Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-21
BRITANNIA,s EMPIRE.
The Immense Domains which Fly the
English Flag.

Tho Immense Domains which Fly the
English Flag.
In connection with its biographical
sketch of the late Duke of Clarence, the
New York Times says;
Few persons can realize, without look
ing into books of reference, how vast an
extent of empire the Duke of Clarence
might have been the constitutional
sovereign of had his life been spared.
Besides England, Scotland and Ireland,
the empire in Europe includes Gibraltar,
Malta and Coco, with total popula.
ton of 164,879. In Asia its possessions
consist of Alden, Brunei, Ceylon, Cyprus,
Hongkong, India, the Indian Feudatory
states, the Keeling Islands, the Kuria
Muria Islands, Labuan, North Borneo,
Perins, Sarawak, and the Straits Settle
ments. The total population of these
lands is 261 ,564, 900 souls, and the total
area 1,903,900 square miles. This Asian
population is more than twice as large
as the population of all the lands ruled
over by the Gar of Russia, and this
Asian territory is very nearly as large as
European Russia, and two-thirds as
large as the United States.
In Africa, England possesses Assem-
sion Island, Basutoland, Bechuanaland,
Berbera, British East Africa, Cape
Colony, Gambia, the Gold Coast, Lagos,
Matabeleland ,Mauritius, Natal the Niger
Districts, Nyassaland, st. Helena, St.
Paul and Amsterdam, Sierra Leone,
Socotra, Tongaland, Zambezia, Zanzibar
and Pemba, Ibea, and thence to the
Egyptian frontier, the northern Lomal
coast, Tristan d'Acunha, and Zululand.
The total area for Africa is 2,462, 438
square miles, and the total population
30,S36,600.
On the American side of the globe
England's possession are these. The
Bahama Islands, Barbados, Bermudas,
Canada, Falkland Islands, Guiana,
Honduras, Jamaica, Turks Islands,
Leeward Islands, Newfoundland, South
Georgia, Trinidad, Tobago, and the
Windward Islands, total area of
3,64o, S66 square miles, (the area of the
United States, including Alaska, is
3,601 ,404), and population of 6,236,211.
In Australasia the British empire
claims the following: The Cook Archi-
pelago, the FIJI and Rotumah Islands,
the Kermadec Islands, New South
Wales and Norfolk Islands, New
Guinea, New-Zealand, Queensland,
South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria,
Western Australia, Auckland and sew
eral small islands. For this region, the
total of area is 3,270,5 square miles,
and of population 3675,S11.
A grand total for the colonies and de-
tendencies, with the figures for Great
Britain and Ireland as made up just be-
fore the census OF 1891 in the united
Kingdom, gave a total area II ,355,057
square miles and total population of
66,642, 105 for all the English posses
sions, against 108,614, 172 souls in all
the Russian lands and S,644, 100 square
miles. From these figures it may be
be seen to what surprising extent the
English empire surpasses the Russian
in area and population. The area of
the Chinese empire is 4,179,559 square
miles, but In population, according to
the imperfect estimates, the English en-
pire is outdone by the Chinese; the
figures for China are 404, 100000 souls.
surprising, moreover, is the compare
tive lateness at which the greater part of
these lands was acquired. 1t is common
to link the name of Victoria with the
name of Elizabeth, but the England of
Elizabeth was small affair as the lands
and peoples Of nations now go. Eliza
beth was the queen Of a very small terri
tory and very small people. The only
one of England's present vast colonial
and dependent territories that was then
hers was Newfoundland. England
possessed nothing in Australasia until
1887, nothing In Africa until 1897,
nothing in Asia until 1875. Save her
American dependencies she has acquired
nearly everything outside the British
islands in this century. Scotland itself
was not united with England until the
death of Elizabeth brought James vi.
of Scotland to the English throne as
king of the two countries.
The England of Elizabeth then COM
prised England proper, Ireland, New
foundland, and what other lands, now
part of the United States, she could
properly call her own. The area of
England proper is 50,923 square miles;
that of Wales 1858, of Ireland 81, 531, of
Newfoundland 10000, or a total of
130,S17 square miles for the kingdom Of
Elizabeth. This is actually an area CON
siderably less than the area of Bechuana-
land, in South Africa, which England
acquired in 1885. 1t is less than the
area of the state of California and only
about one-half the area of Texas. Vic
toria has reigned over an area of b.
100000 square miles, or more than sew
enty times the area of Elizabeth's
empire.