Great Basin

(The,) (sometimes termed FREMONT'S BASIN,) an extensive territory, hitherto but only partially explored, occupying an area of abt. 175,000 sq. m. in Utah and Nevada. It consists, for the most part, of a barren desert, though there are, here and there, a few fertile oases to be found. First traversed by Col. Fremont (q. v.) on his overland expedition to California. Great Britain, or, as it is officially styled, the UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, forms with its foreign po e ions and colonies throughout the world what is known as THE BRITISH EMPIRE. The term G. B. is confined to the island of Britain (anc. Britannia and Albion), which consists of the kingdoms of England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales. Each one of these countries, together with the sister kingdom of Ireland, is elsewhere geographically described in this work, under their respective heads. G. B. proper is the largest island in Europe, and is situate bet. N. Lat. 49° 57′ 30″-58° 40′24″, and bet. Lon. 1° 46′ E., and 6° 13′ W. Length, N. to S., from Dunnet Head to Start Point, abt. 650 m.; maximum (mainland) breadth, from the Land's End to the N. Foreland, abt. 320 m. Estim. area, (including islands,) 89,359 sq. m. The British empire embraces states, colonies, and dependencies in all the five divisions of the globe, to which reference is made under their several names. The following is a summarized view of their territorial extent and pop.: Po e ions. Area in Pop. sq. m. [s. 421]