of Yunnan .

history

The Principality of Muang Theng (or Müang Thaeng ) of the Tai Dam ("Black Tai") has existed around today's provincial capital Điện Biên Phủ . The Khun Borom -Legende (a kind of creation myth of the Tai peoples ) According Muang was Theng the original home of Tai, which subsequently split into several tribes and then Laos, Thailand, areas in eastern Burma and in the far south of China populated.

Muang Theng and several other tribal principalities (Müang / Mường) , mainly the Tai Dam and the Tai Dón ("White Tai"), joined together to form the Sip Song Chu Thai Confederation (translated as "twelve principalities of the Tai"). This was incorporated into the French protectorate of Tonkin in 1888 and thus part of French Indochina . However, the colonial rulers left the Tai tribal princes of the Pays Taï on their thrones and allowed them to regulate their own affairs largely independently.

In the Indochina War (1946–1954) the area was fought over between French colonial troops and the Việt Minh or the People's Army of the People's Democratic Republic of Vietnam . The latter inflicted a decisive defeat on the French in the 1954 Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, which was very costly for both sides . In the following years, many members of the local Tai ethnic groups moved from the war-torn area to the USA, France and Australia.

In 1955, the Vietnam DPR established the Autonomous Northwest Territory in the region, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic minorities . In 1975, however, this was divided into several provinces. Điện Biên then belonged to the province of Lai Châu until 2004 , before it was separated from this and set up as an independent province.

Districts

Điện Biên is divided into ten districts:

• 8 counties ( huyện ):
  • Điện Biên
  • Điện Biên Đông
  • Mường Ảng (created 2006)
  • Mường Chà (formerly Mường Lay)
  • Mường Nhé
  • Nậm Pồ (created 2012)
  • Tủa Chùa
  • Tuần Giáo
• 1 city at the district level ( thị xã ): Mường Lay (formerly Lai Châu)
• 1 provincial town ( Thành phố trực thuộc tỉnh ): Điện Biên Phủ (capital)

population

According to the 2016 population statistics, Điện Biên had 557,400 inhabitants and thus a population density of 55 inhabitants per square kilometer.

In 2009 the province had 490,306 inhabitants, of which 73,460 (15.0%) lived in cities. 209,562 (42.7%) were younger than 18 years, 27,558 (5.6%) 60 years and older.

186,270 residents (38%) belonged to the Thái nationality, 170,648 (34.8%) to the Hmong , 90,323 (18.4%) were ethnic Vietnamese (Kinh) , 16,200 (3.3%) Khmu and 5,251 (1, 1%) Yao (Dao) . The majority of the Vietnamese lived in cities (where they made up the majority of the population), all other ethnic groups predominantly in the countryside.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Provinces
2. ↑ Kết quả toàn bộ Tổng điều tra Dân số và Nhà ở Việt Nam năm 2009 Phần I: Biểu Tổng hợp. Hanoi, June 2010.

Coordinates: 21 ° 23 '  N , 103 ° 1'  E