Gulf of Tonkin

The Gulf of Tonkin (Vietnamese: V?nh B?c B?; {{zh-stp|s= ???|t= ???|p= B?ibù W?n}}), measuring approximately 480 km by 240 km, lies between Vietnam and China. Notably shallow (less than 60 meters deep), it is the northwest arm of the South China Sea- itself a branch of the Pacific Ocean. The Red River flows into the Gulf. Haiphong, Vietnam, and Beihai, China, are the chief ports. Hainan Island of China lies in the Gulf. Other small islands in the gulf include Weizhou Island of China.

Related Topics:
Vietnamese - Vietnam - China - South China Sea - Pacific Ocean - Red River - Haiphong - Beihai - Hainan Island - Weizhou

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Vietnamese call the Gulf either the V?nh B?c B? ("Gulf of the North") or V?nh H?i Nam (Gulf of Hainan). Nationalistic Vietnamese prefer the former toponym to avoid any suggestion that it is Chinese territory. Modern-day Chinese geographers also use this convention, calling it the "Gulf of the North" (???). The name Tonkin, written ?? in Chinese characters and ?ông Kinh in modern Vietnamese, means 'Eastern Capital', and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Incidentally, the same characters are used to write "Tokyo", capital of Japan.

Related Topics:
Hainan - Geographer - Tonkin - Chinese character - Toponym - Hanoi - Tokyo

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In August of 1964, United States President Lyndon B. Johnson falsely claimed that North Vietnamese forces had fired on two American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin in order to generate popular support for American involvement in Vietnam. Known today as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, this led to the open involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War, with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Related Topics:
August - 1964 - Lyndon B. Johnson - Gulf of Tonkin Incident - United States - Vietnam War - Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

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