Windward Islands

Name and geography

The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the West Indies blow east to west. The trans-Atlantic currents and winds that provided the fastest route across the ocean brought these ships to the rough dividing line between the Windward and Leeward islands. Vessels in the Atlantic slave trade departing from the African Gold Coast and Gulf of Guinea would first encounter the southeasternmost islands of the Lesser Antilles in their west-northwesterly heading to final destinations in the Caribbean and North and Central America. The chain of islands form a part of the easternmost boundary of the Caribbean Sea.[1][2]

The Antillean Windward Islands from north to south are:

* Dominica
* Martinique (an overseas department of France)
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent
* Grenadines
* Grenada

Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago do not consider themselves part of the Windward Islands but are sometimes included due to proximity and the fact that they are windward relative to other Caribbean isles.

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