What is 17th parallel line?

The 17th parallel north was a provisional military demarcation line between North and South Vietnam established in 1954 as a result of the https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Geneva%20Accords of that year. This line roughly coincided with the Ben Hai River.

It was not intended to be a political or territorial boundary, but rather a temporary division to allow for the regrouping of military forces after the First Indochina War and to allow for eventual reunification through nationwide elections planned for 1956. North Vietnam was to be administered by the https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Viet%20Minh forces, while South Vietnam was to be administered by the State of Vietnam. However, these elections never took place, and the 17th parallel became a de facto border, particularly during the https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Vietnam%20War. The area immediately surrounding the 17th parallel became heavily fortified and a site of intense military activity.