Lesser Antilles
160659
224863024
2008-07-10T19:17:42Z
John Rotunni
4720718
most and some should have plural verbs
[[Image:LocationLesserAntilles.png|thumb|right|250px|Location of the Lesser Antilles (green) in relation to the rest of the Caribbean]]
[[Image:LesserAntillesIslands.png|thumb|350px|Islands of the Lesser Antilles]]
The '''Lesser Antilles''', also known as the '''Caribbees''',<ref name=MW>"West Indies." ''Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary'', 3rd ed. 2001. (ISBN 0-87779-546-0) Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster Inc., p. 1298.</ref> are part of the [[Antilles]], which together with the [[Bahamas]] and [[Greater Antilles]] form the [[West Indies]]. The islands are part of a long [[volcanic arc|volcanic]] [[island arc]], most of which wrap around the eastern end of the [[Caribbean Sea]] on the western boundary with the [[Atlantic Ocean]], and some of which lie on the southern fringe of the sea just north of [[South America]]. The Lesser Antilles more or less coincide with the outer edge of the [[Caribbean Plate]], and many of the islands were formed by [[subduction]], as one or more other plates slipped under the Caribbean Plate.
==Regional terminology==
The two main groups of the Lesser Antilles are the [[Windward Islands]] in the south and the [[Leeward Islands]] in the north. The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds blow northeast to southwest. The trans-Atlantic currents and winds that provided the fastest route across the ocean brought these ships to the rough dividing line between the Windward and Leeward Islands. Another group of the Lesser Antilles, is the [[Leeward Antilles]] which are found just north of [[Venezuela]]. The [[Netherlands Antilles]] are divided into two groups, one in the southwest (Leeward Antilles) off the coast of [[Venezuela]] and one in northeast (Leeward Islands), although it uses different naming conventions locally, with the southwest grouping being known as the Leeward Islands and northeast group being known as the Windward Islands.
==Islands==
The main Lesser Antilles are (from north to south to west):
[[Leeward Islands]]:
*[[U.S. Virgin Islands]]: [[Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]], [[Saint John, United States Virgin Islands|St. John]], [[Saint Croix, United States Virgin Islands|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]] (Fr.)
*[[La Désirade]] (Fr.)
*[[Les Saintes]] (Fr.)
*[[Marie-Galante]] (Fr.)
[[Windward Islands]]:
*[[Dominica]]
*[[Martinique]] (Fr.)
*[[Saint Lucia]]
*[[Saint Vincent (island)|Saint Vincent]]
*[[Barbados]]
*[[Grenadines]]
*[[Grenada]]
[[Islands of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]] (sometimes erroneously considered part of the windward islands)<ref name=MW /><ref>Cohen, Saul B., ed. [http://www.bartleby.com/69/91/W02191.html "West Indies"] [http://www.bartleby.com/69/ ''The Columbia Gazetteer of North America''.] New York: Columbia University Press – Bartleby. Accessed: 19 September 2006</ref>
[[Leeward Antilles]] – islands north of the [[Venezuela]]n coast (from west to east):
*[[Aruba]] (Neth.)
*[[Curaçao]] (Neth.)
*[[Bonaire]] (Neth.)
*[[Margarita Island]] (Ven)
*[[Coche]] (Ven)
*[[Cubagua]] (Ven)
*[[Federal dependencies of Venezuela|Venezuelan Archipelago]]
==References==
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*Rogonzinski, Jan. ''A Brief History of the Caribbean.'' New York: Facts on File, 1992.
[[Category:Lesser Antilles|*]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes]]
[[ar:جزر الأنتيل الصغرى]]
[[bs:Mali Antili]]
[[bg:Малки Антили]]
[[cs:Malé Antily]]
[[da:Små Antiller]]
[[de:Kleine Antillen]]
[[et:Väikesed Antillid]]
[[es:Antillas Menores]]
[[eo:Malgrandaj Antiloj]]
[[fr:Petites Antilles]]
[[fy:Lytse Antillen]]
[[gd:Lesser Antilles]]
[[gl:Antillas Menores]]
[[hr:Mali Antili]]
[[id:Kepulauan Antilles Kecil]]
[[is:Litlu-Antillaeyjar]]
[[it:Piccole Antille]]
[[he:האנטילים הקטנים]]
[[sw:Antili Ndogo]]
[[ku:Antîlên Biçûk]]
[[lt:Mažieji Antilai]]
[[mk:Мали Антили]]
[[nl:Kleine Antillen]]
[[ja:小アンティル諸島]]
[[pl:Małe Antyle]]
[[pt:Pequenas Antilhas]]
[[ru:Малые Антильские острова]]
[[simple:Lesser Antilles]]
[[sk:Malé Antily]]
[[sl:Mali Antili]]
[[sr:Мали Антили]]
[[fi:Pienet Antillit]]
[[sv:Små Antillerna]]
[[ta:சிறிய அண்டிலிசு]]
[[tr:Küçük Antiller]]
[[zh:小安的列斯群岛]]