Gulf of Tonkin
From dKosopedia
Categories: Vietnam | Vietnam War
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.
The Gulf is notable in history because of events in August of 1964 that led to the open involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War, with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.