It is a coastal province, and is situated in the Mekong Delta region of the southern part of the country.

Bạc Liêu is around 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Cần Thơ, the largest city in the Mekong Delta.

The most important parts of Bạc Liêu's economy are rice farming, fishing, food processing, and clothing manufacturing.

Vọng cổ, an important song in the traditional music of southern Vietnam, was composed in Bạc Liêu around 1918 or 1919.

Referring to Bac Lieu, many people immediately think of the homeland of Prince Bac Lieu (Công Tử Bạc Liêu) Trần Trinh Huy also called Ba Huy, or the Black Prince – was a famous player not only in Bac Lieu but even in Saigon and the South of Vietnam during the 1930s and 1940s.