TONGKING", or TONQUIN, ton'kfi', Fr. pron. tOfs'k5N'. A French protectorate in French Indo-China (q.v.), situated just south of the Tropic of Cancer, in Southeastern Asia, bor dered by China on the north, the Gulf of Tongking on the east, Annam, Laos, and Siam on the south and southwest, and Laos on the west (Map: French Indo-China, E 2). Area, estimated at 46,400 square miles. Tongking has a heavily forested plateau in the north. The eastern part is tilled, and contains slate and lime stone. The protectorate is traversed in a south easterly direction by the navigable Red River (q.v.) or Song-Koi, its delta district covering some 5000 square miles. This district, together with the neighboring islands, affords coal (kebao) and fishing. Other minerals of the protectorate are iron, copper, and gold. The climate is hot and humid. Storms are frequent in summer. The temperature ranges from 61.7° to 84° F. The soil is of great fertility. The flora in the south west resembles that of India ; that of the north east is akin to that of Southern China. Nuts and tropical fruits abound.
France is making strong endeavors to colonize the protectorate. The cattle industry is promi nent. Opium, cacao. sugar, tea, cotton, corn, cof fee, and tobacco promise to be extensively culti vated. Rice, the staple crop. equals the best in the world. Furniture. glass,silk, cotton, indigo, paper, oil, and sugar are manufactured. The commerce has rapidly increased. The imports consist large ly of machinery, metals. and textiles. The main exports are rice and animal products. The transit and the coast trade are extensive. The leading commercial points are Haiphong (the chief port. possessing a fine harbor) Kwang-yen, and Nam Dinh. A railroad extends from the last point to Hanoi, and thence northeast to Lung chow. The Red River Valley railroad to Yun nan and the coast line to ITu4 are in course of construction, There are ocean cables to Hud and Hong Kong. The largest city is Hanoi. the seat of the resident superior of Tongking, as well as of the Governor-General of French Indo China. (for government, see FRENCH INDO
CHINA.) There are fourteen provinces. The budget in 1902 balanced at $851.200. See HANOI.
The population of Tongking is estimated at 7,000,000. The race is Annamese. Besides these, who dwell largely in the delta region, and who are taller and darker than their kindred in Cochin-China and Annam, the interior con tains a number of more or less primitive peo ples, such as the Thos (q.v.) of the Claire River basin, the Muongs (q.v.) of the Black River valley, and others who belong to the Thai (q.v.). The Chinese number upward of 35,000. Several hundred thousand of the inhabitants profess Catholicism. Tongking was an independent State before it came under the control of Annam in 1802. In 1373 the first military expedition of the French was sent into the territory. but by agreement the next year they retired. In 1882 the French Government, having conceived the design of securing the delta of the Red River for French commerce, sent an expedition against the predatory Black Flags, a Chinese soldiery, representing a remnant of the Taiping rebels. The French sailed up the Red River and occupied the citadel of Hanoi. Annam lent her support to the Black Flags, whereupon in August, 1883, the French fleet under Courbet bombarded Huh and compelled Annam to accept a French pro tectorate and to allow France to prosecute her designs with regard to Tongking. The French pushed their operations with success, but soon had to face a war with China, to whose suzer ainty Annam was still nominally subject. This conflict, which lasted a year ( ISS4-85), left France in virtual possession of Tongking. In 1887 Tongking was made a part of French Indo-China. Consult: Imbert, Le Tonkin industriel et commer cial (Paris, 1835) ; Minot, Le Tonkin (ib., 1888) ; Petit, Le Tonkin (ih., 1892) ; Mat Gioi, Le Tonkin actuel 1870-90 (ib.. 1891) ; Pinabel, Sur quelques penples sauvages dependants du Tonkin (ib., 18S4) ; Holquard, campagne an Tonkin (ib., 1892).