Leeward Islands

Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, east of Puerto Rico and running southward to Dominica, being part of the West Indies. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. The southern part of the Lesser Antilles chain is called the Windward Islands.

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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.

Geography

The Leeward Islands fall under a number of national administrations.

There is some active vulcanism within the islands, with a notable eruption in Montserrat in the recent past.

History

Anciently, the islands were inhabited by the Carib people, who gave their name to the Caribbean, and the Taíno people. Some descendants of these groups still survive in the islands.

The islands were amongst the first parts of the Americas to fall under the Spanish Empire. European contact commenced with Christopher Columbus' second voyage, and many placenames originate from this period, e.g. Montserrat is for Santa Maria de Montserrate, after the Blessed Virgin of the Monastery of Montserrat, which is located on the Mountain of Montserrat, the national shrine of Catalonia.

List of the Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands (northmost group) in the Lesser Antilles
Overview of the southernmost Leeward Islands
Overlooking Sandy Ground, Anguilla

From generally northwest to southeast:

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 also

External links