Where are the Leeward Islands located?
the Caribbean Sea
Leeward Islands, French Îles Sous-le-Vent, Spanish Islas de Sotavento, an arc of West Indian islands that constitute the most westerly and northerly of the Lesser Antilles, at the northeastern end of the Caribbean Sea, between latitudes 16° and 19° N and longitudes 61° and 65° W.
What is the difference between the Leeward and Windward Islands?
An island’s windward side faces the prevailing, or trade, winds, whereas the island’s leeward side faces away from the wind, sheltered from prevailing winds by hills and mountains.
Where is Leeward Islands located on a map?
Leeward Islands. The Leeward Islands /ˈliːwərd/ are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. On a map, they start with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico and reach southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies.
Where is French Polynesia located?
French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France and comprises of 118 small islands and atolls, scattered across the south-central Pacific Ocean. The island groups are geographically scattered over an area of more than 2,000 km in the South Pacific Ocean.
Why is Guadeloupe called the Leeward Islands?
When the British gained control of many of the Lesser Antilles, they designated Antigua, Montserrat and the islands to the north as the “Leeward Islands”. Guadeloupe and the islands to the south were designated as the “Windward Islands”.
How did the Windward Islands become the Leeward Islands?
This location, Dominica and Martinique, becomes the rough dividing line between the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands. The early Spanish colonizers called Puerto Rico and the islands to the west Sotavento, meaning ‘leeward’. The islands to the south and east of Puerto Rico were then called Islas de Barlovento, meaning ‘windward islands’.