Leeward Islands

Leeward Islands, chain of islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, located at the northern end of the Lesser Antilles between latitude 18° and 16° north and longitude 61° and 65° west, and bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. The islands are called the Leeward Islands because they are located on the lee, or opposite, side from the prevailing westerly trade winds, and are therefore sheltered. The principal islands and groups, running north to south, are the Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St Martin, Antigua, St Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, and Guadeloupe. The political geography of the Leeward Islands reflects their complex colonial history. Only the former British colonies of Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis are independent states; both are members of the Commonwealth. Some 36 of the Virgin Islands form the British Virgin Islands, a dependency of the United Kingdom. The three remaining islands of the group—St Thomas, St John, and St Croix—plus some 50 islets—make up the Virgin Islands of the United States, a US external territory. Anguilla and Montserrat are also UK dependencies, while the Guadeloupe group is an overseas department of France, consisting of two main islands—Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre—and five island dependencies, including the northern section of St Martin. The southern part of St Martin and the nearby islands of St Eustatius and Saba make up the northernmost of the two island groups comprising the Dutch dependency of the Netherlands Antilles.

The geology of the Leeward Islands, which have an area of about 3,297 sq km (1,273 sq mi), is also complex. The Virgin Islands, geologically part of the Greater Antilles to the north-west, comprise the peaks of a submerged mountain chain. St Kitts, Montserrat, and Basse-Terre of the Guadeloupe group have more in common with the Windward Islands to the south, being volcanic in origin. Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, and the eastern islands of the Guadeloupe group are generally formed of coral limestone.

The prevalence of tourism unites these Caribbean islands, as holidaymakers flock to their sandy shores and warm climates. Many of the Leeward Islands were explored by Christopher Columbus during his visits to the New World in the late 15th century.