Leeward Islands

English

Etymology

Called leeward because the prevailing winds in the area blow from east to west. Thus, the Leeward Islands are downwind, or leeward of, the easternmost Windward Islands, the group of islands that first meet the trade winds coming from the east.

Proper noun

Leeward Islands

1. The northern of the Lesser Antilles, consisting of the islands or nations of the Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Barbuda, Antigua, Montserrat and Guadeloupe.
2. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Translations

Island group

• Catalan: illes de Sotavent f pl
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 背風群島 / 背风群岛 (zh) (Bèifēng Qúndǎo)

• Finnish: Leewardsaaret (fi) pl
• French: îles Sous-le-Vent (fr) f pl; except Antilles: îles du Vent septentrionales (fr) f pl (literally “northern Windward Islands”)
• Greek: Υπήνεμες Νήσοι f pl (Ypínemes Nísoi)
• Irish: Oileáin na Fothana m pl

See also

• Windward Islands
• Leeward Antilles

Further reading

• Leeward Islands on Wikipedia.Wikipedia