镧(Lanthanum)是一种化学元素，它的化学符号是La，它的原子序数是57，属于镧系元素，为稀土金属中最活泼的金属，在空气中很容易氧化。镧在独居石矿中约占稀土总量的25%。银白色的软金属，有延展性。能与水作用。易溶于稀酸。在空气中易氧化；加热能燃烧，生成氧化物和氮化物。在氢气中加热生成氢化物。它是稀土元素中第二个最丰富的元素，常与其他稀土元素一起存在于独居石中、氟碳锶镧矿中。它是铀、钍或钚裂变的放射性产物之一。它能赋予玻璃特殊的折光性能，使玻璃具有较高的折射率。 镧的制备一般由水合氯化镧经脱水后，用金属钙还原，或由无水氯化镧经熔融后电解而制得。常用来制造昂贵的照相机镜头。La是放射性的，半衰期为1.1×10年，曾被试用来治疗癌症。

Lanthanum is a soft, ductile, silvery-white metallic chemical element with symbol La and atomic number 57. It tarnishes rapidly when exposed to air and is soft enough to be cut with a knife. It gave its name to the lanthanide series, a group of 15 similar elements between lanthanum and lutetium in the periodic table: it is also sometimes considered the first element of the 6th-period transition metals. As such, it almost always assumes the oxidation state +3. Lanthanum has no biological role and is not very toxic.