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Special Road Section Hanoi Haiphong
This detailed French military road map, Coupure Spéciale Routière Hanoi Haiphong, covers the critical transportation corridor between Hanoi and Haiphong in northern Vietnam, then part of French Indochina.
Produced by the D.G.E.O. and dated December 1949, the map captures a strategic region essential to colonial administration and military logistics in the waning years of French rule. We were unable to determine the correct name for the D.G.E.O.
The map is printed in color at a scale of 1:200,000 and features an intricate network of roads, railways, rivers, rice fields, marshes, and airfields. Road classifications are carefully delineated in the legend: Routes Coloniales, Routes Provinciales, and Routes Communales are distinguished by construction status (metalled, unmetalled, under construction) and road numbers. Railroads, both active and under construction, are also prominently shown, along with tramways intended for mining and forestry industries. Ferries, bridges, canals, airfields, and topographical features such as mountains and marshlands are all carefully marked. Administrative divisions—state, regional, and provincial boundaries—are indicated, including distinctions between agreed and disputed frontiers.
Urban features are cataloged with special symbols for provincial chief towns (e.g., Sontay), residency centers, and villages, along with the placement of military posts, native guard posts, and aid stations. Notable ruins and monuments are also marked, reflecting the continued French interest in archaeological and historical sites.
The area shown encompasses a dense network of settlements around Hanoi, extending southeast to the important port city of Haiphong. Major urban centers like Hà Nội, Hà Đông, Hải Dương, and the surrounding rural communes are illustrated with extraordinary density, emphasizing the high population concentration and agricultural richness of the Red River Delta. Rice fields are notably extensive, a key to understanding the region’s economic structure.
Rarity
The map is apparently unrecorded.
