It is bordered by the provinces of Cantabria, Burgos, Guipúzcoa, and Álava, and by the Bay of Biscay.
Of the 1,133,444 people (2002) who live in Vizcaya, about 30% live in the capital, Bilbao (Basque Bilbo). Guernica (Basque, Gernika-Lumo), a town regarded as the spiritual centre of the Basque country, is located in Vizcaya.
Other important towns include Barakaldo, Portugalete, Durango, and Balmaseda. See List of municipalities in Vizcaya.