Leeward Islands

Leeward Islands

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.

Explanation of Name

These islands are called "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. (See also explanation at Windward Islands.)

List of the Leeward Islands

*U.S. Virgin Islands: St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix (US)
*British Virgin Islands: Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke (UK)
*Anguilla (UK)
*Saint Martin/Sint Maarten (France/Neth. Antilles)
*Saint-Barthélemy (Fr.)
*Saba (Neth.)
*Sint Eustatius (Neth.)
*Saint Kitts
*Nevis
*Barbuda
*Antigua
*Redonda
*Montserrat (UK)
*Guadeloupe
*La Désirade (Fr.)
*Les Saintes (Fr.)
*Marie-Galante (Fr.)
*Dominica

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, see Netherlands Antilles.

ee also

*Antilles
*Leeward Antilles
*Windward Islands
*Lesser Antilles

Museum and Library Resources

* [http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/ufdc/?c=dloc&b=UF00076863 "The Leeward Islands Gazette,"] a local newspaper fully and openly available in the Digital Library of the Caribbean


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • LEEWARD ISLANDS — Appartenant à la moitié nord de l’arc insulaire des Petites Antilles, les Leeward, groupe d’îles anglophones, se situent entre la Guadeloupe et les îles Vierges. L’État d’Antigua et Barbuda, qui comprend aussi l’îlot de Redonda, inhabité, couvre… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Leeward Islands — oder Leeward Inseln steht für: Inseln unter dem Winde, allgemeiner Begriff für der Windrichtung abgewandte Inseln eine Inselgruppe, die Teil der Inseln über dem Winde (Antillen) ist Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärun …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Leeward Islands — [lē′wərd] 1. N group of islands in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, extending from Puerto Rico southeast to the Windward Islands 2. former British colony in this group (dissolved 1962), now separate countries or territories …   English World dictionary

  • Leeward Islands — (spr. līwĕrd ailānds, soviel wie an der Leeseite gelegene Inseln oder Inseln unter dem Wind), s. »Antillen« und die einzelnen Inseln …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Leeward Islands — (spr. lihwĕrd oder ljuĕrd eiländs), Lewardinseln, s. Antillen und Beilage: ⇒ Südamerika …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Leeward Islands —   [ liːwəd aɪləndz], Westindische Inseln.   …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Leeward Islands — /lee weuhrd/ a group of islands in the N Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, extending from Puerto Rico SE to Martinique. * * * Arc of West Indian islands that constitute the most westerly and northerly of the Lesser Antilles, northeastern… …   Universalium

  • Leeward Islands — Lee|ward Is|lands the Leeward Islands a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, between Puerto Rico and Martinique, which includes the islands of Antigua, Montserrat, and Guadeloupe, and the Virgin Islands …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Leeward Islands (disambiguation) — Leeward Islands may refer to:* Leeward Islands, the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles * Leeward Islands (Society Islands), the western islands of the Society Islands in French Polynesia * Sotavento ( Leeward ), the southern island group of… …   Wikipedia

  • Leeward Islands cricket team — ). The list of prominent cricketers who have played for Leeward Islands includes Curtly Ambrose, Keith Arthurton, Kenny Benjamin, Winston Benjamin, Ridley Jacobs, Derick Parry, Viv Richards, Richie Richardson, Andy Roberts and Stuart Williams.The …   Wikipedia

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