The Lesser Antilles are an archipelago in the southeastern Caribbean, forming a boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

These islands were the first part of the New World to be settled and colonised by Europeans. While some islands are independent nations (and among the world's smallest by land area and population), others are associated with European or American countries, usually through choice in referendum and some are completely integrated with their mainland as integral parts.

Understand

"Windward" means upwind and "leeward" means downwind, important for a sailing vessel, but what is up- or downwind depends entirely on your reference point. Europeans reached this chain of islands sailing downwind across the Atlantic under the "trade winds", the prevailing north-easterlies. That helped them get here before too many of their African slave cargo had perished or become too ill to be saleable. The main traders in the 17th and 18th century were British, plying from the Gold Coast and Gulf of Guinea, so they would first encounter Dominica then make a turn. Dominica and points south thus lay downwind, leeward, while Guadeloupe and points north lay to windward. These terms became the names of colonial jurisdictions and remain embedded in English usage. Other nations had different trading routes and reference points for what was up- or downwind, likewise reflected in their colonial placenames and language. Spanish Barlovento / Sotavento, Dutch Bovenwindse Eilanden and French Îles du Vent don't match the terms used on this page.

Islands

Leeward Islands

Not to be confused with Leeward Antilles in the southern Caribbean.

Working north to south:

• 1 U.S. Virgin Islands, an organized territory of the United States. Saint Thomas is the main island and city.
• 2 British Virgin Islands, a dependency of the United Kingdom, separated by only a mile of channel from the USVI.
• 3 Anguilla, a dependency of the United Kingdom.
• 4 Saint Martin northern half is French. The south is Dutch, who call it Sint Maarten, capital Philipsburg.
• 5 Saint-Barthélemy, an overseas department of France, capital Gustavia.
• 6 Saba, a municipality of the Netherlands.
• 7 Sint Eustatius, a municipality of the Netherlands.
• 8 Saint Kitts and Nevis are a sovereign nation.
• 9 Antigua and Barbuda, a sovereign nation, capital Saint John's.
• 10 Montserrat, a dependency of the United Kingdom.
• 11 Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France, capital Basse-Terre.

Windward Islands

These are all sovereign nations except Martinique, a department of France.

• 12 Barbados, capital Bridgetown, is east of the archipelago and not part of the Windward Islands proper.
• 13 Dominica has its capital at Roseau.
• 14 Martinique, a French department with its capital at Fort-de-France.
• 15 Saint Lucia has its capital at Castries.
• 16 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have their capital at Kingstown.
• 17 Grenada has its capital at St Georges.
• 18 Trinidad and Tobago, capital Port-of-Spain, is southeast of the archipelago, and not part of the Windward Islands proper.

Get in

Most islands are served by flights from the United States and their (former) suzerain country.

• Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA ^IATA)
• V.C. Bird International (ANU ^IATA)
• Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (PTP ^IATA)
• John A. Osborne Airport (MNI ^IATA)
• Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB ^IATA)

They are also served by cruise ships.

See

• Guadeloupe National Park is filled with lush rainforests.
• Morne Trois Pitons National Park on Dominica is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with impressive landscapes.
• Virgin Islands National Park contains a great trace of civilisation.