To provide a liquid crystal display and an external-electrode fluorescent discharge tube with high reliability capable of preventing generation of absorbing phenomena protruded into a discharge space in an evacuation side sealing part of a glass tube, and capable of securing a stable sealing structure for a long period of time.

This invention includes a liquid crystal display panel structured by pinching a liquid crystal layer between a pair of translucent substrates having electrodes for pixel formation on an inner face, a backlight having an external electrode fluorescent discharge tube EEFL for irradiating illumination light to a rear face of the liquid crystal display panel, and an optical compensation sheet laminate interposed between the liquid crystal display panel and the backlight. The external-electrode fluorescent discharge tube EEFL is provided with a translucent glass tube VAL with rare gas and mercury sealed inside, a phosphor film FUL formed on an inner peripheral face of the glass tube VAL, and a pair of external electrodes OUE formed on both-end outer peripheral faces of the glass tube VAL. A length T of a tube length direction of the evacuation side sealing part of the glass tube VAL is formed smaller than an inner diameter I of the glass tube VAL body.