Tây Ninh () is a province in the Southeast region of Vietnam, with the capital at the town of Tây Ninh. Tây Ninh province locates between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, in Southern Key Economic Zone. Tây Ninh City is 99 km away from Ho Chi Minh City following National Route 22 and 40 km away from the border with Cambodia to the northwest. Followers of the Cao Dai, who dominate the area, have built a Holy See in Tây Ninh. The region also has concentrations of the Hòa Hảo, a rival Buddhist sect. The area is noted for its large rubber and sugar plantations; rice and coconuts are also harvested. The province has a population of 1,169,165 (in 2019) and an area of 4,041.4 km2. Geography Like other Southeast provinces, Tây Ninh province is in the middle terrain of South Central Coast Highland and Mekong Delta, the terrain is relatively flat. Tây Ninh not only has highland terrain, but also has flat terrain such as Black Virgin Mountain with the height of 986 m, Phung Mountain (435 m), Heo Mountain (289 m), Tan Bien National Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery or Hill 82 (82 m). Terrain of south districts is about 15 m height, while river source of Dầu Tiếng Lake and some places in Tân Châu District is about 115 m, flat terrain and floodplain is 1 m, but the average height in Tây Ninh province is just about 35 m. Overall, terrain's height of Tây Ninh province is lower than that of other Southeast provinces, except Ho Chi Minh City. History The Vietnamese began to settle in the then Khmer territory in 1770. The Cao Đài religion originated in Tây Ninh. It is the birthplace of Trình Minh Thế, a nationalist and military leader during the end of the First Indochina War. Because of the once-vaunted political and military power of the Cao Dai, this region was the scene of prolonged and heavy fighting during the First Indochina War. Tây Ninh province served as a major terminus of the Ho Chi Minh trail during the Vietnam War, and in 1969 the Viet Cong captured Tây Ninh town and held it for several days. During the period of conflict between Cambodia and Vietnam in the late 1970s, the Khmer Rouge launched a number of cross-border raids into Tây Ninh province and committed atrocities against civilians. Several cemeteries around