Pop. (1891), 159,278; (1901), 188,133 This great naval station and arsenal is an aggregate of four towns, Portsmouth, Portsea, Landport and Southsea, and occupies the south-western part of Portsea Island, which lies between Portsmouth Harbour and Langstone Harbour, two inlets of the English Channel.
Portsmouth proper may be distinguished as the garrison town; Portsea as the naval station with the dockyards; Landport is occupied chiefly by the houses of artisans; and Southsea is a residential quarter and a favourite watering-place.
There is a gunnery establishment in the harbour on Whale Island, the area of which has been increased to nearly 90 acres by the accretion of material excavated from the dockyard extension works, and various barracks including those of the royal marine artillery at Eastney, beyond Southsea.
Southsea Castle was built by Henry VIII.
Ryde is connected by rail with the other towns in the island, and there is also steamboat communication with Portsmouth, Southampton, Southsea, Portsea and Stoke's Bay.