Gulf of Tonkin
The
Gulf of Tonkin (480 kmx240 km) lies between
Vietnam and
China. Notably shallow (less than 60 meters deep), it is the northwest arm of the
South China Sea. The
Red River flows into the Gulf. Haiphong, Vietnam, and
Beihai, China, are the chief ports. The Chinese
Hainan Island lies in the Gulf. Other small islands in the gulf include:
The Gulf is notable in history because of
incidents in
August of
1964 that led to the direct involvement of the
United States in the
Vietnam War.
Because in several Asian languages, "Tonkin" means both Tonkin and Tokyo, Vietnamese call it the Vịnh Bắc Bộ ("Bac Bo Gulf"). Modern Chinese geographers use this convention as well, calling it the Beibu Gulf (北部灣).
See also: Geography of Vietnam, Geography of China