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
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.
See also
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