Solutions are derived for the steady state lateral and vertical variations of horizontal velocity in a long, shallow, wind-driven basin, using both linear viscous and mixing length assumptions. The bathymetry is represented by a depth distribution function which describes the occurrence of different depths over a cross-section of the basin. It is shown that the relative importance of the lateral (depth-integrated) and overturning (vertically varying) circulations is dependent mainly on the bottom roughness and on the shape of the depth distribution. For natural bathymetries, the lateral circulation is generally dominant and becomes increasingly so as the bottom roughness decreases or as the depth distribution becomes broader. It is found that natural bathymetries can be characterized, in this context, by a single dimensionless number, related to the moments of the depth distribution. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1987