Leeward Islands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. The southern part of the Lesser Antilles chain is called the Windward Islands.
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[edit] Explanation of name
These islands are referred to as "leeward" because the prevailing winds in the area blow from the east (see trade wind). Thus these islands are downwind from, or leeward of, the southeasternmost Windward Islands, the group of islands that first meet the trade winds.
[edit] List of the Leeward Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands: St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Water Island (US)
- British Virgin Islands: Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke (UK)
- Anguilla (UK)
- Saint Martin/Sint Maarten (Fr./Neth.)
- Saint-Barthélemy (Fr.)
- Saba (Neth.)
- Sint Eustatius (Neth.)
- Saint Kitts
- Nevis
- Barbuda
- Antigua
- Redonda
- Montserrat (UK)
- Basse-Terre (Fr.)
- Grande-Terre (Fr.)
- La Désirade (Fr.)
- Terre-de-Haut (Fr.)
- Terre-de-Bas (Fr.)
- Marie-Galante (Fr.)
The small and remote Isla Aves may perhaps be included with this group for convenience.
The Netherlands Antilles, however, are divided into two groups, one group in the northeast, and one in the southwest, with different naming conventions.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Leeward Islands |
- The Leeward Islands Gazette, with full page images and full searchable text is freely and openly available in the Digital Library of the Caribbean
- Antigua, Montserrat and Virgin Islands Gazette, with full page images and full searchable text is freely and openly available in the Digital Library of the Caribbean
