Leeward Islands

Leeward Islands

English: Leeward Islands French: Îles-Sous-le-Vent
Location within the Lesser Antilles
Geography
Location	Caribbean Sea North Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	16°N 61°W / 16°N 61°W / 16; -61
Total islands	30+
Major islands	Antigua and Barbuda Guadeloupe Montserrat Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Martin Virgin Islands
Area	3,167.6 km2 (1,223.0 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,467 m (4813 ft)
Highest point	La Grande Soufrière, Guadeloupe
Administration
Antigua and Barbuda
Largest settlement	St. John's
Guadeloupe
Largest settlement	Les Abymes
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Largest settlement	Basseterre
Sint Maarten
Largest settlement	Philipsburg
Demographics
Population	c. +700,000

The Leeward Islands (/ˈliːwərd/) are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In English, the term Leeward Islands refers to the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. The more southerly part of this chain, starting with Dominica, is called the Windward Islands. Dominica was initially considered a part of the Leeward Islands but was transferred from the British Leeward Islands to the British Windward Islands in 1940.