Song Ben Hai (English spelling)

Japanese: ベンハイ[川]（英語表記）Song Ben Hai

A river in central Vietnam. It originates in the Annamite Mountains, flows eastward almost along the 17th parallel, and empties into the South China Sea. Although it is a small river, only 40 km long, the Geneva Agreement of July 1954 established it as the provisional border between North and South Vietnam, and a 5 km wide strip on each side of the river was designated a demilitarized zone and placed under the control of the International Truce Supervision Commission. Both North and South Vietnam strengthened their defenses along this stretch, and the Ben Hai Bridge over the river became the only passage connecting North and South. As the Vietnam War intensified, the border at the Ben Hai River was breached from the north in 1975, which led to the virtual collapse of the south.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

ベトナム中部の川。アンナン山脈に発源し，ほぼ北緯17度線に沿って東に流れ，南シナ海に注ぐ。延長40kmの小さい川であるが，1954年7月のジュネーブ協定で南北ベトナムの暫定的境界線と決められ，川の南北各5kmの幅をもつ地帯が非武装地帯とされ，国際休戦監視委員会の管理下に置かれた。南北ベトナム両国はこれに沿って防備を強化し，川にかかるベンハイ橋が南北を結ぶ唯一の通路となった。ベトナム戦争の激化に伴い，75年ベンハイ川の境界は北側から突破され，事実上南側の崩壊に通じた。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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