Leeward Islands 276895 224703510 2008-07-10T01:13:30Z Mrtoes 4570103 /* Museum and Library Resources */ {{otheruses}} [[Image:Charlotte Amalie.jpg|thumb|right|[[Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands|Charlotte Amalie]], US Virgin 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 in the lee of, leeward of, the southeasternmost [[Windward Islands]], the group of islands that first meet the [[trade wind]]s. (See also explanation at [[Windward Islands]].) ==List of the Leeward Islands== [[Image:Sandy Ground Anguilla.jpg|thumb|375px|Overlooking [[Sandy Ground, Anguilla|Sandy Ground]], [[Anguilla]]]] *[[U.S. Virgin Islands]]: [[St. Thomas]], [[St. John]], [[St. Croix]] *[[British Virgin Islands]]: [[Tortola]], [[Virgin Gorda]], [[Anegada]], [[Jost Van Dyke]] *[[Anguilla]] (UK) *[[Saint Martin|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.) 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== *[[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]] [[Category:Lesser Antilles]] [[Category:Leeward Islands (Caribbean)]] [[ca:Illes de Sotavent]] [[de:Inseln über dem Winde (Antillen)]] [[es:Islas de Sotavento]] [[eo:Deventaj Insuloj]] [[fa:جزایر بادپناه]] [[fr:Îles du Vent (Antilles)]] [[id:Kepulauan Leeward]] [[is:Hléborðseyjar]] [[it:Isole Sopravento settentrionali]] [[he:איי ליווארד]] [[lt:Pavėjinės Antilų salos]] [[nl:Benedenwindse Eilanden]] [[no:Leewardøyene (øygruppe)]] [[pl:Wyspy Podwietrzne (Morze Karaibskie)]] [[ru:Подветренные острова]] [[sr:Острва заветрине]]