Leeward Islands
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Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. On a map, they begin at the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico and stretch west to Dominica. The southerly part of the chain is called the Windward Islands.
What is Leeward?
The name dates back centuries to when sailing ships (without engines) were the only way to cross the Atlantic Ocean. In sailing terminology, “windward” means ¨travel into the wind¨, while “leeward” means ¨away from the wind¨. In the West Indies, the prevailing Trade Winds blow out of the southeast.
British control
Over the centuries, some of the islands were included in different groups. For example; the early Spanish colonisers named Puerto Rico and the other islands to the west, ¨The Leeward Islands¨. The group of islands to the south and east of Dominica were thus called ¨The Windward Islands¨.
The British took control of almost all of the Lesser Antilles, and designated Antigua, Montserrat and the group of islands to the north, as “The Leeward Islands”. Martinique and the southern islands were named as “The Windward Islands”. Therefore, Dominica is the Northmost Winward Islandsland.
Islands in this information page that are to be considered as more significant are as follows; The Virgin Islands and Dominica.